Statement from Chancellor Harris

Statement from Chancellor Harris

on Diversity and Affirmative Action

Welcome to Indiana University Kokomo. We are a campus with a long-standing commitment to diversity. We are very pleased with the growth in our minority enrollment and continue our efforts to attract and retain minority students, faculty and staff.  It is our ongoing goal to assure a diverse, vibrant, stimulating and safe campus.

In 2006 the campus adopted a new Mission Statement that embraces diversity as a core commitment and value, as follows: “The campus community demonstrates its commitment to diversity by providing a safe, warm, welcoming, and inclusive environment that promotes integrity and respect among all members of the campus community and by valuing shared governance and civil discourse.” We also have charged the Campus Diversity Committee with improving outcomes of diversity. They developed and implemented a comprehensive Diversity Plan that addresses campus leadership, climate, curriculum, and the representation and recruitment of minority students, faculty and staff. The committee has renewed campus-wide focus on the value to diversity for the campus initiating an annual Chancellor’s Diversity Award, lectures on diversity, and participation in a Summer Program for diverse middle and high-school students.

Our efforts also include diligent attention to compliance in the area of affirmative action and policies and procedures. The practices assist the campus in identifying and acting on affirmative hiring opportunities.

We will continue to strive to ensure that all students, faculty and staff are free from discrimination based on race, religion, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, age, color, disability, marital-status, and national origin, or veteran status in the recruitment and/or hiring process and in the campus environment.  Our commitment at IU Kokomo is strong in taking affirmative action steps to encourage, assist, and support our diversity.  I urge each faculty, staff and student to recognize that we live in a diverse society and our future depends on our ability to create communities that appreciate and value difference.

Sincerely,

Michael Harris, Ph.D.

Chancellor

Indiana University Kokomo