No change usually means no news, but given the current swirl around diversity, equity and inclusion, no change might come as news. I am writing to assure you that we are moving forward in our efforts to support all of you, and to continue to bring diversity and talent to Goshen College in many ways. We continue to advocate for safety and opportunity for those who have been under-represented or marginalized in education. Heritage celebrations and affinity groups will continue.

First, a little bit of GC history, all of the quoted text is public at goshen.edu/diversity. Between 2018 and 2019, GC began a new chapter of our work with a task force that was given a two-year charge to:

Communicate and make visible GC’s ongoing work in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Identify what GC is currently doing to promote an inclusive and equitable campus experience for all members of our community — and how well we are doing so.

Propose ways to improve our effectiveness in being a more inclusive and equitable campus, including identification of what new resources and changes should be considered.

We began by defining what we mean:

Diversity encompasses how people are both different and similar. It includes many intersecting dimensions, such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, language, culture, beliefs, neurodiversity, physical ability, socio-economic status, immigration status and more.

Equity means reducing disparities in opportunities, experiences and outcomes for all members of the college community. It addresses historical and current social bias and exclusion, including how social structures and policies disadvantage some groups while benefiting others.

Inclusion means fostering a campus environment where people feel respected, accepted, and connected. It ensures that community members engage authentically and participate in the ongoing evolution of campus life. 

In the present preoccupation with DEI — an abbreviation often used without a clear definition — GC will continue to use our words with clear meaning and intention. These words are well-established in the English language and we are free to use them. 

In response to the 2020 recommendations from the task force, we created an institutional vision statement for diversity, equity and inclusion that is rooted in our mission and continues to guide the college. We value and honor the inherent dignity of each person. Teaching and learning about diversity and through our diversity connects our academic excellence, real world experience and active love for God and neighbor. 

We also created a standing Committee on DEI that reports to me. Rather than delegate our vision to a single chief diversity officer, GC gives authority and responsibility to a committee of six DEI Officers, who are designated as such because of their authority within GC. They are managers and leaders across student life, human resources, athletics, academic success, faculty development and teaching. This collective approach recognizes that the work is distributed throughout the college, and that resources and attention have to be allocated accordingly throughout academics, student life and operations. 

The Committee on DEI is not designed to be demographically representative of GC; each member is named to this committee because of their institutional role. Our work toward DEI is not the responsibility of under-represented people — it is the responsibility of all of us. The committee has created working groups on gender, disabilities, race and class in response to issues on our campus, and those working groups are designed to hear from the people directly affected by these issues. Our work toward DEI is unfinished and will evolve as we listen and respond to your experiences and needs. Please reach out to me directly, or to Gilberto Pérez, Jr., dean of students, or Cyneatha Millsaps, chair of the committee on DEI, if you have questions or ideas.

Lastly, it is always a good time to know your rights. The First Amendment to the Constitution in the Bill of Rights states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” 

Steady onward — all of us, together.