Dear Chambers College family:
In response to racial injustices that have led to the death of far too many in
the Black community, the Chambers College Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and
Equity (DICE) committee has developed a list of actionable initiatives that we are moving forward to better our community. While the long-term list is
growing as our learning expands around diversity and inclusion, the committee
is actively working on the implementation of five initiatives during this academic
year:
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Development of a best practices handbook for faculty and staff to encourage inclusive conversations and practices in the classroom.
Leading the charge: I will be partnering with Aisury Vasquez from the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to champion this initiative.
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Development of diversity and inclusion modules for our freshman seminar courses.
Leading the charge: Dr. Susan Lantz, Dr. Li Wang and Rachel Nieman are championing this initiative.
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Develop and strengthen partnerships with local minority-owned businesses.
Leading the charge: Anna Carrier, Dr. Elizabeth Vitullo and Isaac Obioma are championing this initiative.
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Redevelop and relaunch student organizations in the College. This includes Women in Business, Student of Color in Business, and International Business organizations.
Leading the charge: I will be working with Rachel Nieman, Dr. Lauren Cooper and Dr. Susan Lantz on championing this initiative.
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Development of social justice awareness and education business programming. We have focused on three areas to develop this year: disability policies in business, social inequalities in healthcare, and inequalities in marketing and media.
Leading the charge: I will be working with Dr. Paula Fitzgerald, Dr. Lauren Cooper, Sarah Glenn and representatives from the Women in Business organization on championing this initiative.
DICE strives to celebrate, champion and embed diversity, equity and inclusion into the Chambers College culture through these important initiatives. We aim to create a culture where our faculty, staff, and students feel welcomed and valued. Not only do we want to create this environment, but we want to sustain it and hold ourselves accountable to this mission. We can only achieve this through transparent and honest communication. If you wish to share your voice or your experiences, your innovative ideas for making our community more welcoming, or if you notice areas for improvement, please reach out. The DICE committee is here to listen.
You can learn more about our mission and opportunities for engagement with diversity initiatives by visiting our webpage at: https://business.wvu.edu/about/diversity-and-inclusion.
Out & Equal Trailblaze winner Claudia Brind-Woody once said the words that have inspired me in the area of diversity and inclusion: “Inclusivity means not just that we’re allowed to be there, but that we are valued. I’ve always said that smart teams will do amazing things, but truly diverse teams will do impossible things.”
Let’s build inclusivity in the Chambers College. Let’s value inclusivity in the Chambers College. Then we can do impossible things.
Sincerely,
Dariane
