Excellence in Diversity nominations sought
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The University's Excellence in Diversity Awards Selection Committee is seeking nominations by Friday, Dec. 4, of individuals or groups of employees, students or WMU community members who exemplify the importance of diversity and inclusion. Groups are defined as WMU affiliated units, organizations or teams of faculty, administrators or staff, undergraduate or graduate students or any interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary collaboration.
Submissions will be considered for this year's 2016 Excellence in Diversity Awards, "Together We're Better!," with recipients being recognized at the Spring Convocation on Friday, Feb. 5. Cross-disciplinary or multi-disciplinary nominations are encouraged, and self-nominations are welcome.
Diversity includes the dimensions of race, ethnicity, and national and regional origins; sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation; socioeconomic status, age, physical attributes, and abilities; as well as religious, political, cultural, and intellectual ideologies and practices.
Nominees should support diversity and inclusion goals defined in WMU’s Diversity and Multiculturalism Action Plan, or DMAP:
- Develops and maintains a shared and inclusive understanding of diversity, multiculturalism, institutional bias and affirmative action through training and education
- Actively works to dismantle institutional bias.
- Creates a welcoming and inclusive environment climate through curriculum reform, research incentives and/or departmental initiatives.
- Actively works to recruit and retain a diverse student body and/or workforce at all levels.
- Actively works to enhance curricular, co-curricular, research, service, artistic or study abroad activities as a means to fully engage the university community in an affirming diverse and multicultural learning environment.
- Develops and maintains consistent accountability measures in order to accurately assess progress toward institutionalizing diversity and multiculturalism.
Submissions can be made electronically through wmich.edu/diversity or mailed to the selection committee. They should include a brief narrative, no more than three pages in length, of how the individual or team advances the work of the DMAP goals listed above including:
- Specific examples to support DMAP goals.
- How the examples provided demonstrate exemplary diversity and inclusion activities.
- Additional supporting documentation to further illustrate the progress made toward the DMAP goals. Examples include letters of support from students, staff, faculty or community members; articles; programs; and final reports.
Submissions also should include the nominee’s contact phone number, University phone number and email, as well as contact information for the person submitting the nomination and relationship to the nominee.
Mail nomination packets including completed nomination forms and supporting documents to EiDA Selection Committee, Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave., 49008-5372.
The DMAP can be viewed on the Office of Diversity and Inclusion home page at wmich.edu/diversity.
Direct questions regarding the nomination process to Tiffany White, director of operations, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, at tiffany.white@wmich.edu.