September 26, 2016

Update From the Dean of Diversity and Inclusion

Update From the Dean of Diversity and Inclusion

Welcome to a new academic year and all of the promise that the year holds.

A number of institutional-level diversity initiatives are underway this fall, including:

  • On September 20, faculty search committee members from the three schools and members of the office of Institutional Advancement attended a workshop on best practices for diversity hiring. The workshop was presented through collaboration of the CAS Office of the Dean and the dean of diversity and inclusion.

  • A forum for students to provide feedback on the Committee on Diversity and Inclusion’s draft action plan, planned in conjunction with Associated Students of Lewis & Clark (ASLC) and the Law School’s Student Bar Association (SBA), will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, September 30 in Council Chamber. Students who are unable to attend the forum or do not want to speak at the forum may provide feedback to the CDI through this anonymous Google Form. Alternatively, students may ask another student to be their proxy at the forum.

  • Over the summer, the CDI met with vice presidents, directors, and heads of departments at the three schools to discuss diversity and inclusion initiatives, challenges for the departments, and to learn of their vision for diversity and inclusion. Additional meetings between the CDI and faculty chairs, program leaders, and heads of departments at the three schools will take place throughout the fall semester.

  • Later this month and into October, CDI members and staff from CAS Student Life will facilitate focus groups for faculty, staff, and students during which you will be invited to share your vision for diversity and inclusion at Lewis & Clark. Responses from these groups will inform the CDI’s diversity strategic plan.

  • In October, the Lewis & Clark community will be invited to take the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments survey. This survey, designed by the Center for Postsecondary Research at the Indiana University School of Education, assesses nine key measures of inclusivity and will allow us to benchmark ourselves against other schools that have participated.

  • On Monday, October 24 from 4–5 p.m. in Gregg Pavilion, Samuel D. Museus will give a presentation to the faculty from all three schools on culturally relevant pedagogy and curricula. Museus is an associate professor of higher education and student affairs at Indiana University, Bloomington, and founding director of the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) Project. This presentation is presented through collaboration of the CDI and the CAS Teaching Excellence Program.

  • The CDI is collaborating with and sponsoring the student unions of color in their Sunday dinners. The first dinner took place on September 18, and the next dinner will be in October or early November.

The Committee for Diversity and Inclusion meets monthly from 3–5 p.m. in Stamm West and Lewis & Clark community members are invited to attend. Please RSVP for the next meeting on Friday, October 21.

The Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement (IME) has a full calendar of student-focused diversity and inclusion programming. Learn more about their events and programs.