Agnes Scott College Trustees Affirm Commitment to Diversity and Anti-racism
The Agnes Scott College Board of Trustees has adopted an official statement reaffirming its commitment to anti-racism and diversity. This statement was unanimously approved during the board’s winter meeting.
The statement acknowledges the social justice climate in our city, state, nation, and world. Additionally, the statement recognizes the long-term and current effects of racism and injustice that disproportionately affect Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC). This action is missional for Agnes Scott College, one of the most diverse colleges in the nation, with a long history of dismantling racial and social inequities.
“Our student population at Agnes Scott is more than 60 percent minority, and no racial or ethnic demographic comprises a majority. This fact, along with the diverse composition of our staff, faculty, and leadership team is significant for many reasons, including the reality that our campus community is a microcosm of the world. Our students are being prepared to lead in an increasingly diverse society—on campus, locally, nationally, and globally,” said Board Chair Elizabeth Daniel Holder ’82. “I look forward to working with my board colleagues to ensure that we are successful in living out the mission of this college and to upholding these commitments and those outlined in the Agnes Scott Global Diversity and Inclusion Plan.”
To ensure that Agnes Scott College remains steadfast in its long-standing commitment to combat racial inequities, promote diversity and support an inclusive campus culture designed to hone the habits of mind, skills, and knowledge essential to ethical, innovative, and inclusive leadership in our increasingly heterogeneous and global society, the board has committed to:
- Ensuring that the candidate pipeline development, selection process, and orientation of new trustees are informed by anti-racist values, standards, and education.
- Ensuring board work and decisions support the college’s justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion agenda.
- Committing to regular conversations, training, and learning about anti-racism actions.
- Providing a progress report at the end of the year.
Additional note: In the winter of 2019, the Association of American Colleges and Universities selected Agnes Scott College as one of 24 higher education institutions to host Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation campus centers across the United States committed to the practices of racial justice. These centers have been working in partnership to eradicate racial hierarchies and eliminate social injustices.