Campus-Wide
Cultural Diversity Training: A History
The diversity training at East Tennessee
State University has had as an impetus some form of discrimination against
an individual or individuals who are not
members of the dominant culture. In the mid and late 90’s there
were ‘flyers’ distributed on campus supporting white supremacy. The
president of Lambda received death threats when the lesbian, gay, bi and transgendered
students on campus publicly recognized gay history month. Females on
campus were experiencing acts of misogyny, including rape.
In response to these overt acts
of discrimination and hatred, President Paul Stanton made a decision that
there needed to be a concerted effort to assess
the climate on our campus regarding issues of diversity. Following is
the history of these efforts:
| 1997 |
President Paul
Stanton asked Dean Wilsie Bishop to chair a task force that would look
at diversity issues on this campus and how
we, as a campus, were “doing” in responding to one of our core
values – “valuing diversity.” Part of this initiative
was to conduct focus groups and ask members of marginalized groups to talk
about their experiences on campus. We learned that the two populations
that seem to feel the most discrimination and marginalization are our African –American
and lesbian, gay, bi and transgendered students. |
| 1999 |
Task Force document
with 18 recommendations.One of these recommendations
was a ‘mandated’ campus wide diversity experience (similar
in application to the sexual harassment training). |
| 1999
to 2001 |
Some of the recommendations
were addressed. The “mandated
training” was not addressed. |
| 2001 |
Again, from a position of responding
to acts of violence against marginalized group members, it was determined
that NOW was the time to look closely
at cultural diversity training campus-wide. The beginning of a committee
to develop diversity training modules for staff, faculty and students.
President Stanton endorsed
this work. |
| 2001 |
The President’s Council for Cultural Diversity began its work. This
was another one of the 18 recommendations from the Cultural Diversity Task
Force. This group is charged with “being an oversight group
which is empowered to assess, develop and monitor East Tennessee State
University’s development with respect to the goals of cultural diversity” |
| 2002 |
President Stanton endorsed a 6-hour campus-wide mandated diversity training
for faculty and staff and work continued on the modules through piloting
and more planning. |
| 2002 |
The Diversity Training Logistics and Implementation Committee was formed.
This committee has the responsibility of planning the entire process of
implementing the diversity training that has been endorsed by the President
and the President's Council. This committee will remain in effect until
this initiative is complete in fall, 2004 or spring, 2005. |
| Spring & Summer 2003 |
Training of the "Diversity Educators," those
individuals who conduct diversity training sessions across campus. |
| Fall
2003 to Spring 2005 |
Campus-Wide diversity training/education for all faculty and staff.
As this initiative moves forward, the focus on developing cultural
diversities competencies with our students will continue.
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