SUNY-ESF officials are encouraging students to promote inclusivity and diversity as one of the college’s committees works to expand religious diversity, among other things.

The college’s Inclusion, Diversity and Equity committee is working on new programs at SUNY-ESF and a bias reporting system is currently being developed at the college.

Malika Carter, SUNY-ESF’s chief diversity officer, President Quentin Wheeler and Vice Provost and Dean of Student Affairs Anne Lombard met with Programming Director of Chabad at Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF Zalman Ives, Carter said in an email.

Carter, the board of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and other faculty members are working to create a CEO Against Stigma Campaign, which will help reduce the impact of the stigma of mental illness around campus and other professional spaces, Carter added.

“Inclusion/Diversity/Equity initiatives, both new and pre-existing, help the community to recognize and acknowledge the constant relevancy of bringing all to the table of human interaction,” Carter said.

Carter said inclusion, diversity and equity are essential elements to the school’s efforts to reflect the global community that supports diverse individuals.

Director of Student Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Scott Blair said these efforts, in the past, included a panel discussion with SU’s Office of Multicultural Affairs on the Dakota Access Pipeline, the 2016 presidential election and community policing and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Blair said the initiatives taken by the committee help people think about relevant topics that are happening across the country, not just Syracuse.

“It helps our faculty, it helps our staff, it helps our students find their interests and their voice,” Blair said. “Especially when we are talking about being a student on a (science, technology, engineering and math) campus.”

Both Blair and Carter said there are plenty of ways students can get involved in improving diversity and inclusion on campus.

The Student Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives team created a student diversity advisory council that meets once a month and encourages students to attend.

“Come on in, let us know about the experience that you’re having or that you’re hearing that your fellow students are having,” Blair said.

Carter encouraged SUNY-ESF students to embrace diversity and create a culture that meets the needs of all participating in the community.

“To create a more diverse campus, celebration, appreciation and acknowledgement of identities seen and unseen in the academy need to be in the fore,” Carter said.

Published on February 13, 2018 at 9:36 pm

Contact Jessica: jlandreo@syr.edu