The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) messages from the Office of the President share Illinois State University’s ongoing progress advancing equity and inclusion with transparency and information exchange.
This update includes the release of the updated comprehensive plan on DEI initiatives, a healing event on April 23, and resources to explore environmental justice in celebration of Earth Week.
Comprehensive Plan to Promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism
Illinois State University released an updated report to the campus community entitled Comprehensive Plan to Promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism. The report, first submitted by President Larry Dietz for the Board of Trustees in October 2020, provides an overview of priority actions accomplished and currently underway in response to calls for action by the students of the #Anti-Black ISU student movement and other campus community stakeholders. The spring 2021 represents an update to the fall report and includes forward motion on demands from campus stakeholders. Find the report here.
Vigil and memorial
Asia Connect will join Not in Our School and to host a Vigil & Memorial at 7:15 p.m. April 23 in Uptown Circle, Normal. The event will honor and celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islanders lives. Organizers are encouraging participants to bring a candle for the service and an item such as flowers, tokens, or notes to leave at a memorial that will be preserved for a future display.
Environmental justice
To honor Earth Week, the Illinois State community can explore resources dedicated to environmental justice through some of the many resources at Milner Library. The library has created an online guide dedicated to the topic of systemic racism, of which one of the biggest elements is environmental racism. Those who are new to the fight against environmental policies and practices that disproportionally harm BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities can view a selection of short videos, or browse through a curated selection of books via this online guide. The conversation around environmental justice was one part of events being hosted by the Office of Sustainability and other campus groups throughout Earth Week. Find out more about Earth Week events here.
