Tag: diversity

Starlett Russell Craig, 72, former director of Academic Outreach for the Charles H. Houston Center for the Study of the Black Experience in Education at Clemson University, died Sunday, June 28, 2020, at her home.

A native of Asheville, Craig retired in 2015 after 25 years at Clemson. She was a graduate of Spelman College.

“Starlett was a trailblazer and played a huge role in the evolution of diversity programming at Clemson,” said Jerry Knighton, assistant vice president for Access and Equity. “Before many of us thought about study abroad programs, Starlett was traveling the world and exposing us all to the value of a global education.”

She was instrumental in the success of the Clemson Career Workshop and she created the SAT Boot Camp, two weeklong residential programs dedicated to academic development and college preparation of rising high school juniors and seniors.

Among its participants was the late Sen. Clementa Pinckney, one of the Emmanuel Nine, who spoke highly of his experience in the program.

“Starlett’s contribution to Clemson’s diversity journey cannot be denied,” Knighton said. “May her legacy continue to live on.”

Craig was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority for more than 50 years and of the Clemson League of Women Voters and the Clemson Area African American Museum.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at a later date. Ray Cremation & Funeral Service of Asheville is in charge of arrangements.

Clemson University invites you to attend the 38^th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. The theme for this year’s celebration is 2020 Vision: Looking Back, Moving Forward.  First organized at the University in 1982, the MLK celebration includes a variety of programs for the campus and the community to reflect on the legacy of Dr. King and its application in our society today.

There will be a blood drive on Jan. 20 from 11 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Hendrix Meeting Rooms A & B.

On Jan. 21, a commemorative service will be held with a keynote speech delivered by President Emerita of Johnson C. Smith University and Shaw University Dorothy Yancy.  The service will be at 6 p.m. in the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts. It is free to the public.

On Jan. 23, the Tunnel of Oppression will be open from noon to 6 p.m. in Hendrix Ballrooms A & B. The Tunnel of Oppression is a simulated depiction of real-life scenarios relating to issues of oppression faced by marginalized communities. The depictions are acted out by members of the campus community. Scripts are submitted for the event and the winners who are selected will win a monetary award.

Volunteers are needed to serve in a variety of roles for the Tunnel of Oppression. To volunteer, sign up here.

Refer to the 2020 MLK Celebration page for additional updates and information.

The President’s Office will present the Martin Luther King Jr. Awards for Excellence in Service at the 38th Annual Commemorative Celebration on Jan. 21, 2020.

Three awards are given annually in these categories:

Clemson University student (undergraduate or graduate)
Clemson University employee (faculty or staff)
Clemson Area community member (Anderson, Oconee or Pickens counties)

Please help by nominating deserving individuals who exhibit excellence in service in one or more of the following areas involved in advancing King’s vision of the “Beloved Community”

Service to Clemson University or the surrounding community
Advocacy for social or environmental justice
Service above and beyond direct employment

King’s definition of the “Beloved Community” will be helpful in considering your nominations. He said it is “a community inclusive of all people, regardless of race, gender, class, ethnicity … a community that recognizes people as individuals first, each with a unique set of life experiences that shapes their particular perspectives … a community where varied perspectives are brought together in a collective effort to achieve goals for the common good.”

The recipient of the student award will receive a $500 cash stipend. Other winners will be able to direct a grant of $500 to the campus or community organization of the recipient’s choice. Each will also receive a personal plaque and be recognized on a permanent plaque showing past winners.

All nominations should be submitted by using the online nomination form no later than Dec. 13, 2019.

The Office of Institutional Research has launched a new Clemson University interactive factbook.

The factbook contains current and historical data about Clemson University, including information on students and employees. New features include graduation and retention information and historical trend information, as well as filters allowing users to create customized views.

A new software, Tableau, is used to provide improved data visualization.

The interactive factbook was developed through a collaboration among the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, the Office of Institutional Research and the Office of Strategy and Analytics.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions.  Please email any comments/suggestions to  Juan Xu, director, Office of Institutional Research at jxu2@clemson.edu.

The Gantt Multicultural Center and Campus Activities and Events are accepting applications for the fall 2017 GOODTalk sessions. GOODTalk is a 10-week sustained dialogue for staff and faculty across the campus.

GOODTalk will engage eight-12 participants in topics that influence the student and staff communities and are relevant to understanding differences. This experience will offer an opportunity for personal reflection and growth, conversations across and about differences, and a social justice knowledge base that will assist in facilitating dialogue with Clemson students. Participants can expect to explore topics that include but are not limited to ability status, gender expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religion and spirituality, sexual orientation and socio-economic status.

Sessions will be from 1 to 3 p.m. each Tuesday from Oct. 3 to Dec. 12 (excluding the fall break week of Oct. 17).

Program outcomes

GOODTalk participants will be able to:

• Develop efficacy in facilitating dialogue
• Observe and analyze the experiences of those different from themselves
• Observe and analyze the systems that affect the experiences of others
• Effectively communicate with people different from themselves
• Recognize personal beliefs and values
• Understand how personal beliefs and values impact others
• Critically analyze job roles and responsibilities as they relate to diverse groups
• Effectively define social justice concepts

All faculty, staff and graduate assistants are encouraged to apply online to participate in GOODTalk by Friday, Sept. 29. Participants selected will represent a diverse group from a variety of social identities and university roles.

For more information, contact Kate Radford, associate director for Student Leadership and Community Engagement, Campus Activities and Events (radford@clemson.edu), or Kendra Stewart-Tillman, director for Diversity and Inclusion, The Harvey and Lucinda Gantt Multicultural Center (stewar5@clemson.edu).

By Jackie Todd, Office of Media Relations

Diversity is not about counting heads, it’s about making heads count.

That is the philosophy of Lee A. Gill, J.D, who has been named Clemson University’s chief diversity officer (CDO) and special assistant to the president for inclusive excellence.

“Lee is a successful leader who will make a positive difference for our university, said President James P. Clements. “We have made strides to create an inclusive campus culture, and that work must continue. I’m confident that Lee’s philosophy and experience will help us provide a learning and workplace environment that is welcoming and supportive for all students, faculty and staff.”

“Clemson is firmly committed to diversity and inclusive excellence, and we welcome Lee to the team to provide leadership for this effort,” said interim Chief Diversity Officer Max Allen, who also serves as chief of staff. “He has the experience, knowledge and skills to enhance the campus climate for everyone.”

Among his responsibilities, the new CDO will:

• Implement and provide strategic leadership for the university’s diversity plan, programs and policies;
• Advise the president, administration, faculty, staff and students and campus inclusive-focused groups and committees on diversity issues;
• Collaborate and serve as a resource for colleges and administrative units as they establish, coordinate, and assess contributions to diversity goal, and
• Provide policy expertise and accountability on all aspects of inclusion and diversity for the university.

“The work of supporting and sustaining equity and inclusion on a college campus has truly been a calling for me,” said Gill. “It is who I am, not just what I do. I know what it feels like to be fortunate enough to find the type of university environment, mentors and role models that challenge and support you to achieve your potential. That awareness fuels my passion to help students thrive and succeed, and to help universities to create a holistic culture that makes that possible.”

With more than 20 years experience advising, training and advocating on diversity issues, the veteran professional most recently served as associate vice president for inclusion and equity/chief diversity officer at The University of Akron (UA) since 2008. During that time, Gill led efforts to increase diverse faculty hires in the university, and one department increased its diverse hires by 30 percent in one year. He also led efforts to create an endowed “Inclusive Excellence Scholarship Program” for first-generation students, developed an African American Male Learning Community through a $425,000 grant from the Knight Foundation to increase retention and graduation rates and spearheaded a number of resource centers dedicated to unrepresented and underrepresented populations. Gill’s leadership led to the successful creation of a Men of Color initiative, called UA’s Black Male Summit which focuses on persistence, retention and graduation of African American males, drawing numerous attendees annually from across the country. Now in its ninth year, it was cited by The White House as having become a national Best Practice initiative.

Through Gill’s leadership, UA received numerous national recognitions and awards that celebrated its commitment to diversity issues. One such award includes the INSIGHT Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, the only national award that honors colleges and universities that show an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion across their campuses.

“Enhancing diversity is a major focus of the new Clemson Forward strategic plan,” said executive vice president for academic affairs and provost Robert H. Jones. “The need to enhance diversity and create a welcoming and nurturing climate has been a strong and recurring theme throughout the planning process. We look forward to working with Lee to achieve our goals.”

Gill will begin his new position April 18, 2016.

A new Clemson initiative to coordinate campus climate improvement programs is bringing together organizations across campus to make Clemson as inclusive as possible. Spearheaded by Clemson Professor Melissa Vogel, this effort intends to raise awareness and educate the Clemson community on diversity and inclusion programs, efforts and resources.

By Alexa Emerson, Class of 2017

Many campus clubs and organizations offer services and programs to support an inclusive campus environment. But you don’t hear about them because there’s no central coordination.

Enter Melissa Vogel, an associate professor of anthropology in the College of Business and Behavioral Science. Vogel did what no one has done so far. She brought the organizations together.

The associate professor created what she calls Campus Climate Coordination, an initiative to organize campus inclusiveness efforts. Vogel thinks Clemson is at a pivotal point in enhancing diverse and inclusive campus climate. This program aims to take advantage of this transitional movement and consequently make Clemson a more diverse and inclusive community. And that’s exactly what the organizations taking part in this coordination effort strive to do.

As one of several efforts spurred from the Faculty Leadership Development program, Vogel organized a meeting of student, staff and faculty groups so that each group could share its upcoming events. The goal is to create a centralized space where everyone can easily access information about events that offer diversity and inclusion programming. These events range from entertainment and speakers to workshops and training. And what better place to do that then in the university calendar. By consolidating events in the calendar, organizations can avoid double-booking and can even form partnerships to collaborate or cross-promote events.

Currently, there are more than 45 organizations involved with Campus Climate Coordination, and those numbers may grow. For Vogel, it is encouraging that so many people are willing to devote their time and energy to such an important issue.

“Diversity is something that is relevant to everyone,” she said. “There are so many people at Clemson who care enough about this issue to make a difference. They believe there is a need to redefine the Clemson family.” This opportunity, said Vogel, must be taken to centralize efforts and work toward changing the way everyone thinks about diversity and campus inclusiveness.

While Vogel’s meeting took place in the fall semester, the associate professor believes that the dialogue should continue. She’s already thinking about hosting another meeting in the spring.

Campus Climate Coordination is a long-term initiative and is now linked to efforts from the Provost’s office. Anyone can get involved by submitting their diversity and inclusion events to the university calendar and using the “Diversity and Inclusion” tag when entering the event.

To read more about diversity and inclusion at Clemson, click here.

By Shawn Knight,
Graduate Assistant for LGBTQ Community Development, M.Ed. Student, Counselor Education, Class of 2016

Clemson University will host the fifth annual National Coming Out Week from Oct. 5-11. Themed “Hand in Hand, We Support National Coming Out Week,” the university will hold a series of events for faculty, staff, students, and the community to come together and show their support of the LGBTQ+ community.

The events have been planned collaboratively by the Harvey & Lucinda Gantt Multicultural Center and the Clemson Gay-Straight Alliance.

“National Coming Out Week is a great opportunity for the Clemson Family to come show their support of the LGBTQ community, no matter how they identify.” said Courtney McKeive, Clemson Gay-Straight Alliance president.

The schedule of events include:

• Monday, Oct. 5: Krispy Kreme Donut Fundraiser,  9 a.m. – noon in the University Union Loggia
• Tuesday, Oct. 6: I’m Gay…and Religious: Speaker’s Bureau,  7 p.m. in McKissick Theatre. This panel will bring in people with different religious backgrounds and viewpoints to start the conversation about one of the most highly criticized identity intersections (religion and sexuality).
• Wednesday, Oct. 7: National Coming Out Day Festival 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on the North Green. Stop by at any point during the festival to grab a snow cone, take some pictures, play a yard game, and visit campus resources. Guests are also invited to place a handprint on a banner of support.
• Thursday, Oct. 8: Hot Wings & Hot Topics: Supporting Coming Out,  5 p.m. in Meeting Room A. This event will allow participants to talk informally about how they have been supported or supported others through their coming out process. And, of course, chicken wings are provided.
• Friday: Oct. 9, Ally Training 8:30 a.m – 12:30 p.m in the Stadium Suites classroom. Ally training is the staple LGBTQ+ education program at Clemson University. Many participants show their “graduation” through the Ally Sticker. Pre-register at clemson.edu/ganttreg
• Sunday, Oct. 10: Carpool to Atlanta Pride. The CGSA will coordinate rides to Atlanta to see the pride parade and festival. Follow them on Twitter @ClemsonGSA or email cgsa@clemson.edu for more on this.

For more information on this week of programming, please email Shawn Knight at smknigh@clemson.edu or call 864-656-3174.

Clemson Be True is a diversity and change initiative for Clemson faculty, staff and students that connects the Clemson community with 30,000+ worldwide change makers who want to make a difference! Almost 100 Clemson participants have signed up to date. One goal of Clemson Be True is to develop social prototypes for diversity and change strategies on campus. The process is based on “Theory U,” which is a change method that helps leaders see below the surface of our challenges, identify the root issues that cause them, and create collaborative solutions from a place of deeper awareness.

Bring a friend and see what it’s all about….

Please RSVP to cu_betrue@clemson.edu
Clemson U.Lab Hub LIVE Session
Thursday, September 17, 10 -11:15 a.m.
Academic Success Center auditorium, room 118.
Coffee and doughnuts for those who arrive early to network.
Networking session begins at 9 a.m.

Clemson Be True is a grant supported project of the Chief Diversity Office in cooperation with these campus partners: CODA (the student government’s council on Diversity Initiatives), Clemson Thinks2, Creative Inquiry, the DEN (Design & Entrepreneurship Network), The Office of Economic Development, The Gantt Multicultural Center, The Rutland Institute for Ethics, CU-Ethos, The International Center for Academic Integrity, The Service Alliance, Peer & WISE programs, Women’s Leadership, the Office of Global Engagement, International Service, and Study Abroad; and the Social Media Listening Center.

For questions, contact Kathy Russ at cu_betrue@clemson.edu or 864-656-3642.

Clemson University President James P. Clements today announced the appointment of a Diversity Advisory Council to provide strategic guidance to the president, chief diversity officer and other administrators and help set priorities on diversity initiatives.

Members, and their respective constituent groups, include:

• Roy Jones, Ph.D., President’s Commission on the Status of Black Faculty and Staff;
• Tina White, Staff Senate and Commission on the Status of Women;
• Blair Durkee, LGBTQ Task Force;
• Reginald Hawthorne, Campus Climate Task Force;
• Alondra DeSantiago, Latino Task Force;
• Vincent Hsu, Council on Diversity Affairs;
• A.D. Carson, Black Graduate Student Association;
• Amith Maroli, International Student Association;
• Racquel Collier, Black Student Union;
• Josh Bell, Alumni Association;
• Sam Wigley, Student Veterans Association;
• Joe Holloway, Campus Ministers;
• Stephanie Ellison, Department of Athletics;
• Jim McCubbin, Ph.D., Faculty Senate;
• Jeremy King, Ph.D., Presidential Faculty Fellow;
• Sharon Nagy, Ph.D., vice provost for Global Engagement;
• Margaret Camp, director of Student Disability Services.

The council will play a key advisory role in developing a comprehensive diversity plan for the university. Interim Chief Diversity Officer Max Allen will chair the council and he will continue to serve as an ex-officio member on an ongoing basis. Other ex-officio members are Almeda Jacks, vice president for Student Affairs, and Leslie Doss of the Office of Diversity.

Earlier this year, Clements announced the creation of the Diversity Advisory Council, which would be comprised of a broad-based of constituents to collaborate, prioritize and make recommendations on issues, ideas and concerns regarding diversity and inclusive excellence at Clemson.

“I want to thank these individuals for agreeing to serve Clemson University in this capacity,” Clements said. “Their work will make a positive difference for our students, faculty, staff and alumni — now and in the future.”