Like many institutions, Menlo College has recently focused on how best to advance diversity, justice, equity, and inclusion for members of the college community, and particularly for members of historically marginalized communities. At the same time, we have recently been identified as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and as an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), reflecting the relatively large numbers of enrolled students who are members of those panethnic groups. Bringing students from all groups to campus is just the beginning of Menlo College’s commitment. The ongoing challenge is to be an institution that truly serves those students. Rising to meet that challenge creates opportunities to improve their educational experiences while also improving the Menlo experience for all members of the campus community. For example, in a discussion of James Baldwin during a recent literature class, one student explained why he wore his great-grandfather’s Tuskegee Airman’s jacket. That added context enriched the learning environment for everyone. In a political science class discussing bias in the criminal justice system, multiple students shared their own stories of interactions with law enforcement that they perceived as racist. In a humanities class, students addressed inequities that emanated as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic: job loss, high risk exposure, inaccessible vaccine distribution, and increased financial burdens, to name a few. Menlo College is committed to diversifying the faculty and the curriculum – both by adding additional classes to the course catalog and by asking faculty to consider shifting their syllabi to reflect our diverse student body.
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SUMMER 2021
