BELONGING. BUILDING. BECOMING.
MISSION STATEMENT Through House and Harkness, Lawrenceville challenges a diverse community of promising young people to lead lives of learning, integrity, and high purpose. Our mission is to inspire the best in each to seek the best for all.
From the Head of School One measure of an institution is the strength of its core convictions and the sincere aspiration to be just and inclusive. Another equally important measure is the willingness to face honestly where it may at times fall short in living by its convictions and in striving to meet its aspirations. The urgency of this plan is rooted in our institutional responsibility to continue working to become the just and inclusive community we aspire to be – an aspiration rooted in our Mission “to seek the best for all.” Similarly, our strategic plan, Lawrenceville 20/20, seeks to elevate and strengthen the transformational nature of the Lawrenceville experience, which draws upon long-established pillars: a strong sense of belonging to a community based on character and integrity; engaging and challenging academics that instill creativity and confidence; and life-changing role models who bring out our better selves. To this end, we have a responsibility to show that we can transcend both individual biases as well as societal systems that exclude, marginalize, and demean. As we work to cultivate a sense of belonging, we must continue to prioritize an unparalleled experience around the Harkness table, in the labs, on the field, and in the studio alongside highly respected teachers, coaches, and mentors – helping to ensure every Lawrentian is well prepared to find meaning and fulfillment throughout their life. We have made important advances in administrative restructuring, faculty and staff workshops and student leadership training in implicit bias, a more complete strategy for recruitment and retention of faculty of color, and an independent audit of our disciplinary system. Perhaps one of the most concrete and high-impact action items is the newly established Hutchins Center for Race and Social Justice. Learn more and follow our work in a quarterly progress dashboard at lawrenceville.org/DEI. Echoing a message I have shared on many occasions in the past, intentionally diverse communities such as ours serve a fundamentally important purpose. More so than in our neighborhoods, our churches, the restaurants we frequent, our social circles, here at Lawrenceville we come into contact with an enormous range of individuals – as roommates, as Housemates, as classmates, as teammates, as colleagues. And we will get it wrong at times, we will misunderstand each other and sometimes hurt each other. This is not a sign that we are broken – these moments of pain and imperfection are the inevitable result of coming together, here on this campus, and having a go of it. Our job is to show that it can be done.
Stephen S. Murray H’54 ’55 ’65 ’16 P’16 ’21 The Shelby Cullom Davis ’26 Head of School
BEGINNING IN MAY 2020, the School hosted more than two dozen workshops, focus groups, and community updates, and executed important action steps to demonstrate our collective commitment to addressing and challenging racism and other forms of discrimination that have existed at Lawrenceville.
MAY 31, 2020 Head of School message to community JUNE — JULY 2020 Community updates on action steps completed, in progress, and envisioned AUGUST 2020 Call to Action community webinars SEPTEMBER — OCTOBER 2020 Formation of Board of Trustees DEI Committee, Faculty/Staff DEI Council OCTOBER 2020 Restorative Justice introduction to faculty and staff NOVEMBER — DECEMBER 2020 DEI Statements of Belief workshops DECEMBER 2020 Visioning sessions for the Center for Race and Social Justice, formation of Alumni DEI Council JANUARY — MAY 2021 Development of DEI Strategic Plan JUNE 2021 Establishment of the Hutchins Center for Race and Social Justice
Our planning process began with the creation of a series of “Statements of Belief ” rooted directly in our Mission statement. Our DEI work at Lawrenceville is not merely the right thing to do based on a belief in social justice, it grows directly out of our core statement of enduring purpose: Through House and Harkness, Lawrenceville challenges a diverse community of promising young people to lead lives of learning, integrity, and high purpose. Our mission is to inspire the best in each to seek the best for all. The following statements “unpack” our Mission statement and elaborate on the values and ideals contained within the text – and they form the basis and underlying rationale for our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and the work undertaken in this plan: 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 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 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 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. 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.
DANICA BAJAJ ’21, PRESIDENT OF THE RELIGIOUS LIFE COUNCIL
Statements of Belief
“I love Lawrenceville, and that’s why I have given what I can to make change here – but sometimes I wish I had the time to just be a student, too. So, I hope the DEI strategic plan allows for student-run events to support inclusivity at Lawrenceville rather than be responsible for creating that inclusivity.”
If our Statements of Belief offer the underlying rationale for our commitment to this work, our Vision Statement creates a 3-5 year horizon line for our destination as a community. Preparation for the writing of the Vision began with a set of workshops conducted with members of the Lawrenceville students, faculty, staff, trustees, parents, and alumni. The resulting Vision Statement is a call to action and a reminder of the vitally important role of Lawrenceville in producing the leaders of tomorrow. The statement is built upon three core notions of “belonging, building, and becoming”: We aspire to instill a deep sense of belonging in each student; we build programming and support services that strengthen the fabric of the community; and we thereby help our graduates become the young adults they are meant to be, focused on making a difference in the world.
A Shared Ethos — A Shared Charge In order to secure Lawrenceville’s position as one of the world’s great schools, we must seize the opportunity to ensure that our diverse and uniquely close-knit community is fully equitable, and inclusive for all. The entire Lawrenceville community has a shared responsibility in realizing a campus and culture where members of any race, ethnicity, gender identity, socioeconomic background, and religion feel welcome. This aspiration is built upon our fundamental belief that a community diverse in identities, experiences, and perspectives leads to a life of learning, a life of integrity, and a life of high purpose.
BRUCE K. COLE ’72, CO-FOUNDER OF THE BLACK STUDENT SOCIETY (1970)
Vision
“We convened a meeting of young African American men and women representing about a dozen private schools located across the mid-Atlantic region. Our goal was to ponder racial injustice and the state of race relations in the country at the time... I will be forever grateful to Lawrenceville, its leadership, and its faculty for giving us the leeway to grow in our own way.”
Strategic
Initiatives
EACH OF THE GOALS OUTLINED BELOW ARE SUPPORTED BY MYRIAD ACTION STEPS AND ACCOUNTABILITY METRICS. FOR DETAILED INFORMATION, INCLUDING A PROGRESS DASHBOARD, PLEASE REFER TO LAWRENCEVILLE.ORG/DEI. THE PROGRESS DASHBOARD WILL BE UPDATED QUARTERLY.
BELONGING.
Goals: School Leadership
Our diversity is our strength: The broad
Develop employee resource groups committed to
range of experiences, identities, and
making DEI an institutional priority.
perspectives, in both students and adults,
Cultivate an inclusive climate that champions DEI,
enriches and enlivens our community.
including race, socioeconomic background, gender,
But diversity alone is not enough. Every
disability, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, language, and
individual deserves a seat at the table;
national origin.
every individual should feel known, cared
Develop a culture where community members feel
for, valued, and connected — a part of the
welcome, valued, and a sense of belonging.
whole. Through orientation programs,
Retention
leadership training, careful mentorship, and
Retain faculty of color and maximize the likelihood of
purposeful House culture, every student
their tenure and promotion.
will feel unconditionally a Lawrentian, from
Develop a climate that supports personal and
the moment of arrival on campus and for a
professional growth through the lens of diversity, equity,
lifetime.
and inclusion.
BUILDING.
RULES & POLICIES ORIENTATION ONBOARDING HOUSE LIFE
BELONGING
TEAM CULTURE
The fundamental expectation of inclusion
HIRING & ADMISSIONS STUDENT INITIATIVES
BUILDING
Lawrenceville value and provides the
UPSTANDING
CLUBS, GROUPS, COUNCILS
CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT
ALLYSHIP ACTIVISM
CURRICULUM CULTURAL COMPETENCY
PROJECTS & INCUBATORS
PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS
CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PEDAGOGY
BECOMING
MENTORING & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEADERSHIP TRAINING & SPONSORSHIP
in a Harkness classroom is an enduring 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. We will create spaces for innovation, experimentation, scholarship, and engaged social activism where Lawrentians work collaboratively to build our beloved community proactively, not reactively.
Goals: Accountability & Transparency
Create and develop a culture of accountability and sense of ownership. Recruitment
Increase the diversity of faculty and staff to better reflect the diversity of our student
“As a senior, I now realize how much of myself I have sacrificed in doing diversity, equity, and inclusion work and the extent to which Lawrenceville has, and will continue to, fail its most marginalized students if things do not change.” — Esha Akhtar ’21, co-president of the Diversity Council
population and our greater society.
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.
Goals: Curriculum and Education
“Our students learn not just from what we
Ensure that academic and residential
instruct them
curricula reflect a commitment to
in through our
diversity, equity, and inclusion.
curriculum,
Professional Development and
but from the
Community Awareness
rites, rituals,
Create training opportunities and DEI
and behaviors
awareness programs for all community
we exhibit in
members.
our daily lives.”
Communication
— Wilburn Williams H’02 ’06, English teacher
Develop strategic touchpoints with students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni through multiple communications platforms in an effort to both educate and inform.
IMPLEMENTATION In order to achieve our vision and goals, the School must dedicate resources, develop processes and metrics, and continually evaluate and iterate our progress toward becoming a more inclusive community.
Leadership
Created a formal Office of Multicultural Affairs
Fostering a sense of belonging and building
focused on student and faculty/staff DEI
a diverse, equitable, and inclusive School
programming
community is a Board of Trustees priority. The Board is committed to promoting access and opportunity for all community members, and continues to advance DEI work in the following areas:
Professional Development To continue improving School culture and climate, we must continue to provide professional development opportunities, which to date have
Established a DEI Board subcommittee
included:
Approved an assistant head for strategic
Required training in micro-inequities
initiatives position to help lead and support DEI initiatives
Participated in crafting action items for the School’s DEI strategic action plan
Developed a plan to improve the racial
Offered all-school DEI professional development workshop: Cultural Competencies, Implicit Bias, and Difficult Conversations in Race
Created a space for reflection and education
diversity of the Board, with implementation
in response to traumatic current events,
underway
emphasizing those that impact historically marginalized populations
Staffing A robust DEI staffing model will ensure the
Provided a DEI-focused professional development workshop for all Board members
School is equipped to provide and support our community members in professional development, cultural competency, and other initiatives to advance our goals and associated action steps. This model includes the following:
Conducted a national search for a dean of diversity, inclusion, and community engagement
Created the position of assistant head of school for strategic initiatives to help lead DEI initiatives
Diversified dean-level positions
Funding DEI programming, curriculum enhancements, and professional development opportunities require investment, specifically:
Hosting hiring and recruitment fairs to increase the diversity of faculty and staff
Developing a marketing strategy to recruit a diverse pool of applicants local and nationally
DEI Council – Strategic Planning Steering Committee Rick Holifield • director of diversity, inclusion, and community engagement chair Chris Cunningham P’14 ’18* • assistant head of school Alison Easterling P’20 • associate dean of faculty
Process Facilitators and Plan Developers Steve Murray H’54 ’55 ’65 ’16 P’16 ’21 • head of school Marquis Scott • assistant head of school Trustee Guidance and Counsel Hy Bunn ’74 P’04 ’06 ’08
Blake Eldridge ’96 H’12 • dean of students
Marcus Mabry ’85
Beth Foulk • diversity coordinator, associate director of college counseling
Lisa Skeete Tatum P’19 ’21
Nuri Friedlander • diversity coordinator, religion and philosophy teacher
Kevin Volpp ’85 P’24
Marisa Hedges • history department chair Andrew Inzer • history teacher
Meera Viswanathan
Student Council Soleil Saint-Cyr ’21 • student body president
Amethyst King* • history teaching fellow Dana Kooistra H’14 ’20 P’20 • director of teaching and learning
Diversity Council
Emilie Kosoff H’88 ’96 ’00 ’18 ’20 P’19 • associate dean of students
Esha Akhtar ’21 • co-president
Steve Murray H’54 ’55 ’65 ’16 P’16 ’21 • head of school
Lawrenceville Black Alumni Association (LBAA)
Marquis Scott* • assistant head of school
Bianca Okolie ’10
Sam Washington ’81 H’04 P’14 ’17 • senior associate dean of admission/director of multicultural affairs
Bunmi Onitiri ’10
Tripp Welborne H’58 P’21 ’24 • dean of athletics and co-curricular education Jessica Welsh* • director of communications and external affairs
Ijeamaka Achebe ’21 • co-president
Ciana Montero ’16 Sterling Stiger ’18 Other Contributing Writers and Editors Dana Kooistra H’14 ’20 P’20 • director of teaching and learning
Kelly Wise • diversity coordinator, assistant strength & conditioning coach
Phyllis Lerner • art director
Erika Worthy P’21 • director of human resources
Jessica Welsh • director of communications and external relations
*Statements of Belief and Vision Writing Committees
Key Additional Sources
Task Force for Faculty Recruitment & Retention
R eport from the Task Force for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – May 2019
Rick Holifield • director of diversity, inclusion, and community engagement co-chair
Alison Easterling P’20 • associate dean of faculty
Alison Easterling P’20 • associate dean of faculty co-chair
Tripp Welborne H’58 P’21 ’24 • dean of athletics and co-curricular education
Dana Brown • senior admission associate
Bianca Okolie ’10
Meghana Golden • director of the Lawrenceville Parents Fund and young alumni giving, alumni and development
Ciana Montero ’16
Noelle Niu • math teacher Marquis Scott • assistant head of school
As Lawrenceville embarks upon creating its first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan, it is important that we look back through the School’s 210+ year history and examine how the plans, or the failure to plan, for other transformative initiatives affected the successful implementation of those visions.”
L BAA Anti-Racist Action Plan – June 2020
Chris Cunningham P’14 ’18 • assistant head of school
Charise Hall • math teacher
SAMUEL G. WASHINGTON JR. ’81 H’04 P’14 ’17, SENIOR ASSOCIATE DEAN OF ADMISSION/DIRECTOR OF MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS
Acknowledgements
Bunmi Onitiri ’10 Sterling Stiger ’18 A ction Plan for Success – June 2020 Marcus Mabry ’85 Lisa Skeete Tatum P’19 ’21
Erika Worthy P’21 • director of human resources ©The Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville, New Jersey • All rights reserved. 2021
SPOTLIGHT: THE HUTCHINS CENTER FOR RACE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE One of the most concrete and high-impact initiatives is the newly established Hutchins Center for Race and Social Justice. The Hutchins Center will advance the School’s established vision of applied, experiential learning and will invite our community members to pursue original research and writing, actively seeking solutions to some of the greatest societal challenges of our time. It will offer direct access to scholars and leaders at highly respected national organizations, as well as opportunities for guided student research, faculty and staff fellowships, and summer studies. Launching in fall 2021 with a national search for an executive director underway, the Hutchins Center will be housed in the Hutchins Galleries and offer gathering and presentation space, flexible study areas, and multimedia resources. Primary financial support for the Hutchins Center is provided by Trustee Emeritus Glenn Hutchins ’73, who also was highly influential in developing the vision that focuses on both scholarship and social activism.
LAWRENCEVILLE.ORG/DEI