"As I noted in my remarks at the student-led forum, our commitment to inclusivity is essential to delivering on our mission of providing the finest liberal arts education." - Jill Tiefenthaler
FUTURE
President Tiefenthaler sent an email on Dec. 10th to all students, staff, faculty, and retired employees. In it she described how the college is trying to productively move forward after the racist YikYaks, the ensuing assembly, and the punishments. She talked about how the school has already held open dialogue discussions and how student government hosted “Continuing the Conversation.”
She then commented on the administration’s short term and long term plans. In fifth block there will be a program that encourages everyone on campus to “meet in small groups for meaningful discussion.” Staff members will continuing taking part in a development program to help them better understand diversity and inclusion.
Academic deans plan to work with students, faculty, and various groups on campus to begin “Diversity and Inclusion: The Promise of a Liberal Arts Education.” This initiative will focus on “student admission and faculty hiring and retention; all-college curriculum requirements; and fostering inclusivity and the exchange of multiple perspectives inside and outside the classroom.”
President Tiefenthaler finished her letter by reaffirming that the college’s “commitment to inclusivity is essential to delivering on our mission of providing the finest liberal arts education. Please join me as we put renewed, positive energy into this important work."
Certain questions still remain unanswered going into the future. Ideally, more information could be collected from the Colorado College administration about their motivations behind their processes and decisions. Additionally, while Pryror released multiple statements regarding his punishment, more information about the student’s initial motivations for the posts, as well as their reactions to the college’s initiatives before they were apprehended would be useful to paint a more complete picture of the situation. It may also be helpful to describe the history of minority students at Colorado College for additional context. Hopefully further publications on the issues and progress of race relations at Colorado College will be considered in the future as the school moves forward.