A Preview: Updates on Diversity Equity and Inclusion Initiatives at WWC
Ana Risano | February 24, 2022
Special to The Echo | Sarah Puterbaugh
Yehudah and Criss Guy listen to a Black History Month reading in the library.
In December of 2021, Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) and Strategy, Kortet Mensah, Ph.D., sent an email to the Warren Wilson College (WWC) community, updating them on the state of DEI initiatives.
DEI initiatives began as a response to the set of demands released by the Black Student Union (BSU) during the summer of 2020. As of December 2021, 34 strategic projects were underway to address issues raised by BSU.
“We have collectively identified and began working on over 34 strategic DEI projects across the divisions to address recruitment, retention, and leadership development,” Mensah wrote. “These projects are an outgrowth of the institutional DEI priorities …”
Miciah Z. Yehudah, Ph.D., director of Wilson Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (WIDE), spoke to the willingness of the college in responding to the demands.
“There’s been a willingness to really carry the mallet and President Morton and the cabinet have done a great job leaning into these some of the requests and not ignoring them,” Yehudah said.
Students on campus have also seen a shift in the college in relation to the DEI initiatives. Bria Scott, senior biology major double-minoring in psychology and neuroscience, and co-author of the BSU demands, cited what she’s seen as change in the last two years.
“I guess with administration, with faculty and with staff, I’ve seen where they’re consistently trying to improve on things — whether that’s in their vocabulary or whether that’s in whatever readings we have to do,” Scott said. “I’ve seen so much work that they’re doing and I commend them for that.”
More work is underway to make Wilson more inclusive and in-line with its goals in fostering community.
“This is an exciting yet difficult time for our campus community regarding DEI — the full realization and implementation of these 34-plus strategic DEI projects will meaningfully move the college closer to more fully living out our mission of preparing graduates who are ‘dedicated to fostering a just, equitable, and sustainable world,’” Mensah wrote.
A more in-depth piece will be coming out on The Echo next term, expanding on the DEI updates and providing further context to changes on campus.