Greetings everyone! The start of the new school year is just days away and, in the coming weeks and months, you will have ample opportunities to engage diversity in the service of teaching, learning and research in the classroom and the workplace.
I am writing to encourage you to take full advantage of the opportunities [both on and off campus] to engage in meaningful interactions with individuals and topics that lead to greater cultural awareness and competencies and that further develop an institutional ethos and climate that is shaped by a belief that diversity and inclusion are catalysts for achieving excellence.
The activities associated with the opening and dedication of the new MLK Memorial, right in our backyard, are a great example of the unparalleled possibilities for sharing both the distinctiveness of individual experiences and the common-ness of our humanity. It is particularly fitting given Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of an America that recognizes its strength lies in the diversity of talents of all its citizens. We hope many of you plan to participate in these historic events.
Exposure to a broad range of human experiences and a rich variety of human perspectives, enlarges our capacity for learning, enriches the quality and texture of campus life, and better prepares us for life and leadership in a pluralistic society.
I look forward to learning from you in this semester and next and to sharing your lessons learned more broadly for the benefit of our entire community.
Welcome back and best wishes for a rewarding year,
Terri Harris Reed
Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion