AHEAD Diversity Initiative
Purpose
AHEAD’s Resolution
Diversity Initiative Leadership
Summary of Progress to Date
Join the DI Listserv!
Resources
Introduction
"Diversity" is an emerging reality that presents challenges and opportunities for AHEAD, the disability services field, our members, and the constituencies we serve within higher education. AHEAD has embraced diversity as an organizational commitment and as a professional imperative.
That commitment is reflected in our:
Mission statement ( "AHEAD values diversity, personal growth and development, and creativity");
Organizational values (AHEAD values "Diversity within all aspects of the Association"); and
Major areas of vitality, growth, and concentration (Per AHEAD’s Strategic Plan, Goal III -- AHEAD will pursue "The deliberate and consistent infusion of diversity into all aspects of the Association,")
In recognition of the organization-wide importance of diversity and to facilitate the work of the Diversity Initiative, the Board of Directors formally adopted a definition of diversity.
AHEAD's Definition of Diversity
AHEAD defines diversity as encompassing the variety of qualities, traits and characteristics that are inherent to humans, with a focus on the world views, communication styles, and unique ways of "thinking, being and doing" of individuals within our institutions and the communities we serve.
Purpose
This dynamic web page will serve as an anchor, a pathway, a window, and a springboard for you to explore, understand, and integrate the intersections of diversity, disability, and disability services in higher education. The partnership of AHEAD's Board of Directors and members of AHEAD's Diversity Initiative (DI), invites you to make diversity an integral part of who we are, and what we to do as an organization, as professionals, and as persons working toward inclusion, participation and representation within the systems we work and study in. This is our moral imperative, our professional challenge, and our organizational commitment.
AHEAD's Resolution on Diversity, Representation, and Inclusion
In recognition of the paramount importance of this work, The AHEAD Board of Directors unanimously passed the Association’s formal resolution during their July 2008 meeting. Review Resolution on Diversity, Representation, and Inclusion here.
Diversity Initiative Leadership
AHEAD’s DI is led by the following individuals, please feel welcome to contact them for further information about the Initiative’s work within AHEAD, or to become more involved in this area.
Bea Awoniyi
Florida State University
E-mail: bawoniyi@admin.fsu.edu
Mattie E. Grace
University of Southern California
E-mail mgrace@usc.edu
Kelly Leonard
Purdue University
E-mail: kleonard@purdue.edu
Melanie Thompson
Northern Illinois University
E-mail: mthompson3@niu.edu
Ruth Warick
University of British Columbia
E-mail ruth.warick@ubc.ca
Ex Officio
Mike Shuttic, President of AHEAD
E-mail: m.shuttic@okstate.edu
Summary of Progress to Date
The DI is actively involved in planning and implementing key activities to advance issues of diversity, representation, and inclusion within AHEAD and beyond. This webpage will be updated regularly with pertinent information about that work. Below is a brief summary (excerpted from AHEAD’s 2007 and 2006 Annual Reports) outlining important activities and progress made to date.
2009
- The members of the Diversity Initiative have had several conference call meetings throughout the year. A face-to-face meeting is scheduled for March 10-12 in Cincinnati, Ohio, with the priority being to discuss the preparation of a diversity brochure.
- The Diversity Initiative is discussing the assembly of a brochure on diversity for AHEAD. It has been suggested that the brochure incorporate AHEAD's definition of Diversity. One focus for the brochure could be on AHEAD's work to incorporate diversity and what it means to us as a profession. Another focus could be on its impact in the field and how DSS coordinators can promote in their work and on their campuses. A tri-fold brochure was suggested.
- Members of the Diversity Initiative have participated in the review of proposals for the AHEAD 2010 conference. Several diversity-related sessions have been accepted for the 2010 Conference; in addition, the Committee is requesting that an open forum be scheduled one evening; as well committee members plan to meet at the outset of the Conference.
- The Diversity Initiative has established an e-mail listserv on diversity. List membership is engaged in discussions around scenarios on disability and diversity. A case scenario was sent out to members of the diversity listserv as a way to promote on-line discussion.
- Revisions have been made to the Diversity Initiative section of the AHEAD website to update with more recent initiatives and activities.
- The Diversity Initiative has regularly submitted articles for the publication ALERT.
- AHEAD has decided to assume leadership of a mentorship program, building on the work of the Diversity Initiative in developing a framework for such a program. It will be important to embed diversity training within the program.
- The Diversity Initiative has done a preliminary review of the literature related to the concept of Cultural competency which promotes diversity and recognizes culture as "integrated patterns of human behavior that include the language, thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, values, and institutions of racial, ethnic, religious and social groups." Given that this approach promotes diversity, committee members are interested in further exploring the concept and in developing a cultural competency workshop for AHEAD members for the 2011 conference. A budget proposal has been submitted to this effect for board consideration.
2008
- The members of the Diversity Initiative had a face-to-face meeting in Chicago in October 15-16, 2008. During the meeting the Committee finalized its strategic plan and action steps. Several conference call meetings were also held throughout the year.
- In 2008 AHEAD maintained proportionately parallel membership representation in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Traditionally Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges as it has in all postsecondary institutions; approximately 31%.
- Now nearly 20 in number, AHEAD members have access to Special Interest Groups (SIGs) addressing a wide variety of issues and concerns related to higher education and disability. One of the SIGs is Racial and Ethnic Diversity and Disability (REDD). Another focuses on TRIO Programs. See http://www.ahead.org/sigs to learn more about the SIGs within AHEAD, and to get involved.
- In the interests of developing intentional strategies to recruit diverse members, the Diversity Initiative workgroup continued to seek further understanding and possible collaboration with NASPA on their Undergraduate Fellow Program (NUFP).
- A budget proposal was submitted for a publication for development and production in 2009/10.
- The workgroup requested the creation of a DI page on the AHEAD web site.
- Members of the Diversity Initiative workgroup participated in the review of proposals for the AHEAD 2009 conference and were pleased with the breadth and depth of proposals that were accepted for the conference. The workgroup presented a workshop at the conference. Members also hosted an evening open forum on diversity.
- The workgroup developed the terms of reference for the Diversity Recognition Award to recognize diversitywithin our profession and/or the place of work of the candidate(s). Individuals or groups of individuals may be nominated for the award. The award was rolled out with the other AHEAD awards in 2009.
2007
- The 2007-08 Board of Directors is gender balanced (50 percent men/50 percent women) and includes both members of color (25 percent) and members with disabilities (25 percent); Board members also represent other dimensions of difference. (Beginning in 2006, under revised Bylaws, the AHEAD Board began a process of nominating one director each year affording the Association a more proactive opportunity to secure diversity within the Board make-up.)
- AHEAD formalized and broadened the Diversity Initiative to include issues of race
and ethnicity, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, gender, age,
religion and other aspects of difference represented by AHEAD’s membership
and the students it serves
AHEAD’s Diversity Initiative met at Yale University in October (DID LIT 2007) to create a strategic plan to move AHEAD forward in its organizational inclusion of all aspects of diversity - AHEAD publicized results of a January 2007 survey of member characteristics. See Appendix A for detail. This survey will be repeated annually with results being provided to AHEAD members each year.
- Sent personalized membership materials to all Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Traditionally Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Tribal Colleges.
- AHEAD realized an equal market penetration (membership representation) within HCBUs, THSIs, and Tribal Colleges as in all colleges and universities.
- Conference planners infused aspects of diversity into planning for Conference 2008: a complete strand of concurrent sessions under the theme of “The Intersection of Disability and Diversity” will be presented; each plenary session will include presenters from underrepresented populations.
- AHEAD offered an on-line course entitled: “Recognizing the Connections: Disability as an Aspect of Diversity (Critical Concepts in DS”) in February and October
- The Board funded and sponsored an international exchange program for professionals from different countries to visit and work at each other’s campuses.
2006:
- Worked to increase the diversity of the Board: The 10-member Board included 3 disabled individuals, 5 women, and 2 people of color
- Began strategic planning for impacting AHEAD’s response to diversity issues by establishing a “Diversity Initiative” within AHEAD and coordinating monthly conference calls between members of the Race, Ethnicity, Diversity and Disability Special Interest Group (REDD SIG), the Board and the staff
- Developed and distributed a member survey to create an accurate picture of the current make-up of AHEAD members’ gender, age, racial/ethnic, and institutional diversity to guide future efforts
- Targeted membership outreach to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Tribal Colleges
- With support from the REDD SIG, planned for a day of cultural competency training and diversity planning for the Board during the Spring, 2007 meeting
- Prioritized the inclusion of themes of underrepresentation and diverse voices and content in the 2007 AHEAD International Conference
- Began to develop a strategic approach for recognizing and developing emerging leaders from diverse constituencies within AHEAD.
Join the DI Listserv!
During the 2008 AHEAD Conference , AHEAD's Diversity Initiative held two focus group meetings. One of the suggestions arising from the fruitful discussion was that a safe, electronic environment be created for AHEAD members to share information and discuss diversity issues in an open, respectful forum. We have just done that! A listserv has been created and you are invited to take part in it. If you would like to participate, please register.
Resources
The Intersection of Disability and Diversity
Melanie Thompson
