Muhlenberg College
PA-4: Diversity and Equity Coordination

The mission statement is: to serve as a campus wide resource that facilitates and promotes a learning community of multicultural understanding and exchange through collaboration, dialogue, and action. Muhlenberg has a Multicultural Advisory Board, Multicultural Center, President Diversity Advisory Committee (Chair Dr. Brian Mello) and Multicultural Director tasked by the administration to advise on and implement programs and trainings related to diversity and equity on campus. The President Diversity Advisory Committee (Chaired by Dr. Brian Mello) Advisory Council (PDAC) monitors and assesses the Diversity Strategic Plan. It also proposes new initiatives to the President's Staff. Currently PDAC is in consultation with outside Higher Education professionals who are overseeing a campus wide policy scan. The policy scan is a tool used to determine if Muhlenberg’s current policies meet equity standards throughout the college’s operations.

Students All first years are exposed to diverse communities through the Sedehi Play and Fitness and Wellness. Most students are provided opportunities to learn more about different populations through the course work, Intergroup dialogue, Social Justice Retreat, conferences, speakers, performers and scholars. Sedehi Diversity Play exposes students to complex social topics regarding identities and marginalized communities. More information about the Sedehi Diversity Project: https://www.muhlenberg.edu/diversityproject/ Staff An online diversity training is required of all new employees and a refresher training for continuing employees in accordance with the Diversity Strategic Plan. All Student Affair Practitioners are provided cultural competency training. Some staff have additional opportunities to engage in workshops and training regarding issues of diversity Faculty An online diversity training is required of all new employees and a refresher training for continuing employees in accordance with the Diversity Strategic Plan. Faculty whose research and interests are about human diversity take advantage of a number of opportunities to strengthen cultural competence to include attending conference, participating in Faculty Center for Teaching workshops on engaging a diverse student body, reading groups, etc. For those faculty whose research and interest are not focused on issues of diversity and inclusion are afforded the opportunity for cultural competence training and take part in the all campus survey on bias. In addition: There is a college wide assessment tool that is offered to all faculty and staff to enable each to assess their knowledge of cultural differences and their biases as it relates to human diversity. Center for Ethics and other speaker, performers presentations are open to the entire campus community to further our understanding and knowledge of power, privilege and difference. Intergroup Dialogue and Intra Dialogue programs are offered to students in order to increase awareness of stances, beliefs, values and difference for the purpose of understanding that diverse perspectives are shaped by social status, identity and majoritarian notions of what is valuable.

There are 2 full-time people employed in the diversity and equity office. Also, Robin meets with RAs, athletes, and students in the fitness and wellness classes, about issues of difference, promoting open-mindedness in regards to diversity. RAs also have intensive training regarding handling issues of difference. The multicultural office focuses on student diversity and equity, while working with campus partners to provide employee diversity and equity workshops. The advisory committee consist of staff and faculty they include: Mark Smiley, Assistant Director of Multicultural Life and LGBT Coordinator, Beth Halpern, Director of Community Service and Engagement, Lee Kolbe, Title IX Coordinator, Robin Riley-Casey, Director of Multicultural Life and Cindy Amaya-Santiago, Senior Associate Director of Multicultural Recruitment, Dr. Jordana Sprayberry, Dr. Dawn Sanderson and Eric Thompson, Admission Coordinator. The advisory board develops campus programs around the issues of diversity, and can be academic or deal with social advocacy. Intra-group Dialogue (ongoing) Heritage Month Celebrations (Black, Latino, Women, Asian, Muslim students, Transadvocacy and LGBTQIA) Alliance Week (ongoing) Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges (LVAIC) Bridging the Gap Conference (Fall 2017 Spring) for student leaders across the Lehigh Valley Muhlenberg students have invested in intentional methods to diversify their communities. Several students groups currently have created positions inclusivity or diversity chairs to include sororities, Student Government Association and Muhlenberg Theater Association. There are a number of committees (CCCL, BRET, PDAC and IGD) that work in collaboration with Multicultural Life and singularly to provide workshops, speakers and performances to ensure that there are a multitude of options for community members to engage in conversations about privilege, power, justice and strategies to support an equitable community both inside higher ed and in their daily lives. Also the Lehigh Valley consortium (LVAIC) provides workshops and trainings focused on cultural competency. Progress towards our Diversity Strategic Plan can be found here. https://www.muhlenberg.edu/media/contentassets/pdf/about/president/Diversity%20Strategic%20Plan%20Midpoint%20Update%20-%20July%202017.pdf