Native American Staff, Faculty, and Graduate Student Caucus

The purpose of the Native American Staff, Faculty, and Graduate Student Caucus shall be to facilitate, influence, and provide guidance for educational, administrative, and personnel policies that affect the welfare of the Native American community at UNC Charlotte. The functions of the Caucus shall be to: (a) Serve as a support network for Native American members of the university community and articulate the collective concerns to the appropriate university officials. (b) Identify the professional and/or technical needs of the Native American community and design programs relevant to those needs. (c) Advise university administrative leadership on how to best attract and retain greater numbers of faculty, staff, and administrators in accordance with the UNC Charlotte strategic plan commitments and goals regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. (d) Promote active representation on significant university search committees, standing committees, and task forces. (e) Meet with the Chancellor at least once per year and serve in an advisory capacity to the Chancellor. (f) Maintain and expand channels of communication with Native American students at UNC Charlotte and with the Tribal Nations located within North Carolina. (g) Gather information, from both on and off campus, related to professional growth and development, and disseminate this information to the Native American university community. (h) Promote intersectional analyses and professional collaborations to address the means whereby settler colonialism, intergenerational trauma, race, class, ethnicity, age, religion, disability, and cultural norms impact Native American communities. (i) To encourage and promote scholarship, research, and teaching that addresses questions and issues relevant to Native Peoples and to all members of the university across disciplines. (j) To help faculty and staff across the university develop pedagogical approaches, programming, and resources that are respectful and culturally appropriate according to Native Peoples on campus and in the broader community. (k) Establish key goals yearly and communicate those goals to the university community. (l) Develop financial and other resources necessary to maintain the effectiveness of the Caucus.