Moon Shot for Equity

INITIATIVE SEEKS TO ELIMINATE EQUITY GAPS

The ETSU community is working together to ensure that more underrepresented students of color and other historically underserved populations realize their dream of a college degree.

To strengthen and grow this commitment, ETSU is participating in Moon Shot for Equity, a public-private partnership focused on the elimination of equity gaps in higher education in the United States.

Historically, institutions of higher education have approached the problem of inequitable outcomes with a deficit mindset — meaning that they often develop interventions focused on remediating or “fixing” the student. Moon Shot focuses instead on removing systemic barriers for students through 15 best practices that can help increase access to higher education for all students and, more importantly, ensure their long-term success.

“Through this effort, leaders across our institution, led by our Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, Dr. Keith Johnson, are committing to taking a comprehensive look at our campus culture and systems to integrate equityminded practices into everything we do,” said ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland. “This initiative is not just ‘another thing’ the institution is undertaking. In many ways, it is the thing that will drive all we do in the coming year and beyond.”

The university is engaging work groups and committees to help guide the Moon Shot initiative, and a new webpage will keep the campus updated on the progress.

“ETSU spent nearly a year working through a new strategic vision to imagine and dream of what the future of the university could be,” said Johnson. “One of the focal areas was equity and inclusion. The Moon Shot for Equity will help the university move from vision to action to close the equity gaps at ETSU.”

CREATING A CULTURE OF BELONGING

ETSU hosted its fourth annual Equity and Inclusion Conference featuring nationally recognized speakers who covered a wide range of topics, including Appalachian identity, culture, and race relations.

The conference was held September 27-29, 2022, and also included a student track that featured a student panel discussion.

“ETSU is arguably more diverse today than at any other point in time in its history,” said Dr. Keith Johnson, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion. “This conference is a celebration of our ongoing mission to educate people without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, or place of origin and offers students, faculty, staff, and community members practical ways to improve upon and promote an atmosphere that is inclusive of everyone.”

Speakers included best-selling author Dr. Michael Eric Dyson; Broadway star Bryan Terrell Clark; Cherokee Wisdom Keeper and Ceremonialist Yona FrenchHawk; and artist, advocate, and entrepreneur Crystal Dawn Good.

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