Providing Student Support and Belonging
All students need to feel they are valued members of the university community. We should help students come to see the university as their home. To make the university a safe and welcoming space, it is important to empower students to make their voices heard.
In my years of being Department Chair, many, many students have come to me seeking help and assistance with very difficult situations. Some were young female students who had been sexually harassed. Some were students of color who had been subjected to racial bias. Some were Christian conservative students who were not allowed to speak freely. Some were faculty who felt burned out or unappreciated. Working individually, and many times other university personnel, I listened, I took notes, I thought carefully, and I offered plans to move forward. Such cases are never easy, but the first step in finding solutions is to meet with people, listen to what they have to say, and show respect for their concerns. Everyone deserves to be seen, valued, and heard.
Equity starts with respecting everyone. My pronouns are he/him/his. I list them here because I know that pronouns matter to many people. I also know I don’t have all the answers, but that never stops me from trying to make things better. I was chosen to lead the IUP President’s Commission on Diversity and Inclusion to help us revamp some of our social equity work. The university has a lot of great initiatives, but I am working to link our efforts more directly to the curriculum and to departmental goals, so IUP grows as a supportive culture.
To give one concrete example for how progress on equity can be made, I worked with IUP’s Director of Undergraduate Writing to overhaul the university’s writing placement procedures. Data showed that the IUP placement system was disadvantaging incoming students from diverse backgrounds and English as a Second Language (ESL) homes. We redesigned the placement system to give greater weight to high school performance, to provide opportunity for student input about writing achievements and experiences, and to be more responsive to language background issues. We also moved the placement system online to make it more cost effective. Our placement redesign was student-focused, fairer, and reduced bias.
This is how I strive to make the university a more equitable and just place for all students, faculty, staff, and administrators: Roll up my sleeves and go to work with everyone who will join me.
Student Support Resources
Below are links to a variety of valuable support resources:
Local Resources and Offices
- IUP Composition and Applied Linguistics (CAL) Program Diversity and Inclusivity Statement
- IUP Department for Disability Access and Advising (D2A2)
- IUP President’s Commission on Diversity and Inclusion
- IUP Social Equity and Title IX Office
Other Resources
