Students Nico Valencia, Joe Cooper, Martin Lin, Brenda Ramirez and Maryam Moghaddam-Zadeh pose for a diversity profile. (CU Independent file/Lauren Walter)
Although accomplishing an increase in diversity on campus can be challenging CU’s vice chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Communication Engagement at CU says she has high hopes for the university.
“It’s really hard work, this thing called diversity,” said Sallye McKee said during her speech at the Diversity and Inclusion Summit on Monday. “Our campus can go from good to great…One day, people will say that Boulder has figured it out.”
Hosted by the Diversity Planning Committee and the university communication collaborators, the 15th annual summit began at 9 a.m. Monday in the UMC Ballroom with this year’s theme: “Diversity: What’s in it for me?”
The audience took their seats Monday morning as Michael Roseberry, the summit emcee, stepped on stage to deliver the opening remarks for this year’s summit.
“We have 25 different sessions prepared for you this year which is more than we’ve ever had before,” Roseberry said during his opening speech.
According to the summit program, Monday’s sessions included speakers, performers and panels from diverse organizations such as Google, Student Panel and BFA Diversity Committee.
Chancellor Philip DiStefano followed Roseberry’s opening remarks and explained the central goal of the summit and its 25 sessions.
“We have to be committed to making real progress,” DiStefano said during his speech. “This summit helps us to expand the dialog about diversity and if we can do that, then change can definitely happen.”
DiStefano added that there has been a 3 percent increase in students of color since last year, but that CU is still looking to increase diversity and campus inclusiveness.
“The numbers just aren’t high enough,” DiStefano said during his speech. “I want to invite you to change diversity here at CU.”
Dawn Fettig, professional academic advisor at CU, said she attends the summit each year and feels as though this year’s theme has been accomplished.
“I have one-on-one interactions with students on a daily basis,” Fettig said. “I really liked listening to Distefano because it’s important for me to be educated on diversity issues because as a staff member I can deliver my knowledge on diversity to the students.”
McKee said in a one-on-one interview that in order to create a more diverse campus, students and faculty must be able to answer the themed question: “Diversity: What’s in it for me?”
She said not only does she hope to see faculty members attend these sessions, she said she hopes to see more of a student turn out as well.
For those unable to attend Monday’s sessions, the summit will continue Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday’s sessions will include presentations on disabilities and digital accessibility, lazy wisdom and environmental inequality, according to the summit program.
Visit the Diversity and Inclusion Summit Web site for a complete schedule of upcoming sessions.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Kylie Horner at Kylie.horner@colorado.edu.
