PLU team selected to participate in the Council of Independent College’s 2019 Diversity, Civility, and the Liberal Arts Institute
PLU has been selected to send a team to participate in the Council of Independent College’s 2019 Diversity, Civility, and the Liberal Arts Institute taking place in Atlanta, GA on June 2nd-5th. One of twenty-five campus groups selected via a competitive application process, PLU’s team includes Joanna Gregson (Provost & Sociology), Jordan Levy (Anthropology), Adela Ramos (English), and Jen Smith (Dean of Inclusive Excellence & WMGS).
As described on CIC’s website: “Participants will come together with peers from other colleges and universities and a group of highly distinguished scholars to explore significant trends that are reshaping the 21st-century campus; engage both classic and cutting-edge scholarship that can help frame discussions of controversial topics; [. . .] learn what leading scholars consider to be basic understandings about race, gender, and other identities; historical interpretation and authority; social justice; social and political change; the hidden effects of stereotyping; inclusive pedagogy; and free speech issues; [and] develop realistic plans to enable their institutions to strengthen diversity and civility on campus, both inside and outside the classroom.” The team hopes to engage the campus in using the lessons from the institute to aid in the ongoing development of the Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan, inform emerging and future faculty development opportunities (such as semester-long seminars, day-long retreats, and reading groups), and shape current practices (including University and Fall Faculty Conferences, New Faculty Orientation, and lecture series). The PLU team welcomes suggestions and ideas for what faculty would like them to bring back to campus from the institute, so feel free to contact any one of them to share your thoughts.
The team looks forward to sharing the resources and lessons from the Institute and engaging the campus in continuing the work of creating an inclusive campus.