New university committee caters to diversity and inclusion

By Nia Brookins

Published Apr 13, 2017

Students cheering at a football game (courtesy: https://connectionculture.tcu.edu/)

Diversity at TCU is no new discussion. With the rise of concerns about campus diversity in the form of demands, social media trends and public forums, TCU has responded with the appointment of an Inclusion Officer and continues to respond with a university committee that caters to diversity, equity and inclusion. Below is a chart of racial diversity at TCU over the past five years.

TCU Racial Diversity Create pie charts

Chancellor Boschini said the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee consists of “campus stakeholder groups” and will assess bias, identify barriers and review university programs and structures. The committee is in the process of assembling TCU’s first university-wide diversity agenda. “What I hope in the long run is that this committee will bring more awareness to all sides of the campus,” Boschini said. “Having more diversity gives everybody a richer experience.” TCU has had a diversity committee for about five years but it was only this past fall that the Faculty Senate said they wanted more involvement with it. From there the administration reconstituted the committee with a faculty and staff chair and the committee now has sub-committees that focus on specific diversity issues. Boschini said students can expect a campus survey this fall to “assess bias, identify barriers and review university programs and structures.” He said students can also expect a bias response team, new programs such as an inclusiveness initiative certificate and expansion of existing diversity initiatives such as community scholars.

A community scholars group photo taken in 2016. (courtesy: communityscholars.tcu.edu)

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee member and history professor Max Krochmal sat down with TCU 360 to give his perspective on the importance of this committee. Krochmal is not the only faculty member to feel this way. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee member and latino/a studies program director David Colon said TCU could be doing a better job at improving diversity as well. “Our community does not yet adequately include a diverse enough range of experiences and perspectives in management, teaching and the student body to make TCU as thorough and comprehensive a university as we want it to be,” he said. “Diverse experiences, perspectives, traditions, customs and worldviews amplify dialogue necessary for successful academic pursuits.” Chancellor Boschini has asked that the TCU community takes charge in the efforts to diversify campus by enrolling in classes, training and lectures led by various departments on diversity to “effect cultural change on campus.” For a response to questions and concerns, email [email protected].