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UK faculty members met Tuesday to discuss a proposal to create a Center for Equality and Social Justice at UK.

The proposal is in its infancy, but has progressed to a faculty meeting within a month and a half of planning. The goal is to link students and faculty who are interested in social justice issues.

Christia Brown formed the proposal with several colleagues after realizing how many faculties she shared research topics with, but was not connected with because they were in different colleges.

“It was from a lot of conversations with faculty and realizing how many other people are doing similar work, and how we often forget how many of us are doing this work,” Brown said.  “And looking around the world and realizing there is a real strong need for social justice and it’s not going away. So if some really thoughtful people can start working towards social justice, I think that’s a great endeavor for the university.”

Brown said she thinks the center will become a place of community for faculty and students to interact and engage the community in their research and advocacy work.

Brown said that her next step is to create a committee, and to respond to some of the feedback she received at today’s faculty meeting. Community members who are interested in offering ideas and support can email Brown. One of those groups Brown is seeking input from is students.

“Definitely have students as part of the process,” Brown said. “We’ll have students on the planning committee, and we’ll have students on the advisory committee. So even once it’s formed we’ll have graduate and undergraduate students involved in the governance of it.  I think students will be a big part of it.”

Dr. Michael Winkler, an assistant professor of radiology and internal medicine, said in the faculty meeting that the process was moving too quickly and pausing to get more community members, students and faculty members involved would help to clarify some of the issues he felt the proposal neglected.

He said one of his major concerns was how quickly the meeting was formed and that there may not have been enough time for all of the departments and colleges at UK to attend.

“Many of the stakeholders weren’t invited to the table,” Winkler said.

The center would be housed within the College of Arts and Sciences, which already houses the Appalachian Center and the Center for African-American and Africana Studies. The college would be able to provide the proposed center with a budget and administrative support.

“I think what we’re proposing is that we would have this administratively for the whole university,” said Mark Kornbluh, Dean of Arts and Sciences. “It wouldn’t be just our center.”

Winkler said that one of his major concerns is having the center be within the College of Arts and Sciences.

“I don’t think a center for equity should reside in any college,” Winkler said. “It should be a supra-structure. It should transcend any college.” 

Winkler was concerned that the proposal already included a budget and had asked for university support, without a defined and organized agenda.  The budget would be around $70,500 for the first year, according to the proposal, which can be found online.