New panel will report directly to Chancellor Grossman and make recommendations related to campus climate, curriculum, and staffing
UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Divina Grossman today announced the formation of a new campus Diversity Council, which will advise her and her administration on issues related to campus climate, curriculum, and faculty recruitment.
In an announcement to the campus issued today, Chancellor Grossman wrote the following:
As a result of a series of meetings with our previous Diversity and Inclusion Council, Cabinet members, Deans, student leaders, including those from the Black Student Union and African Student Association, among others, the Diversity and Inclusion Council will be reconstituted.
The new Diversity Council will be charged this Friday with the task of advising and assisting me and our leadership team in advancing UMass Dartmouth’s diversity and inclusion agenda. In consultation with these various groups and others, three major priorities have been identified for the next two to three years:
1. Improvement in recruitment and retention of diverse faculty.
2. Review of curriculum and provide input on needed reform to appropriate Curriculum Committees to enable UMass Dartmouth graduates to function effectively in a diverse and equitable society.
3. Implementation of diversity and inclusion training across all the departments on campus.
Other priorities may be formulated by the Council, but these three have emerged as the top one in the various dialogues we had in spring and summer.
The Council will be co-chaired by Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Cynthia Cummings and School of Law Dean Mary Lu Bilek.
Other members include:
Godwin Ariguzo, Assistant Professor, Charlton College of Business
Kharlita Chambers-Walker, student
Peggy Dias, staff (Information Technology)
Shari Evans, faculty (English)
Gail Fortes, community member
Jeremiah Ho, faculty (Law)
Memory Holloway, faculty (Art History)
Lisa Maya-Knauer, faculty (Sociology/Anthropology)
Thi Hong Lien Nguyen, student
Juli Parker, director (Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality)
Bruce Rose, community member
Viviane Saleh-Hanna, faculty (Crime and Justice Studies)
Mark Santow, Chairperson (History)
John Souza, staff (Public Safety)
Mabel Tejada, student