Coopwood

For starters, Diversity Landmarks—the celebration of diversity via placards that are planted along sidewalks and buildings each semester—has been approved and positioned to be the foundation for IU Northwest’s first Diversity Landmark Wall of Fame.

Each fall, the Campus Council on Diversity (CCD) will pick an original diversity quotation submitted by a student, staff or faculty member for induction into a continuous array of sentiments that capture IUN’s commitment to diversity as a cornerstone of academic excellence. The quotation will be beautifully decorated and placed in a select, conspicuous location or in any number of locations throughout campus. The inaugural “landmark” will be selected next fall.

The CCD, under the auspices of the ODE, has taken great strides as well. This 15-member team has undergone training to more effectively educate and support campus search and screen committees in areas of character-based interviewing, search resources, enhanced community connection and general hiring protocol for faculty. The CCD conducts a rotating-member service to all faculty search committees, and this spring, will host a faculty and professional staff organization fair. The fair was created to help engage present faculty and staff in cross-departmental organizations and enhance awareness of who’s who and what to do to get involved in the IUN campus culture. The CCD is also hosting its first community-campus panel discussion in conjunction with Black History Month activities. The video/panel event will feature the video Shattering the Silences (American Council on Education) and engage participants in dialogue on the topic: “Contemporary Resistance to Black Change Agents in Modern American Historically White Universities.”

The ODE has completed its 2004 work in connection with the IUN Shared Vision Outcome #4. This outcome sought to capture a shared definition and demonstration of diversity as a critical component of academic excellence. This was an extremely important work, as it set the stage for several future initiatives from the ODE, but particularly for 2005- 2006 outcomes. See the IUN Shared Vision Web site for details.

http://www.iun.edu/vision/

In my work over recent months, it has become clearer that IUN could soon become the “diversity capitol” of the IU system. As I have reached office goals for 2004, addressing diversity education, measurement and compliance training (IUN set a record for compliance training attendance in October), it has become more crucial to exert this point: although the ODE has an administrative face, it is very much an academic initiative. Much the same way I have prepared courses in micro computers and education administration, I have had to plan the delivery and test for understanding and evaluation of ODE initiatives. To this end, many new “courses” are scheduled for delivery in 2005.

The ODE has already begun compilation for its diversity library where all IUN students, faculty and staff may visit and read articles, books, magazines and position papers on all aspects of diversity issues. The library is growing fast. I hope to have its complete listing on our Web site soon, along with our listing of local, regional and national diversity conferences. In addition, budget permitting, there will be diversity “mini-grants” to encourage student cross-cultural activity. Grants also may be available for faculty participation in diversity conferences and staff education in workforce diversity. We may even provide a grant for a support staff person who wants to further her/his education and can best articulate how that education prepares her/him for servicing a diverse workplace. There will be a video education series—one each month—that highlights the geography and norms of 12 different cultures as seen through the eyes of children. Look for an internal speaker series to showcase the diversity of expertise already on campus by allowing persons to speak of diversity within a topic of their choice.

Finally, I have great hopes for 2005 as ODE initiatives for faculty mentoring and diversity/compliance education take shape. I also look forward to work to be completed by the IU system senior diversity officer team.

There is a great passion for diversity education at IUN. Click on our Web site from time to time and watch us grow.

http://www.iun.edu/~ode/