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The Office of Institutional Diversity (OID)
is charged with advancing the cause of diversity at Smith College by providing leadership
in efforts to achieve understanding, tolerance and acceptance of diversity, and by
initiating and implementing programs in the areas of institutional diversity and
affirmative action. In addition, the OID serves the community through administration
of the college’s Civil Rights Grievances Procedure, assisting in resolving
individual and community concerns.
The Office
of Disability Services (ODS) is part of the OID. Its major purpose is to provide
services to the disabled as well as to raise awareness about issues of disability
through education and outreach.
The Office of Institutional Diversity’s
guiding philosophy is that diversity in all aspects of the educational environment
is necessary for achieving the highest level of academic excellence. We believe that
when a community is rich with varying perspectives, outlooks and values, the potential
to prepare its members to deal more readily with complexity and to participate productively
in a pluralistic society is greatly increased. At Smith, we place a high priority
on achieving and supporting diversity among our students, faculty, and staff in the
areas of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, socioeconomic class, sexual
orientation, disability and age.
The Office of Institutional Diversity was created
in 1996 at the recommendation of then-President Ruth J. Simmons and the board of
trustees. Before this time the office existed as the Office of Affirmative Action
(OAA), whose primary function was to monitor hiring practices at the college. The
responsibilities of the OID were expanded well beyond the duties associated with
the OAA. The Office of Institutional Diversity is charged with the oversight and
coordination of all efforts of the college to achieve its goals in the attainment
of campus diversity. These responsibilities include leading and coordinating campus-wide
efforts on issues of diversity and inclusion. The director of institutional diversity
also advises and interprets policy related to affirmative action, assuring fairness
and equal opportunity in employment and retention.
From COMMON GROUND: COMMUNITY IN DIVERSITY
AT SMITH COLLEGE: “Creating a community that is accepting and respectful
of all its members is not simply one of our goals; rather, the vision of such a
community must be recognized as central to every aspect of the priorities for the
college, from curriculum to co-curriculum, associated with providing an excellent
education.”
Smith College fosters free access to knowledge, its
unfettered discovery and communication through research and education, and the creation
and sustenance of a community of scholars, students, and staff. The Smith community
can realize these goals only in an atmosphere of trust and respect. The college
aspires to create and maintain an educational, working, and living environment that
is respectful of differences and free from harassing behavior.
To foster trust and respect in a diverse community,
Smith College encourages community members to behave in ways that affirm respect
for each other. Within an academic institution, teaching, doing research, and learning
are subject to the protections of ‘academic freedom’ as described in
the college’s policy on academic freedom. Actions or words used in the
context of the academic curriculum and teaching environments that serve legitimate
and reasonable educational purposes will not be evaluated as violating policies that
bar certain behaviors, sexual harassment, or unlawful discrimination.
In a diverse community, disagreements and conflicts
of various degrees of seriousness are inevitable. The college strongly encourages
informal resolution of disputes and conflicts. Many issues are best resolved
by direct communication between the individuals involved, sometimes with the help
of a third party. Community members are expected to engage in good faith attempts
to mediate their differences. To that end all members of the Smith community
are encouraged to use the ombudsperson, student affairs staff members, human resources
staff members, deans, academic department chairs, the chaplains, supervisors, and
the director of institutional diversity to discuss concerns and seek resolution to
differences.
The college also recognizes that formal complaints may
be necessary. Policies to accept complaints have been created for students,
staff members and faculty members as indicated below.
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