Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Grounded in Berea College’s Great Commitments, the mission of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is to promote an equitable, inclusive and safe campus environment and to cultivate a campus climate where all are respected, valued and welcomed. Looking within and beyond the Appalachian region, we seek to collaborate with campus constituents to prepare all members of our campus community to serve as responsible change agents and leaders in a diverse world.

We envision a campus community that collaboratively promotes a welcoming environment for all students, staff and faculty by:

• Increasing representational diversity through inclusive hiring practices and recruitment of students
• Promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in pedagogical approaches, services and trainings that advance positive interpersonal communication across differences
• Building capacity by aligning partnerships that foster campus wide diversity, equity and inclusion efforts

Diversity

Individual differences (e.g. race, socio-economic status, class, gender, sexual orientation, country of origin, ability, intellectual traditions and perspectives, as well as cultural, political, religious, and other affiliations) that can be engaged to achieve excellence in teaching, learning, research, scholarship and administrative and support services.

Equity

The consistent, systematic, fair, just and impartial treatment of all individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQIA+) persons; persons with disabilities, persons who live in rural areas, and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequity.

Inclusion

The term inclusion is used to describe the active, intentional, and ongoing engagement with diversity in people, in the curriculum, in the co-curriculum, and in the communities (e.g. intellectual, social, cultural, geographic) with which individuals might connect.