Dear UConn Students,
UConn recently formed the Diversity Task Force in September of 2014. UConn selected two students to serve on that task force: we are those students. We believe that more than two students should have a voice and we want you to speak up and have your voice heard. Our charge is as follows:
UConn aims to become a much stronger, more inclusive community that explicitly promotes respect and understanding, broadens participation among under-represented groups, advances cultural competence, celebrates intellectual openness and multiculturalism, and welcomes varied perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds. These values must infuse all of our programs, operations, and activities in instruction, research, and outreach.
The Diversity Task Force is charged to review, assess, and recommend strategies to improve diversity at the University of Connecticut. The Task Force will closely examine the meaning of diversity, and then will challenge the university with new perspectives and ideas, and develop creative approaches for broadening and strengthening diversity. This initiative offers an important opportunity to step back and think carefully about what we as an institution and a community value and why, and to recommend measures that will operationalize these values in the fabric of our institution’s strategic choices, activities, policies, programs, and organizational structures.
More specifically, we have been charged to ask students what they believe the UConn administration (President Herbst, Provost Choi, Vice President of Student Affairs Michael Gilbert, Dean of Students Daugherty) can do, right now, to support the marginalized and objectified communities at UConn in feeling safe and valued on our campus. People of color (non-white persons), the LGBTQ community, women, Muslims, persons with disabilities, and other intersecting identities often face unacceptable treatment and challenges on our campus. Many students on our campus feel unsupported and silenced. We want to bring forth applicable solutions, that can go in effect now, to ensure that every student on our campus can feel like they belong and that their voice can be heard. Furthermore, we want to ensure that students are not only listened to, but actively accepted, respected, and included on our campus. The marginalized people on our campus deserve to know that their lives matter: we need your help to put forth the best solutions.
This initiative comes from the rift in communication between students and the administration that is present on our campus. Regardless of why this rift exists it is a reality for many. We want to know what students think can be done to close that rift coming from the administrative side. In the end, it is always essential that we, as students, speak up – our goal is to ensure that you are listened to and supported when doing so.
Your ideas will be placed into a formal document that we will present to the entire Diversity Task Force, we will not include your name in our presentation (unless requested). However, we will let the task force know how many students gave their input. Share your voice, you deserve to be heard.
Please send us your solutions via email or request a meeting in person: austin.dodd@uconn.edu & katheryn.maldonado@uconn.edu
Wholehearted Agape,
Austin Dodd
CLAS 2015
Katheryn Maldonado
CLAS 2015
For more information, contact: Austin Dodd/Residential Life at (508) 769-1059/austin.dodd@uconn.edu