Christina H. Paxson, president of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, recently released a draft report entitled, Pathways to Diversity and Inclusion: An Action Plan for Brown University. The document outlines a concrete set of actions to promote diversity and inclusion and confront the issues of racism, power, privilege, inequity and injustice.
Among the proposals in the draft report are:
- Support critical living and learning expenses for low-income undergraduate students.
- Expand resources for centers that support students from diverse communities.
- Expand mentoring programs.
- Double the number of faculty from historically underrepresented groups by 2024-2025.
- New orientation programs for new faculty and staff.
- New training for public safety officers at Brown.
- Promote university-wide research and academic programming on structural racism.
- Double the number of graduate students from historically underrepresented groups.
- Hire staff who are dedicated to recruiting diverse graduate students.
- Expand programs to catalyze achievement among students of color in the sciences.
- Expand the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America and the Center for Slavery and Justice.
In her letter to the campus community accompanying the draft report, President Paxson wrote: “The deep pain that we have heard expressed by students of color in the past weeks and months — a pain that has been affirmed by faculty and staff members who work closely with and care deeply about our students — is very real. We value our students of color and are grateful to them and those working with them for calling attention to actions needed to address racism and injustice on our campus.”
President Paxson is welcoming comments on the report and proposals for change until December 4. The university has stated that it is prepared to spend $100 million over the next 10 years to implement the outlined changes.
