Theme of “citizenship” guides Diversity & Inclusion Council at first fall meeting

The Diversity & Inclusion Council kicked off a semester of programs and conversations at SUNY New Paltz over breakfast, on Sept. 13.

Seventy-five members of the campus community, including staff, faculty, administration and students, were invited to attend this first event.

Participants were invited to share personal reflections on what characteristics of the campus community help make it a strong and equitable environment and what traits and cultural characteristics we already possess, or will need to develop, to be resilient as we undertake the important work of fostering inclusion and community.

“This event is just one example of the ways in which the Diversity and Inclusion Council hope to create different spaces and opportunities for campus members to connect and build community,” said Tanhena Pacheco Dunn, associate vice president for the Office of Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion. “There was an incredible energy during and after the breakfast and that type of energy, good will and better understanding of each other can fuel and sustain this important work.”

Many activities were led by meeting MC Jessica Pabón, assistant professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.The meeting featured remarks given by President Donald P. Christian and Professor Kenneth Goldstein from the Department of Theatre Arts helped to close the event.

This year’s theme of “citizenship” will inform the programs and offerings organized by the Council this semester. In addition, the Diversity & Inclusion Council will engage in a listening tour later this semester. During that tour council members will engage the campus in discussion about future goals, campus priorities around inclusion and diversity and how progress will be assessed.

The Diversity and Inclusion Council would like to encourage all members of the campus to look for, explore and participate in opportunities that foster connection with others.

More information about the College’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives can be found online.

About the Diversity & Inclusion Council
The Diversity & Inclusion Council was created as part of the Diversity & Inclusion Plan, which was submitted to SUNY in November 2016 and approved the following spring. That plan outlined a broad, ambitious, long-term charge to the Council, ranging from measures to enhance campus climate to establishing practices for the collection of useful data pertaining to issues of diversity and inclusion.