Update on Campus Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives

Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students:

Last July, I wrote to you to outline a plan to create a better, stronger University of Georgia. This plan included four initiatives to foster a more diverse and inclusive community at UGA:

Presidential Task Force on Race, Ethnicity, and Community
UGA Planning Committee on Diversity and Inclusive Excellence
60th Anniversary of Desegregation at UGA
Community Conversations

Today, I am writing to give an update on progress related to each of these initiatives. The progress reported here reflects the hard work and dedication of so many faculty, staff, students, and alumni, and I want to express my gratitude to each and every person who is contributing to these ongoing efforts.

Presidential Task Force on Race, Ethnicity, and Community

The Presidential Task Force on Race, Ethnicity, and Community was established to examine issues related to race, ethnicity, and community and to develop concrete recommendations that can be implemented during the coming academic year to continue to improve our campus culture and strengthen our learning environment. I committed $1 million of private resources from the UGA Athletic Association to support recommendations by the task force. The task force has successfully completed its work and several of their recommendations are already being implemented. Those include:

Judge Horace J. Johnson, Jr. Lecture Series
New Diversity Educator Position
National Panhellenic Council Recognition Markers
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Student Advisory Board
Voices of Color Dialogue Series
Reflective Structured Dialogue Training Program
Community Read Project
Public Art Project

More information about these initiatives can be found on the task force website.

UGA Planning Committee on Diversity and Inclusive Excellence

The Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Planning Committee has also made significant progress since I charged the group on August 14. The committee has organized its work around three inclusive excellence priorities:

Building an inclusive living and learning environment for diverse student access and success;
Recruiting and retaining a diverse University workforce to advance our mission in the 21st century; and
Expanding partnerships and outreach to strengthen diverse communities.

Grounded in our mission and UGA’s 2025 Strategic Plan, these priorities represent broad areas under which the committee will develop more specific five-year, University-level goals to promote diversity and inclusion.

The committee has initiated a three-phase process to complete its plan by fall 2021. The discovery phase, which wrapped up in December, included conducting more than 40 focus groups with numerous faculty, staff, student, alumni, and community stakeholders. The committee is now identifying major themes across its data collection efforts to guide the next phase of its work—goal development—which will span much of the spring semester. The final phase will take place over the summer and will focus on plan implementation among schools, colleges, and major administrative units.

More information about the planning process can be found on the diversity plan webpage.

60th Anniversary of Desegregation at UGA

The 60th Anniversary of Desegregation kicked off on Saturday, January 9—the date in 1961 when Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter enrolled at the University of Georgia—with a special bell-ringing commemoration at the Chapel that featured several prominent Black alumni. You can view a video about the 60th anniversary here, and I would encourage you to visit the Main Library to view the new display honoring Georgia trailblazers. The celebration will continue with events planned throughout the semester. A calendar has been established that highlights all of these events. You can also learn more about this historic moment and many of those involved on the website that has been created for the celebration.

Community Conversations

Another key part of our plan was to engage our campus in thoughtful dialogue about race and racism. The Fanning Institute, a regional leader in facilitation, led these conversations for our campus community. The discussions presented an opportunity for individuals to share their experiences with racism and explore how each individual and their affiliated organizations can promote positive change and unity at UGA. I want to thank the Fanning Institute for Leadership Development as well as all of the facilitators that helped make these conversations meaningful and productive for participants. In an effort to expand conversations like these, I have provided funding for individuals across campus to receive training in Reflective Structured Dialogue (RSD). RSD enables people to have difficult conversations on polarizing issues by creating a foundation of trust, resiliency, and collaborative action. Expanding this training will help our University community effectively navigate challenging topics.

The work of creating a welcoming and inclusive campus is one that we all share. As we continue on this important journey, I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for our institution: the opportunity to learn and grow as a community, to better understand each other, and to build a strong learning environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Our work in this area is far from over, but I want to assure all of you that we are making progress.

Sincerely,

Jere W. Morehead
President