The national conversations about issues of diversity and inclusion are as critical to the University of Colorado and its campuses as they are to our nation. Throughout its history and as part of its mission, our university is a place where important issues affecting society are discussed and addressed. Certainly diversity is among those.
It makes our university stronger. It reflects society. It is one of our values. It is the right thing to do.
This is not a new conversation at CU. Since I arrived in 2008, issues of diversity and inclusion have been a priority for me, CU's Board of Regents, leadership on our campuses and the entire university community. Diversity is one of CU's core values, and it is also one of our guiding principles as articulated by the Board of Regents. Yet the conversation requires more urgency.
While each of our campuses engages in a variety of programs, activities and initiatives, until now we have not had a long-range plan that bonds the entire CU community. That is changing. We have created a framework for a plan that will help us realize our commitment to fostering diversity, inclusion and cultural awareness throughout our university. We recognize that each of our four campuses is unique and must address its own particular needs and issues, yet we also need to provide an overarching structure to our approach that is flexible enough to be adapted around CU – one that gets results.
We have had initial conversations with the university community about creating a plan and how it should manifest itself in our daily operations. Those conversations are ongoing. I would like to hear your thoughts and ideas as we proceed. You can find the framework for the plan here and provide feedback at the email below. Conversations with key constituent groups inside and outside the university will further guide its development.
The issue is broad based, so the plan will require a multifaceted approach that touches a variety of people, programs, initiatives and activities at CU. We are focusing on all relevant areas of the university. In general, the intent is to get the entire CU community engaged and invested in diversity by being deliberate and active in our approach.
Part of the effort will be to assess our current programs and practices for effectiveness. We do some great things across our campuses to foster diversity, but at the same time we don't always do a great job gauging how well programs are performing. Our plan will build in accountability measures and we will ensure that current efforts on our campuses are efficient and effective. This is about more than numbers, although they play a role. It is about the culture of our university.
We are making progress, as you can see here, but we have more work to do. It's important to note that addressing diversity and inclusion is a marathon, not a sprint. We won't solve the issue overnight. It's something we will continually address. However, by placing a sharp focus on it, we will improve our university community and perhaps beyond.
It's also fair to say this is difficult. As we have seen from recent conversations, actions and even disruptions on college campuses across the country, it can be challenging and emotional to face issues of diversity and inclusion. There are no easy answers and no roadmaps for getting it right. But that doesn't prevent us from giving it the attention it deserves.
For CU to meet its mission and live up to its aspiration as a place to address important societal issues, diversity and inclusion must pervade the university community. It makes us stronger. It enhances the learning environment. It is one of the things we value as a community. I invite you to join me in this journey. It is one of the most important things we will do.
For feedback, contact officeofthepresident@cu.edu
Sincerely,
Bruce Benson
President |
