Theodore E. Long
Addressing Diversity
Date: November 16, 2007
Over the last several years, we have undertaken a couple of efforts to build a plan for the diversification of the college community. Unfortunately, neither of those efforts was successfully completed, and we remain without a strategic plan for our mutual efforts in this area.
With the arrival of Diane Elliott as Director of Diversity this year to join Rachel Hadrick (Coordinator of Multicultural Programs) in working on matters, we have a new opportunity to address these issues systematically, and I have asked Provost Traverso to organize a Diversity Task Force to do so. You will be hearing from her soon about the constitution of the task force and its work.
As we draw our attention back to these issues, it is important to recall just what makes them so important for our community.
· From a moral and ethical point of view, it is imperative to foster and embrace diversity as a fundamental matter of human dignity, individual opportunity and social justice.
· Educationally, nurturing a community of diversity and delivering an education regarding diverse cultures, peoples and perspectives is a critical component of a quality education in the liberal arts and professions today.
· Institutionally, we also have an interest in building a community of diversity to attract the best faculty and staff possible and to recruit from the growing pool of students from diverse backgrounds who are seeking access to higher education. Equally important is the recognition of the value that a diverse body contributes to the entire campus community.
In short, how we address diversity is one of the key factors shaping institutional quality, and building a successful college-wide approach to this issue is essential for us to realize our aspirations for distinction.
I trust you will join me in supporting the work of this new task force and in engaging them in dialogue about this issue as they proceed in the months ahead.
Board of Trustees
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Susan Traverso, Provost and Senior Vice President Diversity Task Force Date: November 26, 2007 I am pleased to announce the formation of a Task Force on Diversity. Over the coming months, the Task Force will engage the campus in a conversation about diversity and the practices that support diversity. This effort will include dialogues with students, faculty and staff as well as the completion of a campus climate survey on diversity. Relying on input from stakeholders across campus, the Task Force will draft a comprehensive institutional plan to guide us as we bring greater diversity to the College Community and as we strive to understand the ways diversity both challenges and enriches our understanding of education and ourselves. Fostering diversity is a critical component of the College’s commitment to academic excellence. As President Long outlined in his memo to the community, we have an interest in attracting the best faculty and staff and recruiting students from diverse backgrounds. Creating an environment that is diverse in perspective and lived experience is a marker of quality education. Moreover, it is fundamental to our respect for human dignity, individual opportunity and social justice. The following members of our community have agreed to serve as members of the Task Force, but we welcome the engagement of all in this important work. Diane Elliot, Director of Diversity John Rohrkemper, Associate Professor of English Michael Long, Associate Professor of Religious Studies Juan Toro, Associate Professor of Education Vivian Bergel, Associate Professor of Social Work Mahua Bhattacharya, Assistant Professor of Japanese Delana Honaker, Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy David Stewart, Coordinator of Multicultural Recruiting Rachel Hadrick, Coordinator of Multicultural Programs Nancy Florey, Associate Vice President of Human Resources John Kokolus, Dean of Continuing Education Nichole Acosta, Student Margaret Hedlund, Student Susan Traverso, Provost/Senior Vice President (convener) Please join me in thanking the members of the Task Force for their willingness to serve. ****************************************************** This message was sent by the Office of College Relations on behalf of Dr. Susan Traverso, provost and senior vice president. Comments or questions should be directed to TRAVERSOS. |
