DEI Advisory Group presents report to chancellor, provost


LAWRENCE — After more than four months of work, the university’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Advisory Group yesterday presented its report to Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little and Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Sara Rosen.

The DEI Advisory Group was created by the Office of the Provost last fall to examine instances of discrimination and intolerance on KU’s campus and to recommend actions that can be taken to create an environment where everyone is valued. The group had its first meeting in December and has since logged many hours analyzing the campus environment and developing specific recommendations in anticipation of submitting a report to KU leadership.

The DEI report is available online at https://provost.ku.edu/dei-report.

“On behalf of the University of Kansas community, we want to thank the DEI members for their tremendous efforts in assembling this report,” Chancellor Gray-Little and Provost Rosen said in a joint statement. “The advisory group has created a document that will inform our continuing work to address the issues of diversity, equity and inclusion at KU and ensure that our campus is a welcoming space for all. In consultation with other members of the KU administration, we will review the observations and recommendations in the report over the coming weeks so we can issue a thorough response later this summer and continue our efforts on this topic.”

The DEI report is divided into the following sections:

  • Executive Summary of Recommendations (Page 1)
  • Why Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice Work Matter in Higher Education (Page 3)
  • KU and the National Context of Public Higher Education (Page 4)
  • The Recent Climate of KU Student Unrest (Page 11)
  • The Creation, Charge, and Organizational Challenges of the DEI Advisory Group (page 16)
  • Recommendations (Page 18)

The 13-member group is co-chaired by Clarence Lang, chair of the Department of African & African-American Studies, and Sheahon Zenger, athletic director for KU Athletics, and includes faculty, staff and students.

For more information on the DEI Advisory Group, including a full description of the group’s mission, membership and meeting schedule, visit https://provost.ku.edu/dei-report.

Fri, 04/29/2016

author

Joe Monaco

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