By the time I arrived at The College of Wooster for my transition as the new Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer (CDEIO), the Galpin Call-in had the narrative elements of legend.
Not only had I heard stories and seen evidence of the students’ involvement and demands, and not only was I impressed that this was a “call in” (to inclusion) and not a “call out” (of exclusion), but I’d also heard about the pizza ordered to feed the students and of the college president, who despite falling on the ice and breaking her wrist, insisted on being present to hear the students.
I have seen the thorough document agreed to by the students and the administration, and also witnessed firsthand the conscientious and collegial manner in which students and administrators have worked together, and continue to work together, on the goal of making this institution a model of equity and inclusion.
As I noted during a recent panel discussion on the Call-in, I think it’s important to remember Wooster’s unique history as a place established back in 1866 as an inclusive, co-ed institution with that very mission of equity in mind and in practice.
Even before the Call-in, the College had made significant investments in equity and inclusion, including an amazing Center for Diversity and Inclusion, the Posse and Perry-Williams post-doctoral fellows programs, its Allen Scholars and a fund to support undocumented students. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategic Planning Group convened in 2016 created a board-endorsed plan that pledged to (1) increase diversity of students, staff and faculty, (2) help those with historically marginalized identities to thrive and (3) train all members of the community to create equitable and inclusive living and learning spaces. The resulting DEI Strategic Plan led to the creation of the cabinet-level position I now occupy. Wooster also is ahead of many peer institutions in promoting curricular diversity, including courses under new categories of diversity, power and privilege and social justice.
While much has been achieved, there is clearly much more to be done. With that future agenda in mind, we’re in the process of administering our first campus climate survey (in which I hope you all will participate!) of hiring a new Title IX/Civil Rights investigator and doing a faculty retention study. All these efforts will help us draw a clear blueprint for our next steps.
Informed not only by that data, but also by the DEI Strategic Plan, and by the agreement between students and administrators in response to the Call-in, I plan to be a resource for students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members. To name only a few efforts I’m involved in during this transition, I’m partnering with Student Affairs to improve the way we respond to bias incidents and complaints of discrimination; working with the CDI and student leaders to develop strategies to strengthen cultural competencies across campus constituencies; partnering with academic departments on offering faculty workshops on inclusive pedagogies and strategies and partnering with Human Resources to develop recruitment strategies for a diverse staff and provide appropriate inclusion training for all employees.
Back in 1979, when I was a sophomore at Harvard, someone sent my father a front-page photo in the Crimson that showed me among a group of student protesters, demanding that the institution divest from apartheid in South Africa. Back then, as students took over University Hall, I don’t recall we ever saw or heard from the president, or that he had any interest in hearing from us. We feared Harvard would sic not just campus officers on us but also the city police.
Some say the more times change, the more they stay the same. We are, after all, still struggling (in painful ways) to create a more equitable society. But times have changed in important ways, including at Wooster, where the community has pledged to honor its legacy and move purposefully together toward change.
For all these reasons, I’m honored to serve as our new CDEIO, and I’m committed to being a tireless contributor to that change.
Dr. Ivonne M. García, a Contributing Writer for the Voice, can be reached for comment at IGarcía@wooster.edu.