Standing Committee Reports

The Standing Committee on Diversity & Inclusion (SCDI)

The members of the AHEAD Standing Committee on Diversity & Inclusion (SCDI) have the honor of serving the AHEAD membership in the following ways:

  1. Developing awareness among members and the association in general about diversity in relation to all aspects of the association, its business, members and practices;
  2. Assessing means through which the association is represented and inclusive of diversity;
  3. Fostering inclusion of all members within the association equally and with equity;
  4. Ensuring that association events and activities are inclusive and responsive to needs of diverse constituencies;
  5. Evaluating member resources for sensitivity; and
  6. Providing members with resources to promote inclusive environments for all students in college and university communities but especially students with disabilities.

Some of the current efforts of the Standing Committee on Diversity and Inclusion include:

Resource sharing: Gathering and sharing resources with the AHEAD membership that position disability as an aspect of diversity and that honor the intersectionality of diverse identities. Follow AHEAD on Facebook and Twitter to get access to these resources!

Professional development opportunities: By supporting the Conference Program Chairs and AHEAD Leadership, the Standing Committee works to ensure the conference program includes voices of our diverse membership as well as sessions that that position disability as an aspect of diversity and that honor the intersectionality of diverse identities. The Committee also plans to sponsor a webinar in the coming year.

We aim to be responsive to the organization as a whole—members, the AHEAD Board, and the AHEAD staff. We welcome wisdom and input from all members which will serve to advance AHEAD's mission in ways that support the core values of diversity, equity, respect and inclusivity. To share thoughts and suggestions or get more information about the Standing Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, you are welcome to contact Melanie Thornton, Standing Committee Chair at mthornt@uark.edu.