Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging committee members reflect on their work

On Oct. 14, Yale President Peter Salovey announced actions to enhance diversity, promote equity on campus, and foster an environment where all community members feel welcome. The commitments reflect recommendations made by the Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, which was convened earlier this year. Below here committee members comment briefly on their work and the pathway toward a more inclusive and welcoming Yale.

Dr. Gary Desir

Vice provost for faculty development and diversity, Paul B. Beeson Professor of Medicine

“Each member of this committee brought a different type of expertise to the table.  That collection of knowledge and experience, and their commitment, allowed us to continue our work during a challenging spring and summer.  I hope the group’s recommendations will serve Yale well for many years to come.”
 

Kimberly Goff-Crews

Secretary and vice-president for university life

“This outstanding committee of content experts and university citizens has created a common vision, guiding principles and goals to align our diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging work across schools, generations, identities and views.  We all belong at Yale, and together we can create real change.”


 

Karen Anderson

Associate provost for academic resources & faculty development

“My faculty appointment work always has DEI and belonging in mind. I’ve seen the transformational power of Darin Latimore’s and Gary Desir’s roles at the medical school and effects people have on a community. What this committee has done matters. How else can we make Yale a place everyone thrives?”

 

Jennifer Frederick

Executive director, Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning

“This committee considered inclusion and belonging for the entire Yale community: students, faculty, staff, and alumni. I’m inspired by our work to produce high-level goals for the campus, which will support alignment and positively reinforce local efforts across campus sub-cultures.”

 

Sharon Kugler

University chaplain

“Honestly, I have never worked harder on a university-wide committee.  Members were people of good will and deep commitment.  I hope and pray our work has not been in vain, that the plans we suggested gain traction and keep having the teeth to bring Yale where it rightly must go.”


 

Ann Kurth

Dean, Yale School of Nursing

“At this moment of inflection for racial justice, it is crucial to have a roadmap for how Yale can move forward to address inequities, toward a thriving community for all. We hope the committee report provides a starting point for everyone at Yale to be engaged in this necessary work.”


 

Darin Latimore

Deputy dean and chief diversity officer, Yale School of Medicine

“The School of Medicine is a large part of the university, and I want to align what we do there with what the committee has recommended.  I look forward to seeing how we can truly measure the outcomes we seek.”


 

Kathryn Lofton

Faculty of Arts & Sciences dean of the humanities

“What is the incentive for change, when exclusion is our business?”





 

Victoria Nolan

Former deputy dean, Yale School of Drama

“One of our earliest articulated goals was that broadly the Yale community would no longer perceive excellence as a tradeoff to diversity.  It was not our job to re-define excellence.  Rather, it was to interrogate and expand who gets to decide how you define excellence.”


 

Melinda Pettigrew

Senior associate dean of academic affairs, Yale School of Public Health

“I want to contribute to substantive change at Yale. Racism is a public health issue, and I want to help represent the voices of the Yale School of Public Health faculty, students, and staff, and our community partners who are actively working to dismantle systemic racism.”

 

Tom Tyler

Macklin Fleming Professor of Law; founding director, Justice Collaboratory

“When designing and implementing policies, fostering inclusion promotes excellence by enabling Yale to benefit from the unique knowledge and competencies of the diverse members of the community.  It also helps build feelings of belonging and identification with Yale’s values and educational mission, enhancing morale and engagement in the Yale community.”