The University of
Rhode Island is privileged to have frequently amazing students. They work hard, are high achievers, are
dedicated to public service, raise substantial amounts of money for numerous
non-profits and charities, and are committed to making a difference. There are practically countless examples I
could provide, but the one I want to focus on here is the recent Diversifying Individuals
Via Education (DIVE) conference, which took place March 27-28.
This innovative
and important campus event was organized and carried out by students. The DIVE
RI Conference sought to promote intercultural competence and inclusion on
college campuses through a variety of workshops and discussions. The
conference was designed to educate student leaders on the importance of racial
and ethnic identity and to empower students by exposing them to diverse
perspectives. A key goal was to develop plans of action to enhance
leadership capabilities of students and to sustain connections among students
from local colleges.
Over 270 people
registered for the conference, representing URI, Brown University, RISD,
Providence College, Bryant College, Rhode Island College, Johnson and Wales
University and Bridgewater State College. The conference included two keynote
speakers, twenty-two workshops and a World Cafe during which conference
participants came together in one room, engaging in roundtable conversations.
URI faculty, staff and alumni were among the presenters and speakers. The
overall goal of the conference was to enhance the leadership capabilities of
student leaders. According to all the feedback I received, it was a tremendous
success.
I would like to
thank all the students involved for their leadership and commitment, especially
the Conference committee chairs: Brandy Jones (Logistics); Zulmy Cortes (Speakers and
Presenters); Dayo Akinjisola (Finance); Tobi Raji (Public Relations and
Marketing); and Raquel Mendez (Events and Programming).
I was able to
attend Dr. Marc Lamont Hill’s riveting and inspirational speech that concluded
the conference. He is among America’s
foremost public intellectuals and an outstanding scholar. Lynn and I were delighted to host Dr. Hill and
many of the students involved for dinner, where he and I had a chance to talk. We agreed that one of the most critically
important roles of a university is to provide the environment and context for
the productive and sustained engagement among people who encompass the
diversity of our nation and world. I
would argue that this role for universities has never been more important. Our world and our nation are increasingly
factionalized and polarized. Yet the
problems we face are global in scope and will demand unprecedented
collaboration and cooperation to solve.
In order to overcome
the global challenges that now confront us, we will need new generations of
leaders who are comfortable working with people who are very different than
themselves. We will need leaders who can bridge differences with understanding. We will need leaders who appreciate and can
learn from those who have ideas and experiences that are initially
unfamiliar. We will need leaders who
understand that courage means more than defending your own ideas and opinions,
but being willing to change them.
DIVE RI was an
important step in creating exactly those kinds of leaders. That is why I think
it will have a lasting impact. The University
of Rhode Island values leadership, diversity, and inclusive community. The
leadership our students displayed in creating, organizing and conducting this
conference gives me great hope for the future of the University of Rhode Island
and our nation.
