Campus History Committee Timeline
(Spring 2020-present)
- Jan-Feb. 2020, established charge(s) and began to convene members from across JMU divisions
- March-April, COVID-19 disruption; first appointments made
- May, committee expanded
- Outreach to local community organizations (e.g. NAACP, Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage, NENA)
- Outreach to additional student and faculty organizations (e.g. CMSS, Hispanic Faculty Caucus, Sisters in Session)
- Created advisory boards and subcommittees
- June, established communications
- Expanded existing History and Context website to include digital resources on BIPOC campus and local history
- Established email campushistory@jmu.edu & social media presence
- Summer-Fall, Developed preliminary list of potential individuals deserving recognition
- Summer-Fall, Began to survey and map current campus commemorative landscape; Analyzed patterns, messages, alignment with JMU mission and values
- Fall, hosted virtual events (focus groups, input sessions, livestreamed & recorded info panel) & invited public comment
- Winter, submitted report with recommendations to President Alger and senior leadership:
- Reclaiming, Renaming, Repairing: The Campus History Committee Report (Dec. 21, 2020)
- Feb. 19, 2021, Board of Visitors approves new three new building names to recognize contributions to this institution by five African Americans: Drs. Joanne V. and Alexander Gabbin; Dr. Sheary Darcus Johnson (’70, ’74M); and Doris Harper Allen (’19H) and Robert Walker Lee.
History and Context Committee (2017-2019)
Final Report History and Context Working Group (June 2019) covers activities and recommended actions
JMU History Dialogue Report (Dec. 2018) summarizes campus history topics considered during a public dialogue or forum led by ICAD (titled “Legacy of Exclusion”) that focused on improving today’s campus climate.
“Legacy” in Class Facilitation Report 11.29.18 Student facilitators’ report from the Legacy of Exclusion public dialogue.
Articles published in The Breeze on JMU campus history:
History and Context Committee Members (2018-19):
- Anthony Tongen (MATH), Interim Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship
- Colleen Walker, Graduate Student Representative
- Eric Fife (SCOM) Committee Co-chair
- Georgia Hanigan, Undergraduate Student Representative
- Jack Knight, University Legal Services
- Kate Morris, Libraries and Education Technologies
- Lori Britt (SCOM), Institute for Construction Advocacy and Dialogue
- Meg Mulrooney (HIST). Associate Vice Provost for University Programs
- Steve Reich (HIST) Committee Co-chair
- Weston Hatfield, Advancement