Diversity

diversity

Noun | di·ver·si·ty | \də-ˈvər-sə-tē, dī-\

– the quality or state of having many different forms, types, ideas, etc. and/or the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization.

Today, when you type the diversity in a search engine, several items pop up such as the definition of diversity, a Wikipedia entry, the 2016 Oscars, a few articles and what I thought was most interesting, yet I am not surprised by it, was Mizzou; the University of Missouri diversity webpage.  The University of Missouri was a headliner this past Fall 2015 semester, for several reasons, I am sure we are all aware of.  While there may be several differences of opinions regarding the state of affairs at Mizzou or what happened last fall such as the protest, what I personally think is the most amazing outcome of it all (as an employee at Mizzou), is that We. Are. Finally. Talking. About. Race. Openly.

Yes, race is one thing to discuss, but there is so much more to discuss as well.

A challenge for 2016, MASFAA, is how do we view diversity, what does it mean to us in our professions, and in our organization at large?  The Diversity committee is eager to explore this topic further this year, and your input would be invaluable!  There is more information to come soon regarding getting your feedback, so please stay tuned!

Written by CortneyJo Sandidge, University of Missouri