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Show page 2 lessons, Spring/Summer 2002 Building Bridges of Trust: Achieving a Diverse Campus Community BY jacqueline cheney photos BY sarah birdsall Diversity may not be the first word that comes to mind when you think of the University of Utah, but that doesn't mean it isn't there, and that doesn't mean the U isn't working on it. In a growing Utah, the state's flagship university is preparing for the future, today, so it may better serve students, faculty and staff, tomorrow. "Issues of race, gender and ethnicity are the greatest opportunity and greatest challenge for education in the state," President Bernie Machen said at the Changing Faces of Utah Diversity Conference in February. It's a subject Machen knows all too well. Since his appointment in 1998, he has stressed the importance of achieving a diverse campus community. "We need to be sure many voices are heard and many ideas are expressed in order for the best thinking to occur…No race or gender or culture has a monopoly on good ideas and intellect, and for the best ideas to flourish, many diverse opinions need to be aired," he said in his installation address. Four years later, Machen still sees diversity as one of his primary goals. He has defined diversity as having many dimensions. "In addition to racial, gender, and ethnic diversity, the University of Utah also seeks educational diversity, which refers to the long-standing practice of hiring faculty whose education occurred at many different educational institutions. "It includes geographic diversity, which refers to having students, faculty and staff from all parts of the state, region, and nation. It includes religious diversity, which embraces people of all faiths, religions and beliefs. It includes a social, cultural, and economic diversity, which results in a rich tapestry of values, perspectives and experiences within the university community, and it also includes sexual orientation and other defining personal characteristics." At the 2001 Diversity Awards luncheon, Machen said it is especially important to have a diverse campus as we enter the 21st century because of: •The demand for graduates who are able to work with colleagues and customers from many cultures because of the accelerated pace of globalism and interconnectedness of world economies. •Increases in racial-ethnic diversity of the Utah population, especially along the Wasatch Front. •Obligations of higher education to help its community, on and off campus, to understand and optimize opportunities as a result of an increasingly diverse community. Machen said the U's commitment to diversity will continue to include improving on-campus programs, increasing scholarships for minorities, and faculty and student recruitment and retention efforts, but he's also looking to reach out to Salt Lake communities and build bridges of trust. The West Side Initiative "The U wants to focus on the West Side [of Salt Lake City]. It's a bubbling metropolis and we're not getting enough students from that area. We're trying to find out what communities want and need," Machen said at the Changing Faces of Utah Diversity Conference. And that's exactly what Irene Fisher has been appointed to do. Fisher is Special Assistant to the President for Campus Community Partnerships. She has been working on the "West Side Initiative" since September. Her time so far has been spent getting to know the community through its leaders and residents. She is listening to their concerns and developing a plan for what the U can do to help. "I feel like the University of Utah has so much to learn from moving off the hill and experiencing the West Side," she said. "The U is trying to be a better citizen by engaging in the needs of the community." Four goals have been established to help focus the initiative: |
