Diversity is the condition of having or being composed of differing elements, especially the inclusion of different types of people, according to Merriam Webster.
This past weekend, Texas A&M welcomed chief diversity officers from the Big 12 universities to the annual diversity conference. This is the first time the event has taken place at A&M.
“This annual meeting is an opportunity for A&M and other Big 12 universities’ chief diversity officers to meet, discuss and share empirical evidence to inform diversity initiatives, circulating exemplary practices and informing national and local policies,” said Christine Stanley, vice president and associate provost for diversity and conference coordinator.
The Big 12 universities chief diversity officers are members of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. This organization acts as the voice for these officers and leads them into collaborations concerning issues of access, inclusion and campus climate.
The association was formed in a response to the increasing need for institutions of higher learning to maximize investments concerning diversity initiatives and to provide opportunities for institutions to exchange and influence ideas and develop professional standards among diversity workers.
William Harvey, the event’s keynote speaker, shared examples of successful initiatives and best practices and methods for collaboration on strategies that support institution-wide diversity agendas. Harvey is the interim provost and vice president for academic and student affairs at Rosemont College and former vice president for diversity and equity at the University of Virginia.
“The meeting also includes idea-sharing, progress reports and overviews of relevant national projects, including the Difficult Dialogues initiative, which Texas A&M will be launching in Spring 2010,” Stanley said.
Stanley said she believes hosting the event at A&M will help bring the University attention regarding diversity initiatives.
Last year’s conference was held at the University of Kansas.