President Schatzel presents on diversity panel at ACE 2017
President Schatzel spoke as part of a joint session of campus leaders creating healthy campus climates.
By Megan Bradshaw on March 15, 2017
TU President Kim Schatzel presented on Tuesday, March 14 during a joint session of the American Council on Education (ACE) and the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE), speaking on "Campus Leaders Creating Healthy Campus Climates."
She joined Kathy Johnson, executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer for Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, and Michigan State University's Denise B. Maybank, vice president for student affairs and services.
“Divisiveness seems increasingly to be the currency of the day, and free speech continues to be at the center of campus debates, among all stakeholders,” Schatzel said during her remarks.
In the beginning of her comments, Schatzel observed that on most campuses, a diverse classroom and campus is increasingly an essential component of higher education and a high-quality university experience. She also referenced a Harvard Business Review article that positioned inclusion is the precursor to diversity and that in order to sustain diversity, institutions first need inclusive leaders.
Schatzel shared actions she considers to be "diversity and inclusion imperatives," including providing space for all viewpoints and to do all you can to support the success of students, faculty and staff.
"All of us are empowered to do these things in our respective roles on our campuses," she said. "As a president and senior leader, however, it is my responsibility and challenge to ensure we are communicating and fairly representing those imperatives, values and vision with multiple constituencies and stakeholders, each with their own perspectives and experiences."
This session aimed to engage the voices of student, institutional, and community leaders in a discussion of how leading with the head and heart helps build authentic relationships through understanding and empathy. As part of the discussion, Schatzel was able to share one of her eight presidential priorities at TU: creating a more diverse and inclusive campus.
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This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel's priorities for Towson University: Creating a More Diverse and Inclusive Campus