Making Progress

by Alicia Richardson, College Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) Officer

In fall 2024, we launched our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Strategic Plan, which included set goals and action items. A subsequent political shift required us to revise and rename the plan to better suit our campus’s needs.

Our new plan, Belonging at Hartwick: A Strategic Plan, maintains the same goals and action items, but with revised language that better reflects our focus as a campus community and our commitment to creating and maintaining an “environment at Hartwick that celebrates diversity, seeks equitable outcomes, actively cultivates inclusiveness and fosters a growing sense of belonging.”

Progress and Key Milestones
The DEIB Committee is excited about the progress made and looks forward to collaborating with our community to continue this good work. Each action item, whether started or completed, moves us closer to our overarching goal, which is to maintain Hartwick as a place where everyone belongs and can thrive.

Of these action items, three highlight our ability to adapt and move forward in earnest towards achieving our goals and include:

• The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) read the book From Equity Talk to Equity Walk: Expanding Practitioner Knowledge for Racial Justice in Higher Education by Tia Brown McNair, Estela Mara Bensimon and Lindsey Malcom-Piqueux. During follow-up professional development sessions on Mar. 5 and Apr. 16, led by Alicia Richardson and Kerry Mess, a racial equity consultant, senior leaders identified and discussed how equity, specifically racial equity, impacts retention and academic achievement.
• During the winter 2025 Hartwick Board of Trustees convening, trustees and SLT members participated in a learning session with Angela Batista, executive coach and leadership and organizational development consultant. The session focused on how participants can support the campus-wide goal of staying true to the College’s foundational values of equity, inclusion, diversity and belonging, given the current and future political climate. Campus Environment: Goal 1.3 (Action Item D)
• An affinity group program was launched during the fall 2024 semester. The Belonging Center, which hosts the program, now accepts applications from community members interested in starting an affinity group on campus. The purpose of the program is to provide community members with the opportunity to develop friendships with others who share their interests, to benefit from identity-affirming spaces, and to explore different areas of interest. Any staff or faculty member can start a group and receive funding by contacting the Belonging Center and completing a short application. Campus Environment: Goal 1.2 (Action Item B)
• It is now easier for faculty and staff to take advantage of the volunteer paid time-off policy. Staff Council and the Office of Civic Engagement collaborated to update the Community Service and Volunteerism form. The process was streamlined and the form is more easily accessible.
  Community & Partnerships: Goal 1.1 (Action Item A)

Strategic Focus for the Upcoming Year
To focus our energy for the rest of the academic year, the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee has chosen to hone in on a single goal and the associated action items for completion:

• The goal: foster an inclusive culture that is affirming, welcoming and safe, and which prioritizes staff and student wellness as they seek to build unity, cultivate lasting relationships and networks, and contribute to campus vibrancy.

We will focus on the following action items:

• Investigate and develop strategies to address retention gaps for faculty, staff and students related to the campus environment (e.g., an EAB-recommended staff engagement survey).
• Host conversations and activities that provide spaces to communicate physical and psychological safety needs on campus.

What can you do?
Will you be hosting any events or activities or leading any research projects that align with the action items above? Would you like to co-host or develop one? If so, reach out to the committee ([email protected]) or the Belonging Center ([email protected]) about next steps. Remember, this is a community effort and we welcome your engagement and collaboration. For more information, visit the plan webpage.

Communicating with Our Community
The strategic plan includes a clear communications strategy that requires us to thoughtfully communicate with faculty, students and staff in an effort to maintain transparency. The revised plan will be shared electronically with the campus community and an abbreviated version will be available on the Hartwick website. Additionally, each semester the committee hopes to provide an update on the strategic goals and campus-wide diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging priorities.

The DEIB Committee would like to welcome its new members and thank those who have moved on to serve elsewhere on campus for their hard work and dedication during the strategic plan development process.

Current Members:
Mary Allen, professor of biology
Stephanie Brunetta, associate director of communications for web services
A’Laura Copeland, Hartwick student, Class of 2026
Elizabeth Cudmore, part-time instructor
Cary Dresher, dean of students
Geoffrey Gabriel, Title IX coordinator/College compliance officer
Erin Kenney, assistant professor of psychology
Kimberley Lindsley, associate director of human resources
Cherilyn Lacy, professor of history, assistant provost
Honora Fallon-Oben, head women’s lacrosse coach
Alicia Richardson, College diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging officer, committee co-chair
Lara Sanford, director of AccessAbility Services & Academic Inclusivity
Sharhea Wright-Havens ’23, Hartwick alum