One of the most important lessons that all of us have to learn in life is how to get out of our own self-centeredness and realize that we are members of a larger community, one that depends on respect for other people and people taking responsibility for their own actions. We must treat others as we would like to be treated. Nowhere is that more true than at a college.  We are here to learn, to help others learn and to protect everyone’s right to develop their talents.  Learning cannot happen in a place where people are subjected to discrimination, lack of respect or bullying.  All of us thrive as members of a community.  Tearing down others or dismissing them simply because of their skin color, ethnic background, religion, gender or sexual orientation destroys community.  We can thrive in a community, however, if we stand together and speak out against bigotry when we see it and embrace the diversity of our community as one of its strengths.

Elizabethtown College has demonstrated thousands of examples of service to the world. Our alumni are active as peacemakers, creators of businesses and non-profit organizations, teachers, engineers, scientists, artists and people in a hundred other walks of life who make a difference in the world.  Here, they learned what they needed to live lives of service.  We who teach, learn and carry on the myriad other tasks that make a college flourish have to build on that tradition. We can only do so if we dedicate ourselves to treating others as fellow members of a community. We must treat everyone with respect.  We must speak up when we see or hear anything that hurts or bullies or harasses others. I trust that the entire College community will be a part of a renewed effort this year to embrace our diverse backgrounds and stand up for inclusion, not divisiveness.

Last spring, our bonds of community were damaged because a few individuals, both students and non-students, most of them anonymous, wrote or spoke words of hate.  I ask everyone on campus to do what they can to help ensure that these kinds of incidents do not happen again.  I also want the College community as a whole to know that many people on campus have been working to ensure this.  Thank you to everyone who has spoken out, attended a workshop, offered their support for those who have been hurt or taken other positive steps.  Below are some of the actions that the College has taken. Additional efforts will be made to ensure our community continues to thrive and embrace our collective differences.  Please support Campus Diversity Advocates and others working for positive solutions, speak up and speak out against any incidents of hate or bias and live your lives here on campus as examples of respect and community.

• Senior Staff has committed to making inclusive excellence a top priority for its work this year and to monitor progress regularly at Senior Staff meetings.

• The Human Resources office has identified a new staff person who will have diversity recruitment as a major part of her responsibilities.

• An Anti-Defamation League “Campus of Difference” workshop was offered in August for 50 faculty and staff; a second workshop is scheduled for Oct. 7.

• A campus-wide conference on inclusive excellence is planned for January 2014 during Martin Luther King, Jr. Week.  Currently, we hope to have a special workshop on promoting inclusive excellence for student leaders as part of the conference.

• More opportunity for dialogue about bias and college values was added to new student orientation.

• The College is working to introduce an 800 number hotline for incident reporting.

• A “bias-related” category was added to our online incident report form.

• Residence Life has expanded its programs to promote a welcoming campus for all.

• The US Dept. of Justice and the PA Human Relations Commission are scheduled to offer training this fall involving Police–Minority Community Relations.

• Campus Security is upgrading its ability to investigate incidents promptly and thoroughly.

• Athletics is working with staff members in Student Life to provide training to recognize and combat bias for all of our student athletes.

• I am encouraged by the progress that we have made to recognize and combat bias on campus and to promote inclusive excellence.  Thank you to everyone who makes this a strong and supportive campus community.  Let us all dedicate ourselves anew to the ideals that this College has stood for. We can thrive in a community if we all stand together.