2008 Woodie Awards
Diversity center to develop vision statement
Summer Desselle
Issue date: 11/18/04 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Emerson's Center for Diversity in the Communication Industries is looking for student input as it develops its vision statement that will reflect goals for unity on campus, according to the center's director, William Smith.
A working group for the center began meeting last spring at the request of President Jacqueline Liebergott.
The group is made up of 22 members, including faculty and staff representatives from departments on campus, such as academic groups, facilities, food services and students.
Along with these members, there are four alternates made up of Student Government Association (SGA) members.
The purpose of the group is to develop a vision statement for the Center for Diversity. So far, the group has completed a rough draft of the statement.
In the draft, the center's goal of creating a comfortable, safe environment on campus for people of all races and ethnicities is presented, Smith said.
Iris St. Meran, a junior broadcast journalism major, worked in the group over the summer, helping to revise the statement.
"I am content with what the group came up with, and I hope that the statement can spread ethnic and racial diversity in the Emerson community," she said.
Thomas Hanold, director of corporate and foundation relations on campus, also worked in the group and said, "[The statement] is a good expression of the aspirations of what we want to achieve at Emerson, since diversity is part of the strategic plans of the college."
Smith said all members of the Emerson community are encouraged to get involved in the shaping of the draft for the center.
Questions, comments and suggestions are welcome as the center hopes that the statement can reflect the views of the school as a whole. The draft has been reviewed by several members of the faculty and staff and will continue to circulate throughout the community.
The working group will meet Dec. 11 to review the suggestions and revise the statement before it is once again open for reviews by others.
Smith said that he hopes to present the final copy of the statement to the Board of Trustees in the spring of 2005.
He added, however, that he does not want there to be a deadline for the creation of the statement.
"This is a long, difficult process, worthy of our support and too important to force into deadlines," Smith said. "I am confident because of our broad base of input and the many people involved that it can happen."
A working group for the center began meeting last spring at the request of President Jacqueline Liebergott.
The group is made up of 22 members, including faculty and staff representatives from departments on campus, such as academic groups, facilities, food services and students.
Along with these members, there are four alternates made up of Student Government Association (SGA) members.
The purpose of the group is to develop a vision statement for the Center for Diversity. So far, the group has completed a rough draft of the statement.
In the draft, the center's goal of creating a comfortable, safe environment on campus for people of all races and ethnicities is presented, Smith said.
Iris St. Meran, a junior broadcast journalism major, worked in the group over the summer, helping to revise the statement.
"I am content with what the group came up with, and I hope that the statement can spread ethnic and racial diversity in the Emerson community," she said.
Thomas Hanold, director of corporate and foundation relations on campus, also worked in the group and said, "[The statement] is a good expression of the aspirations of what we want to achieve at Emerson, since diversity is part of the strategic plans of the college."
Smith said all members of the Emerson community are encouraged to get involved in the shaping of the draft for the center.
Questions, comments and suggestions are welcome as the center hopes that the statement can reflect the views of the school as a whole. The draft has been reviewed by several members of the faculty and staff and will continue to circulate throughout the community.
The working group will meet Dec. 11 to review the suggestions and revise the statement before it is once again open for reviews by others.
Smith said that he hopes to present the final copy of the statement to the Board of Trustees in the spring of 2005.
He added, however, that he does not want there to be a deadline for the creation of the statement.
"This is a long, difficult process, worthy of our support and too important to force into deadlines," Smith said. "I am confident because of our broad base of input and the many people involved that it can happen."