Hundreds of community members have been working to help make the College a more inclusive and equitable environment.

A Year 1 Report was released in 2021 and a Year 2 Report was released in 2022.

Here are just some of the ways our community has stepped up:

Students

  • Students have communicated their experiences by taking the campus climate survey (they made up the largest percentage of respondents), participating in DEI focus groups, and more.
  • Students met with administrators, faculty, staff to discuss their experiences and offer suggestions for resolution.
  • They participated in anti-racism and cultural humility-related training sessions.
  • Students served as committee members for the Arts and Humanities Common Experience and met with community members to discuss the subsequent Belonging report.
  • They proposed revisions to the Honor Code, especially clarifying how harassment, discrimination, acts of intolerance, etc. are defined, with the intention of including them in the next edition of the Student Handbook.

 

Faculty

  • Numerous anti-racism and microaggression training opportunities have been provided for faculty and staff since the launch of the initiative in June 2020.
  • Faculty development workshops are guiding efforts to create a more inclusive classroom environment, including diversifying curricula.
  • Faculty, staff, and student groups have adopted a statement of commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that will be included on syllabi and in various documents of the College. Departments have also adopted discipline-specific DEI statements for use in syllabi, on websites, etc.
  • Faculty are engaging in anti-racist book studies, pursuing DEI certification training, and otherwise educating themselves in anti-racist practices.
  • Some departments have hired DEI consultants to interview students, faculty, and staff and guide their subsequent anti-racist work.
  • Faculty communicated their experiences by taking the campus climate survey.

 

Staff/Administrators

  • Administrators, faculty, and staff members have compiled a list of anti-racism resources that are available on MyMeredith, the College’s intranet.
  • Numerous anti-racism and microaggression training opportunities have been provided for faculty and staff since the launch of the initiative in June 2020.
  • Opportunities for student involvement have been reviewed and processes put in place to allow for more representative participation by all students, particularly for leadership roles.
  • Staff are examining the purposes and values of traditions and providing training to better equip student leaders to approach their work with cultural humility.
  • Staff are working to address concerns about tokenizing students and accurately reflecting the student experience.
  • Staff are reviewing student and employee handbooks for clear expectations of behavior regarding race. 
  • Staff and administrators communicated their experiences by taking the campus climate survey.
 

Alumnae

  • The Office of Alumnae Relations has hosted anti-racist book discussions for both the Board of Directors and Young Alumnae Board. 
  • Alumnae have participated in a variety of educational opportunities related to the anti-racist initiative including a virtual event with the Friends of Oberlin Village, an African American reconstruction settlement established in 1866, and numerous anti-racist-related book discussions.
  • Alumnae who serve on the Board of Trustees have participated in numerous efforts as part of the initiative, including serving on the Task Force on Historical Context and Naming at Meredith.
  • Meredith faculty members, administrators, and students have given presentations to alumnae to keep them informed about anti-racist efforts on campus.
 

Board of Trustees

  • The Board of Trustees Board created a Task Force on Historical Context and Naming at Meredith to develop a series of principles to lead them through these conversations and decisions. The Chair and Vice Chair of the Board led the 16-member diverse committee.
  • The Task Force provided the information gathered to the full Board, and the Executive Committee of the Board has developed a rubric of characteristics to apply to the historical context of those for whom buildings at Meredith are named.

 

Do you have thoughts related to this important work? Send your feedback to anti-racismupdates@meredith.edu.