As an expression of our educational mission, Haverford College’s Strategic Plan for Diversity and Inclusion (SPDI) builds upon the College’s foundations in Quaker-rooted commitments to peace, justice, equality, and community, seeking to add momentum and means for our becoming fully a place where all constituents thrive in the spirit of mutual respect, trust, and care. It is fueled by recognition of Haverford’s ever-maturing dedication to diversity in all its complex and rich implication, understanding that our campus has changed over nearly two centuries from a haven for young white male Philadelphia Quakers receiving a “guarded education” to a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, non-sectarian, mixed-gender and gender-fluid, global educational locus capable of nurturing and sustaining a truly pluralistic ethos.
Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity deserves our best shared thinking and action. Haverford has evolved, historically, from neglect, to incremental integration, to the aim of multiculturalism, alongside earnest pursuit of diversity, and a focus on inclusion. Our goal should be a truly pluralistic ethos that builds on the affirmation of diversity as an educational value integral to our fundamental mission. We are bringing the full force of our institutional commitment and collective engagement to foster diversity as a multilayered process through which we can sustain excellence and equity in teaching, learning, and the holistic development of every member of our community. Through this, we advance the College as a vibrantly creative, self-challenging, and transformative community.
Kim Benston, President, Haverford College
(2015-2019)
Strategic Plan for Diversity and Inclusion
The College's Strategic Plan for Diversity and Inclusion (SPDI) is final, and has been approved by the Board of Managers. We are enormously grateful for your continued contributions to this document's content and expression, as well as for the dedication you have expressed to realizing its goals. As noted in the Introduction to the document, this is everyone's Plan and we are together responsible for ensuring its success.
Although we use the term "final" in affirmation of our shared commitment to the many initiatives described in the SPDI, we emphasize, too, that this will be a living document, open to ongoing evaluation and development. The document itself outlines the formal process for assessing and revising the Plan over the next five years. Alongside that process, we again invite your participation in shaping and fulfilling specific proposals and in the broad undertaking of making Haverford an ever-more welcoming, supportive, and uplifting community.
The Council for Diversity and Inclusion is charged with revising, implementing, and evaluating the Strategic Plan for Diversity and Inclusion. Working with and reporting to the president, the Council will follow the Task Force on Diversity and Community's example in drawing continuously on the community's wisdom, in part through the participation of volunteers in an Advisory Group. If you might be interested in participating in this work, please let us know.
The Council for Diversity and Inclusion
- Kim Benston, President
- Fran Blase, Provost
- T. Muriel Brisbon, Director of Human Resources and Risk Management
- Franklyn Cantor, Special Assistant to the President
- Theresa Tensuan, Associate Dean of the College; Dean for Diversity, Access, and Community Engagement; Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs
- Update on Strategic Plan for Diversity and Inclusion, September 2018
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Update on Strategic Plan for Diversity and Inclusion, March 2017
We write with an update on the Strategic Plan for Diversity and Inclusion (SPDI) that has been under review in the Council for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI).
As background: during a two-year process of community engagement (2014-16), the Task Force on Diversity and Community, with representation from all College constituencies, constructed a draft SPDI that addressed four key areas: Teaching and Learning; Student Residential and Co-Curricular Experience; Working and Thriving; and Community Experience. These four areas provided a framework for over 60 individual initiatives that had emerged from a series of community conversations and through the process of presenting various phases of the SPDI to community members.
With that initial process completed, the Task Force gave way to the CDI, which was charged with both detailed planning for implementing specific initiatives and comprehensive revision of the SPDI into a final version. That final document will be presented to the community for review in a few weeks; as a foretaste of that presentation, we would like to report on a few representative initiatives in each organizing category that are already underway.
Teaching and Learning.
- Visible Curriculum Project. Various models are being explored for providing a more navigable curriculum, including easy aggregation of courses focused on diversity issues.
- Diversity Planning and Classroom Climate.Workshop and Seminar Opportunities are being developed for faculty that address pedagogical issues among diverse learners.
- Course Development.Funding from the Provost's Office will be forthcoming for developing courses that enrich offerings exploring issues of diversity and social justice.
- Advising.Led by the Institutional Effectiveness Committee, the College is exploring ways to enhance advising for an ever-more diverse student body.
Student Experience.
- President's Student Diversity Initiative Fund. Funding has been earmarked for student-originated initiatives focusing on diversity, inclusion, and social justice. Please review the guidelines and submit an application.
- LIFTFAR: Program to Support Low-Income Students. This program is under active construction and funding is being developed for implementation next year.
- International Student Response Fund. This a program of Board-led funding for non-U.S. citizen students facing difficulties due to unexpected events, emergencies, or other acute circumstances, especially those related to complications of new immigration policies.
- Diversity Activism Archive Project. This program of research into the history of activism and historically under-represented communities at Haverford will be undertaken by students supported by summer research funding. Program development is underway and plans for summer, 2017 will be announced in the coming weeks.
- Revised Rufus Jones Leadership Curriculum. This program is active and underway, led by Mike Elias (Leadership Dean & Director of Student Activities).
Working and Thriving.
- New Employee Orientation. Under the leadership of Muriel Brisbon, Director of Human Resources, the College is developing improvements in processes and content for recruitment and on-boarding of new staff members.
- Staff Search Reform. New procedures have been developed to strengthen opportunities for internal advancement.
- Enhanced Mentoring. Workshops have been developed and implemented by Human Resources.
- HR Newsletter. This periodic report on HR-related issues has been developed and is now regularly circulated.
- Supervisor and Manager Training.Workshops are being developed and offered by HR.
Community Experience
- Digital Storytelling Project. A multimodal program for storytelling is being developed and tested, along with workshops for new participants. Several stories are completed; others are under construction from the fall 2016 workshop and will appear soon.
- Reading Rainbow Expansion. Under the auspices of the Office of Academic Resources (OAR), the Reading Rainbow Program has expanded its themes and offerings throughout the year.
- Name Pronunciation Project. Many thanks to those who have already recorded their name pronunciation. Those who have not yet participated may do so by using the Name Coach web platform. Please contact Franklyn Cantor with any questions or to learn more.
- Gender-Neutral Language Policy. A new college policy regarding use of gender-neutral pronouns when referring to unspecified community members has been adopted. Offices and departments are currently working to adjust their documents and websites.
- Day of Community Engagement. Planning is underway for a 2017-18 version of this event that forges connections between Haverford community members and community organizations in the Philadelphia region.
These are among the many initiatives that the SPDI final draft will contain when circulated to the community in several weeks. At that time, we hope that you will offer your comments as we move to the phase of full implementation beginning at the end of this semester.
Respectfully,
The Council on Diversity and Inclusion:
Kim Benston, President
Fran Blase, Provost
T. Muriel Brisbon, Director of Human Resources
Franklyn Cantor, Special Assistant to the President
Andrew Eaddy, '19, Initiatives and Communications Correspondent for the Office of Multicultural Affairs
Theresa Tensuan, Dean for Diversity, Access, and Community Engagement; Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs