DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION QUART ERLY REPO RT
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JULY – SEPTEMBER 2021
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Statements of Belief Equity, inclusion, and human dignity are at the heart of the community we aspire to be. We therefore commit to the following beliefs fundamental to our Mission:
A Life of Learning A community diverse in identities, experiences, and perspectives leads to a life of learning, when each of us is willing to listen, to reflect, and to work toward developing richer understandings of ourselves and of the world around us. A Life of Integrity A life of integrity is an ethical life — a commitment to stand up for what’s right and just — and a coherent life — a commitment to be the same best version of ourselves in all settings and in our treatment of all people. A Life of High Purpose A life of high purpose means giving at least as much as we receive, loving at least as much as we hope to be loved, showing at least as much patience and kindness as we hope to be shown. It means seeking to create a world that assures all human beings the unalienable dignity that is their birthright. Inspiring the Best in Each In order to inspire the best in each, we must engage in a culture that actively rejects racism. We can achieve a more just and equitable community when we invest fully in ourselves and in those around us — and when we expect the same in return.
The Lawrenceville School continues to make important strides toward the commitments outlined in the School’s DEI strategic plan, Belonging. Building. Becoming., released in June 2021. This report reflects initiatives from July 2021-September 2021 in the following areas: Professional Development and Community Awareness, School Leadership, Accountability and Transparency, and Faculty Recruitment and Retention. Please review our DEI progress dashboard to see specific areas of impact >
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BELONGING. Our diversity is our strength: The broad range of experiences, identities, and perspectives, in both students and adults, enriches and enlivens our community. But diversity alone is not enough. Every individual deserves a seat at the table; every individual should feel known, cared for, valued, and connected — a part of the whole. Through orientation programs, leadership training, careful mentorship, and purposeful House culture, every student will feel unconditionally a Lawrentian, from the moment of arrival on campus and for a lifetime.
School Leadership Develop employee resource groups committed to making DEI an institutional priority.
Hired Cameron Brickhouse, Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement. Promoted Nuri Friedlander, Philosophy Department faculty, to Director of Equity and Inclusion for the Office of Multicultural Affairs.
Added two experienced Diversity Coordinators to the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Napoleon Sykes, Head Football Coach and Admission Associate Victoria Stitt, English Department Faculty Hired Zaheer Ali, Executive Director of the Hutchins Center for Race and Social Justice. Restructured the student Diversity Council to be more inclusive in its membership and to align with student areas of interest and passion.
Created the role of Diversity Representative in House Councils as part of the School’s Student Council. In partnership with the Office of Multicultural Affairs, this representative will help make House culture and spaces more inclusive.
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BUILDING. The fundamental expectation of inclusion in a Harkness classroom is an enduring Lawrenceville value and provides the foundation upon which we develop programs, policies, and practices that draw us together. Through active recruitment and purposeful retention, our adult community — faculty and staff — will mirror and better support the diversity of our student body, and we will create spaces for innovation, experimentation, scholarship, and engaged social activism where Lawrentians work collaboratively to build our beloved community proactively, not reactively.
Accountability and Transparency Create and develop a culture of accountability and sense of ownership.
Formalized a Community Conversations program to provide a space for community members to discuss, reflect on, and learn about current societal issues that impact our social and emotional well-being.
Conducted an external, independent review of the School’s disciplinary process, including disciplinary proceedings and outcomes for violation of major school rules, to determine any potential presence of racial bias. Action steps will be shared with the community in an update from the Dean of Students Office.
Faculty Recruitment and Retention Increase the diversity of faculty and staff to better reflect the diversity of our student population and our greater society.
Increased faculty of color representation by 44% for the 2021-22 academic year. Initiated a recruiting partnership with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, led by the Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement and the Dean of Faculty. Lawrenceville participated in career fairs at Hampton University, Cheyney University, and Lincoln University.
Partnered with a firm specializing in the success of diverse groups in the workplace to ensure that the School’s professional environment fosters success and advancement.
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BECOMING. Great schools are aspirational and transformational. Our teachers nurture and cultivate learners who are reflective and curious, open to new ideas, and hungry for lifelong growth. The educational experiences we design invite community members to work collaboratively across a broad range of cultural traditions and identities in a spirit of mutual respect, humility, and expanded understanding. Having lived in and helped shape a community built on this respect and understanding, our graduates take the faith and belief in this possibility out into the world as agents of positive change and, with their confident voices and principled minds, confront the important challenges of their time.
Professional Development and Community Awareness Create training opportunities and DEI awareness programs for all community members.
Conducted Implicit Bias Workshop for all faculty and staff led by Dr. Bryant Marks, founding director of the National Training Institute on Race and Equity, professor in the Department of Psychology at Morehouse College.
Conducted microaggression training for the new faculty cohort, presented by Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement Cameron Brickhouse and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Nuri Friedlander.
Conducted leadership training for student leaders and Prefects, presented by the Office of Multicultural Affairs.
Difficult-conversation training, led by Diversity Coordinator Beth Foulk, equipped students with skills needed to support their peers.
House culture discussion, led by Friedlander, empowered students to foster sense of belonging.
Conducted student orientation around the School’s DEI strategic plan, using the concepts of belonging, building, and becoming as a framework for how we interact with one another as community members. Presented by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and select student affinity groups.
Recognized Hispanic Heritage Month, facilitated by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Latinos Unidos. Programming included a screening of the film “In The Heights” and several events with poet Willie Perdomo.
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