About: DEI

Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

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Mission

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion fosters dignity and respect ensuring that all members of the HWS community have an equal opportunity to thrive.

Within the DEI Office are programs, centers and initiatives designed to build belonging including:

Diversity Statement

Contact

Phone: (315) 781-4555
Email: dei@hws.edu

At Hobart and William Smith Colleges, we strive to create a just and inclusive environment where all students, faculty and staff are valued and respected. We believe that diversity in identity and perspective enriches our community and prepares us all to lead lives of consequence. We recognize that historical practices and policies have privileged certain groups while excluding others from institutions of higher education, and thus the work of diversity at HWS seeks to account for those inequities by promoting college access and working to ensure that every member of the HWS community has an equal opportunity to thrive.

Bias Incident Response Team

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, in coordination with the Division of Campus Life, coordinates the Bias Incident Response Team, which may be convened to ensure that affected student(s) have access to appropriate resources, to assist offices in their response, and to facilitate a coordinated campus response to bias-related incidents and situations that may impact campus climate.

For more information, visit the BIRT Protocol webpage.

HWS community members can view the BIRT summary report for the 2022-2023 academic year here.

What We Do

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) works with partners across campus to build an educational, residential and professional environment where all community members feel valued and respected. We envision a community where diversity is embraced and consistently sought, and where equity and inclusion are practiced. By focusing on the following key areas: recruitment and retention, campus climate, and education, the Office strives to both enhance the representation of diverse individuals on campus and cultivate a sense of belonging for all.

  • Recruitment and Retention: ODEI works to increase the recruitment of historically underrepresented students, faculty and staff on campus and offers programs and initiatives to ensure their success. A student demographics “snapshot” can be found here.
  • Campus Climate: ODEI cultivates an environment where all students, faculty and staff feel respected and have a sense of belonging. ODEI uses various mechanisms to assess the campus climate and develop necessary interventions to respond.
  • Education: ODEI collaborates with various offices to ensure that institution wide opportunities for diversity education and cultural competency are available and accessed by students, faculty and staff.

DEI News

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