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Nelson "Nels" Armstrong '71, director of alumni relations since
1995, has taken on a new post at Dartmouth. A familiar figure on campus who has
served the College in a variety of positions, he is currently special assistant
to the President for special projects, where he plays a leadership role in
strengthening Dartmouth's historic commitment to diversity. Armstrong took on
the one-year assignment in July, and is advising President James Wright
on a wide range of matters concerning minority affairs at the College. He is a
member of the President's Executive Committee and works closely with other
senior officers to develop strategies designed to help Dartmouth meet the needs
of its increasingly diverse population.
With a career in higher education spanning more than 30 years, Nelson
"Nels" Armstrong '71 assumed the post of special assistant to the
President for special projects in July. (Photo by Joseph Mehling '69)
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"Nels is a leader in Dartmouth's African American community," says
President Wright. "I am delighted that he has agreed to take on the
important task of helping us strengthen Dartmouth as an inclusive
community." His appointment, announced last spring, was one of several
initiatives following the recommendations of a McKinsey & Co. study of administrative
services at the College.
"I want to help advance one of the President's core priorities: to make
this a welcoming place for everyone," Armstrong says. "We've come a
long way but there's much that remains to be done." A longtime member of
the Dartmouth administration, Armstrong is cofounder of the Black Alumni of
Dartmouth Association (BADA) and served as associate director of the Dartmouth College Fund, in
addition to his work in the Office of
Alumni Relations. He has also led alumni relations at Case Western Reserve
University, and worked in admissions, financial aid, and development at
MIT.
Pulling no punches, Armstrong says people of color at Dartmouth still
confront racism, and those who are different because of national origin,
religion, or gender continue to shoulder a burden of self-explanation within
the dominant majority. "Change will come about," he explains,
"when people begin to take diversity personally, when they see how they
benefit and feel how it makes the entire community more vibrant and
robust."
At the same time, Armstrong wants to give voice to the ways in which
Dartmouth has been and continues to be a leader in advancing diversity—a record
he feels has been underappreciated. "There's so much for us to be proud
of, so much progress in recent years that we ought to talk about, and so many
places to go to tell this story," he says. "It's important for
Dartmouth to have someone who can speak to non-mainstream media, and to people
in higher education and industry who might have a greater interest in us than
they do now. The more we tell our story, the more inviting this place will be
to people of all kinds.
"The President recognizes that these are complex challenges," he
adds, "and that they should be shared by the entire community. People with
my assignment are sometimes seen as 'diversity czars,' which can have the
unintended effect of marginalizing the issues. I'm not Dartmouth's diversity
czar, but I do bring a different perspective to the table. I work closely with
my fellow senior officers, with Interim Director of Institutional Diversity and Equity
Michelle Meyers, and with others on and off campus."
Armstrong wants Dartmouth—and the Upper Valley—to become a more attractive
place for people of color and their families. But he says demographics are only
part of a larger picture. "We may see more people like me walking across
the Green or going to the Post Office, but if that's all we do we still have a
significant problem. The fundamental question is: 'How do we do a better job of
helping people feel like they're a part of our community?'" He points out
that there are movies that aren't shown here, songs that radio stations don't
play, clothes that aren't for sale, and types of food that aren't available.
"People of color," he says, "are still asking the question we
asked in 1967: 'Where do we go to get our hair cut?'"
Nineteen sixty-seven was the year Armstrong arrived in Hanover to begin his
undergraduate career, one of 17 African American men in his class. It was just
three years after Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and months
before the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Today, students of color
represent almost 30 percent of the undergraduate population. "I'm very
proud," he says, "of how far we've come. Diversity is part of our
fabric."
If there's been progress though, he wants to make sure it doesn't generate
complacency. "This is not a people of color challenge," he explains.
"This is a people challenge. It's not about figuring out how some people
can be more like the rest of us, whatever our notion of 'us' may be. It's about
how we work together to make Dartmouth a better place for everyone."
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