Skidmore College
PA-4: Diversity and Equity Coordination

Our Office of Student Diversity Programs (OSDP) promotes cross-cultural understanding and positive relationships in support of student success and an inclusive campus community. OSDP programs are grounded in an understanding of diversity that includes people of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, socio-economic classes, religious and spiritual traditions, ages, and abilities. The office fosters student leadership and personal engagement by providing support, access to resources, and increasing campus awareness of diversity. OSDP does this by advocating for students, creating spaces for cultural celebration, promoting leadership development and providing opportunities for education and reflection.

Our Office of Student Academic Services supports the development of knowledge, intellectual skills and practice, personal and social values, and transformation in all Skidmore students. Our Academic Counselor and Coordinator of International Student and Scholar Services and our International Student and Scholar Advisor are located in this office, and they, along with other members of the office, work on a variety of issues with international students and scholars, including helping them understand legal matters relating to study in the United States. The office also provides English as a Second Language (ESL) support and works with students to make the most of the resources that exist at Skidmore and in the local community.

Our Committee on Intercultural and Global Understanding (CIGU) is a subcommittee of the Institutional Policy and Planning Committee that advises the President and other College offices and bodies as appropriate regarding issues related to intercultural and global understanding. In undertaking this work, the CIGU takes into account a comprehensive institutional view. The CIGU advises on policy issues, practices, and procedures relating to diversity, intercultural and global understanding, intercultural literacy, issues of campus climate, and other related matters and serves as a resource for the College officials charged with coordinating and implementing the College's strategic efforts in these areas. The Committee consists of elected members, including two faculty members, one student member, and one non-exempt staff member, and also members serving in critical positions related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and human rights including the Director of Intercultural Studies, the Director of the Office of Student Diversity Programs, the Assistant Director for EEO and Workforce Diversity, the Associate Dean of the Faculty for Diversity and Faculty Affairs, the Student Government Association Vice President for Inclusion and Outreach, the Director of the Office of Opportunity Programs, the Director of Off-Campus Study and Exchanges, one representative from the Office of Admissions appointed by the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, and the Chair of the Bias Response Group. Our Vice President for Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity co-chairs this committee.

To enhance our efforts and communication related to diversity, equity, inclusion and human rights on campus, we are currently in the process of forming a team-of-teams that includes the members of the CIGU, our Vice President for Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity, and an inclusion liaison from each division of the College.

Skidmore is also a member of the Consortium of High Achievement and Success (CHAS), which is composed of 26 selective liberal arts colleges and small universities dedicated to promoting high achievement, leadership and personal satisfaction of students on member campuses, with a focus on promoting success among students of color. CHAS develops programs to engage the whole student academically, socially and culturally. CHAS is supported by its members and is hosted by Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. Skidmore joined CHAS in 2007 as part of an effort to advance Skidmore's Strategic plan, which includes promoting intercultural and global understanding. Since 2007, Skidmore CHAS representatives have organized pedagogy workshops, hosted the CHAS Black and Latino Male conference, carried out a climate survey, and supported other activities that support diversity and inclusion.

In 2008, Skidmore established the Intergroup Relations Program (IGR), a sequence of courses based on a fusion of academic content and dialogue experiences shaped around social identities. IGR promotes integrative learning that is transdisciplinary and potentially lifelong in practice. IGR is an interdisciplinary field of study requiring the cognitive integration of concepts from multiple disciplines to application in complex social conditions. For example, students engaging in an examination of race must simultaneously work to apply concepts, methods, and content from across the disciplines—such as sociology, psychology, history, and media studies—during their dialogues. The program is open to students, faculty, and staff.

All students must successfully complete one 3- or 4-credit course designated as Cultural Diversity, and a recent survey indicates that approximately 15% of our courses offered have a diversity component.

All employees of the College are required to engage in anti-harassment training and must complete an anti-harassment refresher program every two years.

We also use other moments to continue to work on racial and cultural competence, and recent examples include:
• Workshops on diversity and inclusion for faculty and staff
• Our annual day-long Academic Summit for the campus community
• Workshops for creating a more inclusive classroom
• Mandatory inclusive hiring workshops for faculty search committees
• Numerous campus guests each year that engage through classroom visits, performances, and/or all-college lectures (e.g., Terrance Blanchard, Majora Carter, etc.)