Marist Announces Next Steps for Diversity and Inclusion in New Memo
As promised, President Dennis J. Murray released the college’s short- and long-term plans for diversity and inclusion at Marist in memorandum on July 31.
In June, Murray announced the formation of a Board-level Diversity & Inclusion committee led by Trustee Dr. Stan Harris, M.D., a 1968 Marist graduate. Now, the committee delivered upcoming solutions and highlighted progress already in motion.
“The College has received hundreds of thoughtful ideas, suggestions, and comments from students, employees, alumni, and friends regarding how to improve the campus culture for people of color,” Murray said.
Focused on Black Americans –– a deliberate choice, according to the memorandum –– Murray called the plans “merely a starting point.” The outline of the college’s solutions includes 12 major areas, starting its goal to become better listeners.
The memorandum emphasized the committee’s desire to hear feedback from a dozen groups, including Red Foxes Against Racism, Student Government Association, Black Student Union and more. The board will accept input through an online forum and continue this discussion going forward.
Murray said changing the college’s curriculum was one of the most common suggestions. According to the memorandum, the committee plans to ask faculty to consider a mandatory diversity class for all students. Other concrete goals include sharing and distributing more data about student success, analyzing hiring practices and including diverse candidates in the college’s presidential search.
Another immediate priority for the committee includes hiring a replacement for a “Cabinet-level position focusing on diversity, inclusion, and community engagement,” previously held by Freddy Garcia. Additionally, Murray announced that this year the college launched two new internship opportunities specifically for students of color.
The memorandum also previewed upcoming plans and analyzes. The college will review its reporting procedures, hiring practices in all areas and contracting and purchasing practices with local businesses. The college’s grants office will “focus on opportunities for research in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism,” and Marist’s vice president for Human Resources will evaluate training opportunities for faculty and staff.
“Our collective obligation is to face the problem of racial injustice head-on, no matter how difficult the conversation or uncomfortable the revelation.”
Many of these long-term solutions did not include a time estimate for completion. A group of former Marist Ambassadors spoke with Murray, other administrators and members of the college’s communication team on Aug. 4 to inquire further about the committee’s timeline for its goals, Julia McCarthy ‘18 said. She added that while the memorandum represented a positive step forward, the alumni wanted to ensure that all students feel safe and supported at Marist.
“My hope for Marist students is that they bring their online activism to campus. Student voices are powerful, and they deserve to be heard,” McCarthy said. “The privileged students at Marist have a responsibility to be allies to their fellow classmates as well as to themselves to become anti-racist.”
The memorandum also highlighted areas where Murray said progress has already been made. The college invited speakers from Michelle Alexander to Ibram X. Kendi to campus in recent years, and planned to welcome Yusef Salaam, one of the Central Park Five, in the fall, but cancelled the event due to the pandemic.
Murray pointed to the college’s outreach in the local community, test-optional admissions process and increased students of color matriculated in the freshman class over the last decade, rising from 14 to 22 percent.
“It’s equally important to share the areas in which we’ve made good progress. For example, our first-year retention rates and graduation rates for Black students are well above the national average,” Murray said. “Nonetheless, there is still more work to be done in this area.”
The complete breakdown of areas for improvement and proposed solutions can be found on the college’s website.
“Our collective obligation is to face the problem of racial injustice head-on, no matter how difficult the conversation or uncomfortable the revelation,” Murray said. “We must take on this obligation with a strong sense of dedication and clarity of purpose, and Marist is committed to doing so.”
Source: Tara Guaimano