Inclusion and Unity: Diversity and Inclusion Updates

08/17/16

Posted on behalf of Roger "Doc" Richardson, Interim Chief Diversity Office

Dear Campus Community:

Welcome back to campus for the start of the fall semester. I hope that each of you enjoyed a summer filled with some relaxation, and good times with family and friends. 

Unfortunately, it was also a summer of discontent and mixed emotions for me, watching in sorrow and horror as national and international tragedies occurred. We’ve collectively witnessed more Black men and women killed by police this summer, and seen terrible, senseless retaliations against law enforcement. We stood in shock after 49 members of the LGBTQ community were killed in Orlando, with scores more wounded. In addition, we cannot overlook the terrible events of violence and terror that took place overseas.

The commentary I’ve heard and read in the wake of these events calls for community building and unity. I am more motivated than ever to apply this same mission to our campus community. Our goals remain the same: to create a more engaging and inclusive Ithaca College.

This brief message is to provide you with some updated information on our diversity and inclusion efforts that occurred over the summer. In eager anticipation of students’ return, our faculty and staff have been actively engaged in retreats, professional training workshops, and departmental meetings, all working with intentionality on diversity and inclusion issues.

Many of these items can be found at www.ithaca.edu/diversity. Listed below are updates on the action items listed on the Diversity and Inclusion website, including additional items that were added in our work to build a more inclusive campus community.

Actions Completed Over the Summer:

• Dr. Sean Eversley Bradwell has been hired to serve as Director of Programs and Outreach for issues of diversity and inclusion, including support services for students.  Since transitioning to this new role in July, he has met with numerous departments and offices around campus to help conduct workshops and retreats, and has been hard at work plotting out the semester ahead.
   
• The network of individuals identified to provide support to students experiencing bias or discrimination has been expanded.
   
• The Diversity Scholars Program (formerly the Dissertation Diversity Fellowship Program) has been expanded to include Park and HSHP in addition to the School of H&S. We have also hired our first-ever diversity post-doctoral fellow. Dr. Maria Nandadevi Cortes-Rodriguez will serve a two-year term in biology. The efforts to expand this program are being led by Dr. Donathan Brown.
   
• A Multicultural Student Safe Space has been created in the Campus Center. More information and photos of the space will be shared over the coming weeks.
   
• The creation of an Office of Public Safety Satellite Office is near completion in the Campus Center. It will be located adjacent to the information desk.
   
• A consultant firm has been selected to conduct an independent review of the Office of Public Safety. More details about this will be available in the coming weeks.
   
• The Office of Alumni Affairs has selected the Craig Clayton Diversity Consulting firm to provide diversity and inclusion training for alumni volunteer leaders.
   
• Alumni, students, staff, and members of ICUnity met for Alumni Gatherings in Washington, DC and Brooklyn, NY. You can visit ICUnity’s Facebook page to learn more about this alumni affinity group and view photos from the summer events.
   
• The Ithaca College Seminar (ICSM) Program has created an Inclusion Workshop Pilot for Ithaca Seminars. These workshops will introduce first-year students to language and concepts used to create inclusive spaces, identify what aspects make for an inclusive space, and help identify steps that can be taken here on campus.

Our campus will also be active this fall. The Diversity and Inclusion website is being updated with programs and activities in which you can take part this coming semester, and Sean Eversley Bradwell and I will send out a message next week highlighting some of those opportunities.

We also encourage everyone to act upon your own ideas for change, whether it’s creating an informal conversation group, taking part in community service projects together, bringing speakers to campus, or whatever else you envision. We should all feel empowered to take action.

Our goal and hope is that these collective activities spur active participation and engagement in the entire campus community, and that they help promote unity through action. I welcome your support and productive engagement to help make IC a more inclusive community for the 2016-17 academic year.

Peace,

Dr. Roger (Doc) Richardson
Associate Provost
Interim Chief Diversity Officer

P.S. The future of Ithaca College will be shaped by the words and actions of us all. We hold its future in our hands. The Campus Climate Survey is one very important tool that will help inform how we need to reshape our community further. Please be sure to lend your voice – the survey will be open on the Campus Climate website (Ithaca.edu/campusclimate) from September 27 to October 28. Help us spread the word.

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