F. From Diversity to Community

It is important to understand that the stages of progress (in creating a climate that nurtures a diverse community) that we have identified are "stages" only in the sense that without the first, achieving the second is impossible. However, arriving at a moment when the second or third stage is reached does not imply that we can consider further efforts of the kind expended at earlier stages no longer necessary. Perhaps a better metaphor would be that of a two-story house: what we have called "stage one" can be described as the foundation; "stage two" is the first floor; "stage three" is the top floor. Were maintenance of the foundation or the first floor ignored and these floors allowed to fall into disrepair, the top floor would collapse. The Diversity Panel recognizes that the University is building a sturdy foundation and has been energetic in setting up the first floor. We must continue our work in those areas, but we are now ready to move forward, setting to work on completing our home. This is the third stage: bringing diverse groups together in community.

F1. Web-based Events Calendar. We propose that some unit, perhaps Public Information, set up and maintain a website that lists events as far into the future as they are being scheduled. Already, Outlook includes a highlighted "diversity calendar." What we have in mind would expand this calendar and put it on the web so that units planning relevant events and lectures would know if there are others with whom they may work collaboratively, and thereby enhance their audiences; it would also save units from scheduling events that conflict with events likely to interest the same audience. To be effective, such a calendar should include all events, not only those with a diversity theme. And the university's home page should identify the calendar of events clearly so that the entire university community and the general public will know how to access the calendar.

F2. Unified Awards Ceremony. Currently almost every group on our campus which is interested in some aspect of diversity presents an award to someone who has served that group's interests particularly well. We propose that a unified awards ceremony be instituted so that the constituencies of all of these groups, and thus a larger audience with a variety of interests, is brought together to learn about the goals of the awarding group and acknowledge the work of the awardee. Some of these groups may still wish to hold their own ceremonies, especially if the presentation of their awards is part of an event of larger purpose, but even these groups could still participate in the campus-wide ceremony. These awards might be presented at the fall Convocation--increasing the audience and enhancing interest in the Convocation; or, if that is too unwieldy, the prizes awarded at Convocation could remain limited to the presidential prizes and recognition of the newly appointed Scholar-Teachers and emeritus faculty, while the other awards could be collectively presented at a second ceremony in the late spring.

A description of all the awards and the work of all of the awardees should be published together and widely distributed on our campus, and perhaps beyond. Also, following the awards ceremony, an announcement should appear on the home page which would link to the texts that introduced the honorees.

F3. Valuing Diversity to Inaugurate Every Academic Year. We came to believe it crucial that diversity be addressed very visibly at the start of every academic year.

• a) Orientation of new students should be more effective in encouraging improved inter-group relations: Student Orientation Counselors should be better trained to deal with issues that arise in a diverse group of entering students, and to be able to both facilitate interaction across groups and also help students find and connect with similar students. Current first year students should be included in planning the next yearŐs orientation.
• b) We have been told that there is a proposal circulating for a special Diversity event, on the Mall, to take place during the first month of school. Although we have not seen the proposal and cannot endorse it beyond endorsing the concept, this much we can do. Indeed, the concept does seem worthy to us as a way to focus the campus's attention, from the very first moment, on the diversity goals of the University.