2021

Muhlenberg Releases Its First Annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report

The report offers an opportunity to review key events, activities and initiatives from the 2020-2021 academic year that highlight the ways in which the community has made progress while providing encouragement for the continued efforts.

 Friday, December 17, 2021 10:42 AM

Photo by Ryan Hulvat

In November, Muhlenberg released its first annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Report. The report, which covers the 2020-2021 academic year, compiles the work that happened across the College to create and support a more diverse and equitable community.

“While this report serves to provide information about the College’s DEI and anti-racism efforts, it represents the beginning of our ongoing work, not the end,” President Kathleen Harring said in an email to the campus community to distribute the report. “If we are to fulfill our collective commitment to inclusion and anti-racism at Muhlenberg, it is essential that we, as a community, have a common understanding of our progress and the areas we need to strengthen.”

A handful of key takeaways from this year’s report include:

• Search committees continue to receive training on inclusive and equitable hiring practices, including new cohorts of faculty and staff to serve as equity advocates during each search.
• Workshops, panels and reading and discussion groups around campus have begun to explore how departments and offices can implement anti-racist practices, review existing processes and innovate curriculums. 
• Student leaders in orientation and resident advisor roles receive intensive diversity, equity and inclusion training to ensure they can support their first-year peers and beyond. Additionally, Student Advocates for Inclusion and Diversity are trained to facilitate peer dialogues connected with the performance of the student-led Sedehi Diversity Project and with other student groups across campus.
• Campus events have been reflective of the larger, national conversation on racial and social justice with the presentation of events including From The Ashes of Relentless Racial Crises Amid COVID-19, and work led in part by the Asian Students Association to discuss the representation of Asian individuals in media and a related increase in violence and hate crimes. 
• All academic departments have begun to review their curriculum through an anti-racist lens. More than 20 faculty curricular and pedagogical development grants were awarded during the summer of 2021 to support this work. These efforts also involve work by the Academic Policy Committee about the potential implementation of a general race and power academic requirement.

The full 2020-2021 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion report can be viewed here.