Archival Material
Town Hall Meetings on campus climate set for November, 2006
A series of Town Hall meetings will be held in November concerning the recently released draft report of The President’s Campus Climate Task. Meetings are scheduled as follows:
The campus community is invited to share opinions, suggestions, and experiences with the members of the Campus Climate Task Force Steering Committee. The meeting will take the form of an open-mike discussion about Stony Brook as an inclusive campus community, issues related to working and studying at Stony Brook, and the progress of the Task Force. Beverages will be served. You are welcome to bring lunch.
Memorandum to the Campus Community from President Shirley Strum Kenny
I am writing to announce the formation of a Presidential Task Force of the utmost importance to Stony Brook, and to invite you to submit your ideas and comments to the co-chairs. Designated the “Presidential Task Force on Campus Climate,” it is unique in several ways.
Co-chairs Associate Dean Al Jordan and Assistant Vice President George Meyer, working together with Director of Diversity and Affirmative Action Christina Law and faculty member Carolyn Peabody have spent several months reviewing Stony Brook’s historical documents related to campus climate, ranging from the 1988 “Report of the Racial/Cultural Sensitivity Group,” to the 2004 “Campus Climate Survey.” The major themes contained in the collected wisdom of these various reports were presented to the Task Force Steering Committee at its first meeting on November 29, and they will form the basis for the their work. Five Subcommittees comprising a cross section of the campus community have been appointed with these specific foci: Participation and Empowerment, Mandatory Employee Education, Employment and Hiring, Building Internal Community, and Building External Community. You may be contacted by members of the subcommittees or steering committee to help them gather additional feedback and information from the campus community germane to their work.
I asked the Task Force to devise a Campus Climate Plan containing specific goals, objectives, a timeline for implementation, the names of administrators responsible for implementation, and the manner in which success will be defined. Members of the Steering Committee will also be present at the President’s cabinet for annual progress reports. I will expect the Task Force’s final report by the conclusion of the spring semester, with implementation of the recommendations beginning in the ’06 –’07 academic year.
I consider campus climate the key to creating an inclusive community characterized by a “can do” spirit and positive morale. Therefore, the work of the Campus Climate Task Force is important to Stony Brook’s educational and fiscal success as a world-class University now and in the years ahead. Academically, we have come very far very fast. As a campus community that values its members and promotes well-being, we must do the same.
I invite your participation in this crucial effort. You can visit the website to see the various documents referenced herein by clicking on the links above, or by visiting www.stonybrook.edu/diversity/cc_contents.html. In particular, I want to encourage you to use the comment/suggestion form provided at the website to share your thoughts and ideas on improving campus climate and ensuring that Stony Brook is an inclusive community. Suggestions will be sent electronically and solely to the Steering Committee co-chairs for action, and will be treated confidentially. I hope you will participate in this important formative effort for Stony Brook’s future. Thank you in advance for your interest.
November, 2006