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Dear students, faculty and staff,

As we begin a new semester at Marquette during a week where we reflect on and celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I’m reminded of one of his many inspirational quotes: “If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

These words are particularly meaningful at a time when our university is experiencing exciting momentum around issues of diversity and inclusion. We are, indeed, moving forward — and building momentum to do more than crawl! From the completion of the campus climate survey and ensuing university-wide diversity plan to the creation of the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion to the development of a new LGBTQ Resource Center and Center for Gender and Sexualities Studies, we as a community have made important strides toward becoming a more welcoming environment for all.

These are just a few of the major initiatives underway at Marquette. Last semester, we were pleased to kick off the inaugural Faculty and Staff Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Awards, which will be announced this spring. And under the leadership of Dr. William Welburn in his newly elevated role as executive director of institutional diversity and inclusion, we implemented new resident assistant and student diversity training programs, joined the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, and developed a new Committee for Recruiting and Retaining Native American Students.

But, as Dr. King taught us, we must keep moving forward. We can never become complacent in our successes because there is always important work ahead of us. It is in that spirit that I’m pleased to announce a series of new initiatives that you will hear more about over the semester:

  • We will soon offer new course development grants for the Center for Gender and Sexualities Studies.
  • The Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion will launch a faculty fellows program.
  • We will announce a campus-wide forum (replacing the First-year Reading Program) to begin in the 2016-17 academic year.
  • We will create an associate director position for the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion who will be responsible for Hispanic student recruitment and community engagement.

I, along with Dr. Welburn, invite all of you to join us on this journey toward making Marquette a truly inviting and inclusive community—where everyone can feel full membership in our university family. Let’s keep moving forward!

Wishing you a successful and rewarding semester,

Dr. Daniel J. Myers

Provost
Marquette University

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