Dear Members of the UNH Community,
Last August, in response to a number of bias incidents post-election and incidents that took place during the 2017 spring semester and over last year’s Cinco de Mayo, President Huddleston charged a task force with identifying issues of race, inclusion and civility on our campuses and making recommendations for action. In order to fully meet this charge, the task force requested two extensions. The task force will share its report with the UNH community and broader public Friday, April 6, 2018.
In addition to developing the report, the task force has taken action and over the past year, colleges, departments and programs from across our campuses have also worked towards improving our campus climate. Our combined efforts since last spring include:
- A social media policy is now included in the Student Rights Rules and Responsibilities.
- Nearly 2,000 employees have participated in diversity training.
- Some 1,300 students took part in our Safe Zones program; an additional 1,700 students engaged in training related to equity, inclusion and community-building.
- The Office for Multicultural Affairs offered dialogues and training on diversity-related topics that engaged nearly 1,000 students.
- By the end of this summer, UNH will have a comprehensive plan for preventing interpersonal violence.
The Governor’s Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion will hold its first session at UNH Wednesday, March 21, 2018, at 6:30 p.m. in the Granite State Room. We encourage you to attend as a member of the larger New Hampshire community.
As we reflect on our progress and any remaining barriers to continued growth and success, it is critically important to affirm that a central and significant lesson learned from our recent efforts is that the work of diversity, equity and inclusion is a dynamic and ongoing process. Diversity is not a destination exclusively reached by increasing the numbers of students, faculty and staff from historically underrepresented communities. Diversity is also about creating and fostering a campus climate in which all UNH community members are safe, valued, can thrive, and, in turn, are able to succeed.
—Jaime Nolan
Associate Vice President for Community, Equity and Diversity
