The University president has released the following statement via e-mail.
Dear Campus:
About a month ago, I sent an invitation to meet with those on campus who wanted to share their Truman experience so I could learn whether we are doing enough to address cases of discrimination on campus. I have met with a number of organizations and hundreds of students over the last month to listen to their stories, and I have a few more scheduled for early next semester. In the course of these conversations, Jerad Green, Program Coordinator for Multicultural Affairs, suggested forming a group to look at ways we could improve the campus climate and promote diversity. Taking this great advice, I have appointed the Committee to Develop a University Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence. The following individuals have agreed to serve on this important committee:
Co-Chair, Jamie Ball, Institutional Compliance
Co-Chair, John Gardner, Residence Life
Carol Bennett, Multicultural Affairs
Michelle Blakely, Disability Services
Heather Cianciola, McNair Program
Aaron Cone, student
Melanee Crist, International Student Affairs
Christy Crouse, student
Jon Gering, School of Science and Mathematics
Amber Johnson, Society and Environment
Jiawei (Brandon) Lu, student
Maha Mohamed, student
Mica Smith, student
Justin Wilson, Admission
This committee will work during the 2016 Spring Semester to develop a strategic plan to build a more accessible, equitable, and inclusive climate for all members of the campus community and to develop a culture where diversity is a strength, not a weakness, in our collective pursuit of excellence. Obviously there are a lot of terms in that charge that must be unpacked and determined as to what they mean for Truman, and that, too, will be part of the work of this committee.
I want to thank these dedicated members of the Truman community for their willingness to serve in this important work. I have no doubt that they will produce an action plan that will bring us closer to fulfilling our mission and reaching our lofty goals of inclusive excellence.
Sincerely,
Troy