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At my inauguration in September 1998, the historian John Hope Franklin said
"Dartmouth can claim a longer history of conscious commitment to diversity
than any other institution of higher education in the country." That
commitment remains as strong as ever. I am proud of what we have accomplished
in the area of diversity, but our aspirations ask still more of us.
Dartmouth must continue to work toward greater diversity among our students,
our faculty, and our staff. To do this we must:
- protect and further develop our hiring and admissions practices;
- improve our retention by increasing our ability to embrace diversity and to
follow through on the changes it requires of us;
- articulate, reaffirm, and increase our understanding of the importance of
diversity in our intellectual life and community.
Issues related to difference are not easy to confront, but a campus that
values and supports diversity is a campus that encourages its members to
explore complexities that are central to the intellectual life and are critical
to our society. As an academic community, we cannot afford to do any less than
this.
Dartmouth’s policy of equal opportunity is as follows:
Dartmouth College is committed to the
principle of equal opportunity for all its students, faculty, employees, and
applicants for admission and employment. For that reason Dartmouth does not
discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual
orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability,
military or veteran status in its programs, organizations, and conditions of
employment and admission. (Dartmouth College refers to the entire institution,
including the professional schools, graduate programs, and auxiliary
activities.)
Dartmouth developed its first Affirmative Action Plan in 1972, which
established goals for a ten-year period. Since 1992 we have published an annual
plan that allows us to regularly assess our progress toward our agreed-upon
goals. We all share responsibility for the implementation of this plan and for
creating an even more diverse and welcoming community.
James Wright
President
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