News
College history was both made and repeated with last week's release of the Committee on Institutional Diversity and Equity report.
On the one hand, the Student Life Initiative committee charged with addressing diversity secured what seems to be an unprecedented level of institutional commitment and funds.
College President James Wright ratified the CIDE's major recommendations, including a pledge to revamp Dartmouth's mission statement, establish an administrative council on diversity and create a senior-level post to coordinate diversity plans, shortly after receiving the proposal.
On the other hand, it was only eight years ago that another Trustee-sponsored diversity committee report, called "Managing Diversity," came out with what seemed at the time to be a sweeping list of recommendations to help enhance multi-culturalism at Dartmouth, most notably through the hiring of a full-time administrator to coordinate issues of diversity and community.
Immediately following the release of that report, then College President James Freedman made what was seen as a bold move by naming the director of the Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Office to work part-time as "a coordinator and a catalyst of initiatives in a myriad of areas." Soon after, that position was eliminated due to a lack of financial resources.
The CIDE underscores the simultaneous uncertainty of College diversity reports and the Wright administration's commitment, in both words and deeds, to embrace and improve diversity.
This diversity report differs from past ones -- which date back to 1968 -- in Wright's move to adopt the major suggestions of the CIDE immediately.
Unlike the 1993 report, this time the diversity coordinating position was made full-time and permanent, and a significant amount of funds are available to making diversity an institutional priority.
At the same time, the CIDE is surrounded by the same cloud of doubt that has enveloped past diversity efforts.
