I am pleased to welcome the newest members of the A&S Diversity Committee.

While the College has had a Diversity Committee since 2000, the service terms ended for many of its members this year. After receiving many thoughtful and solutions-oriented responses to my message from early June, I took the opportunity to expand the committee to encompass this eagerness and to better reflect the College as a whole.

You’ll notice the addition of students and staff members to this group, which previously included only faculty. However, diversity and inclusion are issues that don’t just affect faculty. They affect all of us, and the solutions needed to enact meaningful change will need to come from all areas of our College and campus.

The charge of this committee is to come up with interesting ideas and meaningful solutions. I have asked them to think outside the box. What haven’t we tried? We need your ideas as well. You are welcome to contact members of the committee with your ideas, or you can submit your thoughts and ideas through this survey.

The committee is equipped with my full support and, currently, a $15,000 annual budget to pursue initiatives that break down barriers and foster equity and meaningful change. If their ideas exceed their budget, I will increase it. We, as a College, will do whatever it takes to create an environment that recognizes and respects people of all backgrounds and experiences.

I am so thankful to the members of this committee for their service. We need both great ideas and great people who are willing to work to bring those ideas to life. I have great confidence in the committee’s ability to do just that.

Sincerely,
Joseph P. Messina
Dean and Professor