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President's homepageConversations on DiversityRELATED STORY: Article on diversity forumRemarks, President Gregory Geoffroy Sun Room Memorial Union Friday, Jan. 24, 2003 Thank you for coming to this first in a series of open meetings focusing on diversity issues. We're calling these meetings "conversations" about diversity because we want them to be informal, friendly, constructive and helpful conversations, like the kind you would have with family and friends. We come from many, many different backgrounds, cultures, and parts of the world, but here, at Iowa State University, we are all part of the same community, with the same goals and objectives--to make this the best learning and living environment possible so that all who come here can succeed at their highest levels. There are many important issues facing Iowa State University, but one issue that is most important is diversity--how we recognize diversity; how we appreciate and value diversity; how we visibly and demonstratively support and embrace diversity; and how we deal with the often sensitive and very personal issues surrounding diversity. Diversity is important because it touches and affects absolutely everything we do as a university--in preparing students for successful and rewarding careers and to be productive citizens and progressive leaders, and in helping build a better future for the people of Iowa. Conversations are important beginning This series of conversations is an important beginning to a renewed focus, emphasis, and priority on accomplishing these goals. These conversations are to help guide us in determining what issues need to be aired, and more importantly, addressed, and to suggest ways that we might best resolve them. I want to thank the offices that are responsible for these discussions. First the organizers and sponsors: Government of the Student Body, led by President T.J. Schneider, and GSB's Office of Student Diversity, led by Myron Batsa; the Division of Student Affairs, led by Vice President Tom Hill and Associate Vice President Theresa Branch; the Office of the VP for Academic Affairs and Provost led by Ben Allen; and the President's Advisory Committee on Diversity, led by Dean Walt Gmelch, and Carla Espinoza. And I want to express my deep appreciation to all of you who are here as participants in these very important conversations. It's only through the open discussion of issues, the airing of concerns, the sharing of ideas, and the identification of the many fundamental values and principles we all hold in common, that we will be able to develop effective strategies and plans of action to achieve our goal--that of making Iowa State University a place that is truly welcoming, inviting, and supportive for all. I asked the organizers of this program to give me a few minutes at the beginning so I could reemphasize to you the importance of diversity, and to encourage you to help us develop effective ways to support and increase our diversity. Diversity a university and regents priority First, it's important to note that increasing our diversity is not a new goal, and it's not one person's priority. a priority established by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, and one on which we are measured each year. It's a priority of the university, prominent throughout our Strategic Plan. And it's a top priority for many individuals, including me. Throughout my career, I have made diversity a personal priority--to do all I can to promote and support efforts to make our learning environments more diverse and supportive of diversity; and I am continuing that priority here at Iowa State. This shared priority--by the Regents, by the University through our strategic plan, and by so many of us individually, is why I made increasing our diversity one of the four top priorities for the university this year. In my Fall Convocation address, I challenged the people of Iowa State to make a commitment to enhancing diversity, and to do so by creating an environment that supports success for all members of the university community. Not only is this absolutely the right and just thing to do, but it's also key to our goal of advancing the academic excellence of Iowa State. As I have said many times, that excellence is achieved through our people--our faculty, our staff, and our students. To be the best university in fulfilling our land-grant mission, we must have the very best people. And increasingly, many of the very best and brightest faculty, staff, and students come from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in higher education, particularly women and ethnic minorities. Diversity improves learning environment A more diverse learning environment is also a more effective learning environment, because the more diverse is our community of faculty, staff and students, the broader the range of learning experiences we have to draw from and use--in our educational programs, in our extracurricular learning opportunities, and in our research and outreach activities. It is thus in our own self-interest to ensure that our community is inviting, welcoming, and supportive of the success of all people, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, disability status, heritage, background or life circumstances. One of the steps we've already taken is to make the President's Advisory Committee on Diversity a permanent committee. I've charged the committee with developing a diversity plan, and this series of conversations about diversity is one of their steps in developing such a plan. Another way we are pursuing this priority is to take advantage of every opportunity to celebrate the diversity that we now have and recognize our many diversity achievements. For example we were delighted to have the opportunity recently to recognize Professor Herman Blake, named Iowa Professor of the Year by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. I have also directed the provost and vice presidents to develop specific goals and implement strategies for recruiting a more diverse faculty and staff. High priority on recruiting We are continuing to place a high priority on recruiting a more diverse student body, and our efforts are paying off with a record enrollment of minority students this year, and a top 3 national ranking among public universities in enrollment of National Achievement Scholars. And we are increasing our efforts to help Iowa grow in diversity, and be more supportive of our minority population and immigrants from other nations. I recently visited Marshalltown and saw how our Extension staff is playing a major role in helping that community become a national model for how to incorporate a growing immigrant population. Also, our College of Education is leading a new partnership with DMACC and Simpson College to increase the number of teachers of color in central Iowa schools. These are notable accomplishments, and I congratulate the many people responsible for making them happen. But today is not about patting ourselves on the back, for I could list several examples of how we're not embracing diversity as we should; how we're not making the progress I would like to see in meeting our goals in achieving faculty, staff and student diversity; examples of insensitivity toward others in what's portrayed on the walls of our student housing; and threats and expressions of bigotry and hatred directed at members of our own community. The challenge: Do more Today is about challenging ourselves to do more, and to do a better job of making Iowa State a university and a community that truly embraces diversity, and we are counting on you to help us determine how best to go about doing that. Supporting diversity embracing diversity increasing diversity none of this will happen without a deep and broad-based commitment from the entire university community. It starts with you, and it will be successful because of you. I'd like to close with some personal thoughts about why I believe diversity is so important. To me, diversity is a test of our basic and fundamental principals as educators and as an educational institution, and particularly a land-grant university--institutions created to be open and accessible to all. At our core is the principal of academic freedom, and at the core of academic freedom are the values of equity and civility. Our value--to our students and the society that supports us--lies in our ability to engage in free and open discussion of all issues in our society, in an environment that is free from threats, persecution, or malicious response. To be true to this ideal of academic freedom, we cannot and should not oppress or suppress ideas; we cannot and should not oppress or suppress people because of their ideas; and we most certainly cannot and should not oppress or suppress people because of who they are or because of their background. The responsibility for providing such an environment lies in two areas. Certainly, it lies in the university administration and governing bodies such as our Faculty Senate and student government, to develop and implement programs, policies and procedures to support the development of diversity, and to protect it from attack. But of equal or even greater importance to preserving academic freedom, and embracing diversity, is the responsibility of each individual member of the university community to become actively involved in the programs and activities that make it happen. Practice equity, civility We need to practice equity and civility in everything that we do--at work, at home, and in the community. We need to listen--as carefully as possible- to the concerns of others. And I have found that when we understand and acknowledge the concerns of people involved in an issue, we can then tap into the values that we share in common in order to bring resolution. We must be aware of our own actions and words, to be inclusive in everything that we do, and to carefully consider how they might be perceived by others from different backgrounds. And we must be active. We must show our support for diversity by attending programs that celebrate and promote diversity. Everyone benefits when these things happen. The people we invite to become a part of our University Community are more likely to succeed at a high level. Our University and community grow and become stronger as we become known as a place where diversity and academic freedom are embraced as core values. And we all continue to learn and grow in new and exciting ways. Diversity enriches us all. Thank you for being a part of this very important priority for Iowa State University. I look forward to the results of your discussions today and in future "conversations" about how to help Iowa State grow in its diversity. President's homepage |
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