The University Diversity and Inclusion Alliance met last Monday to discuss their semester goals, the campus climate survey and their interfaith initiative. The meeting was attended by 12 faculty members and two students. 

“I’ve been asked to implement an interfaith initiative for the institution,” said Jason Brooks, assistant dean of students for diversity, equity and inclusion. “We have established an interfaith space here on campus…The space will be completely open to students, faculty and staff for religious purposes or non-religious purposes.”

The space will be room 434 in Southeast Morse and will be available around the end of April.  

The alliance also reviewed the success of past diversity events that took place on campus. 

“There has been a significant amount of learning that has been going on,” said Deanna Williams, director of diversity programs. “Whether it has been MLK or Black History Month events, from the students. We have been getting reflections whether it’s from a professor or just people coming up to us and just saying ‘students were impacted by it and they’re able to articulate how they were impacted by the speaker.’”

Speakers have offered student internships, jobs and just general networking possibilities, according to Brooks and Williams. 

Another goal of the alliance is to submit a campus climate survey assessment and evaluation which Gary Wyatt, associate provost, is in charge of. 

Wyatt got permission from the University of Chicago to use their campus climate survey. 

“The survey will be delivered on campus labs, on the e-platform there,” Wyatt said. “It’s all ready to go. The only thing we are waiting for now is for Marketing and Media Relations to do a little publicity for us.”

In the survey, students will be asked to rate the campus and their departments climate from sexist to nonsexist, racist to nonracist, homophobic to nonhomophobic and intolerant to tolerant of disability accommodations. The survey will also ask students about any harassment or discrimination they’ve experienced.

“We expect the entire thing will be sent out in two weeks,” Wyatt said. “It looks like we will have this whole thing wrapped up and ready to go by the end of spring.” 

The next alliance meeting will take place in April.