Student Assembly

Dear President Skorton, Vice President Murphy, and other concerned parties,

I wanted to bring your attention to Resolution 46: “Student Assembly Input on the University Diversity Council and “Towards New Destinations,” the university-wide diversity plan,” that was passed on May 3rd at our final meeting. I first wanted to recognize that this plan is a great step towards addressing the many aspects of diversity on our campus, and I hope it will be successful as it is implemented in the coming months. Additionally, I hope that this will be just the beginning of getting student involvement throughout the process.

The students that created this resolution have worked with members of the UDC including Renee Alexander and Lynette Chappell-Williams, as well as other diversity related student organizations, students leaders, and staff to help shape the final resolution.

Among the many aspects of the resolution, the first is a request to define diversity and identity by the federal, state, and local EEO-protected classes, to ensure that a wide range of types of diversity are met in the comprehensive plan.

Additionally, we thought it would be beneficial to have more student input on the plan and within the UDC, as many of the decisions are directly affecting student life. We have proposed engagement among students not only at the higher level UDC, but to include students in the conversations at the academic unit level diversity councils as well.

Finally, we have proposed what the Student Assembly sees as priority initiatives for the areas of composition, engagement, inclusion, and achievement.

Thank you for your time, the Student Assembly looks forward to working together on furthering Diversity and Inclusion with your administration in years to come. I have also attached the final resolution for your convenience. Have a great rest of your day.

Best, Natalie