Our Story
The Black Faculty and Staff Association, BFSA, was established to address the issues and concerns unique to employees of African and Black origin at the University of Utah. Founded in 2012, the association has a legacy of support and transformation at the institution; from supporting the founding of the Black Cultural Center in 2019 to holding a bi-annual Black Affairs Summit to creating an archive that supports the research of black faculty and staff. A resource for advocacy, mentorship, development, and community, the association is a(n):
- Information sharing organization to support the recruitment, career development and retention of its members.
- Resource to campus administration to ensure that the University is equipped to meet its mission of academic excellence by maintaining its commitment to meaningful representation of a variety of voices in education.
- Influential voice to support the recruitment and retention of African and African diasporic students.
BFSA maintains a cohesive network system that works cooperatively across all campus levels, and the community.
Black Faculty and Staff Association Community History Internship
Founded in 2021 by Shavauna Munster, BFSA Historian, the BFSA Community History Internship is an opportunity for an undergraduate student to learn how to navigate archives and special collections while centering the experiences of the Black community at the University of Utah. Each semester, a student is mentored by co-supervisors, Special Collections Librarian Dr. Rachel Ernst and Shavauna Munster, in creating an original research project based on archival findings. Research projects are presented at the last general body meeting of the semester.
Interns have created infographics, walking tours, podcasts, and digital exhibits - all of which can be found in the Community History Internship Collection housed at the Marriott Library. Since its founding, intern research has reached a wider audience; a keynote speaker for the Sema Hadithi Black History Conference, writing for the Utah Historical Society Peoples of Utah Revisited, and partnering with the Utah Historical Quarterly. We hope to continue the reach of this important research - if you would like to partner with us, please reach out to shavauna.munster@utah.edu
More information about the internship can be found here.
We need YOU in the archive
Why?
Representation of black faculty and staff in the University of Utah archives is not as robust as it could be. We encourage you to send materials to University of Utah Archives and Records Management to adequately represent our impact on the institution.
What?
Documents pertaining to projects, programs, data, awards, institutional developments, research, memorandums, etc. - send any and all documents that you have. Archives and Records Management will help to determine what can and cannot be archived with them. If items are digital, they will be archived with the Marriott Library Special Collections.
How?
Send documents to archivist Clint Bailey at clint.bailey@utah.edu . Clint will assist in connecting you with the Marriott Library Special Collections for digital items.
When?
Items can be sent as often as you find pertinent. Set a calendar reminder and include the process each academic year.
