Diversity

Bias-Incidents Protocol

The Student Life Office and the Community Action Network Committee (a sub-committee of a Campus Diversity Committee) has been working to develop a web site for reporting bias-related incidents. This website is part of an evolving strategic plan for building a campus wide bias-incidents protocol that promotes prevention and education along with early detection and rapid response through a bias incidents team.

Black Men At Dartmouth (BMAD)

As a follow up to the CHAS program focusing on the needs of Black and Latino Men, Dartmouth students and Dartmouth's Advisor to Black Students created the BMAD program. This program provides an ongoing opportunity for students to network and discuss issues relevant to Black Men.

Campus Facilitation Training

Dartmouth is committed to developing a cadre of on -campus facilitators with a capacity for leading conversations and dialogues on a variety of issues. Throughout the year, various train the trainer programs are offered to staff, students and faculty. These training programs have included ones which are developed by Dartmouth personnel as well as nationally developed programs such as: Campus of Difference, Stop the Hate, National Coalition Building Institute, Seven Habits, and S.A.L.A.D. (Seeking Alliances Through Leadership and Diversity). Currently there are over 50 Dartmouth staff and students trained to facilitate various diversity and community -building workshops.

Diversity Peers Program

Diversity Peers Program is a three-year old program that invites participants to become part of network of undergraduate and graduate students who wish to work together to address common diversity concerns. Students who are selected begin their association by attending a weekend retreat that is jointly facilitated by professional staff and student alumni/ae of past Diversity Peers retreats. Student Life staff design and coordinate 2-3 annual retreats for students to explore the inter-connections and intersections of core diversity identities (race and ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, class, religion, and ability). Participants also develop social justice skills to notice, name, and to act against various forms of bias and oppression. After the retreat students continue to work with Student Life mentors to facilitate campus programs and provide education about diversity.

Diversity Forum Program

On the first Monday of every month, the Office of Pluralism and Leadership coordinates a discussion series for Dartmouth staff, students and faculty. These discussions provide an opportunity for members of the Dartmouth community to discuss various aspects of diversity and pluralism. The focus of the program is on personal growth as well as institutional application. Some recent topics have been: "DARTMYTH" Native Americans, the College and The Future", "Diversity Beyond Dartmouth: Affiliated Alumni Groups", "Universalizing Diversity: A Vision for Addressing Second Generation Diversity Challenges" and "Transforming Student Experiences and Cross-Cultural Education".

Experiences Program

"Experiences" is a 3-part new student orientation program that invites diverse upper class students to share personal stories about their lives to new students. Combined with cultural performances, the Experiences program exposes students to the richness of Dartmouth's diversity. Students return to residence halls to begin their first conversation about diversity and community, and they conclude by writing personal commitments and placing them in envelopes that serve as time capsules. These commitments are returned to students in their sophomore summer.

Greek Inclusion Program

Beginning in the fall of 2002, every fraternity and sorority at Dartmouth was required to develop an action plan that promotes inclusion and multicultural education. Each plan includes the following components: cultural programs (food, music, literature), discussions on issues relating to diversity & inclusivity, workshops or interactive learning programs, recruitment strategies, and other more casual events.

Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity (IDE)

The Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity (IDE) was created in July 2001 and is focused on supporting , assisting and enhancing Dartmouth's commitment to learning and pluralism. The staff in IDE creates and coordinates many opportunities for all administrators, faculty, students, staff and guests to obtain a greater appreciation and capacity to understand our complex community , institution and the people who work and learn on our campus. There are five councils or committees that work closely with IDE: 504/ADA Committee, Council on Diversity, Council on Inter-Group Relations, Diversity Reading Group Steering Committee, and the MLK, Jr. Celebration Committee.

Office of Pluralism and Leadership (OPAL)

The Office of Pluralism and Leadership (OPAL) is a newly formed, comprehensive office that offers an integrated approach for providing cultural enrichment and leadership development to all students. OPAL consists of the Native American Program, the Center for Women and Gender, and the four Offices of Student Advising: Asian and Asian American, Black, Latino/a, and Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender. OPAL strives to provide a comprehensive program for cultural enrichment and leadership development to ensure that historically under-represented groups in particular and all Dartmouth students in general will have rich learning experiences outside the classroom. The OPAL staff works with individual students as well as student communities and organizations to facilitate academic, personal, social, and cultural development and success. OPAL provides these services in partnerships with students, faculty, and administrative staffs in order to create the safe, welcoming, and enriching environment that all community members deserve.

Support Staff Conference

Four administrative assistants from Dartmouth attended the CHAS workshop: "Support Staff as Supportive Staff" held at Bryn Mawr. They returned to the Dartmouth campus with an idea to share what they had experienced with their peers. They collaborated with staff in the IDE, OPAL, Student Life and Human Resources departments to create a one day workshop entitled "Awareness and Enrichment: The Role of Support Staff as Educators." They also included the two keynote speakers from the CHAS conference as part of the program. The focus of the workshop was to build community by sharing ideas and learning how support staff play an important role in contributing to and supporting diversity. Over 70 support staff members attended and additional follow up programs are currently in the planning stages.

Ongoing Initiatives

We also have several affinity houses, including the Cutter-Shabazz Academic Affinity-House, the Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Studies House (LALACS House), the Native American Cultural House and the Asian Studies Center; a Center for Women and Gender, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Ally (LGBTQA) Resource Center and numerous annual signature programs to provide cultural "anchors" for our historically under-represented students and outreach programs that educate and nurture allies in our community.