For Diversity VP Gersie, Progress Won't Be Complete Without Sense of Belonging
Most are familiar with the shorthand “DEI” for diversity, equity and inclusion. But when he speaks on the topic, Michigan Tech Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Wayne Gersie almost always adds something: “sense of belonging.”
“We can be successful on many metrics for diversity, equity and inclusion,” Gersie says. “If students don’t have a sense that they belong — that they are welcomed and valued — then numeric gains won’t mean as much and may even be temporary.”
Shortly after coming to Tech as its first VP-level diversity officer, Gersie said making progress on campus would require the efforts of many.
“In the words of Helen Keller, ‘Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much,’“ he said. “Campus culture will be enhanced as we work together with respect and openness towards a community where differences are valued, where equal access, opportunity and representation are achieved, and where we are able to sustain an inclusive environment where all feel a sense of belonging.”
And, as Gersie stresses in a recent interview, that involves following a process.
Read more about Gersie's process and his expectations for departmental participation on the College of Sciences and Arts Newsblog.