Dear BI Career Consultants:
How can a college or university president work with the local community to create a warm
environment for minority faculty and their families in a predominantly White town or city, especially when there has been a previous racial incident?

Dr. Rosemary Gray Watterson
Equity and Diversity Officer, University of Scranton, Scranton, Pa.

I think the first step is to develop a position and office that is responsible for supporting the university's commitment to diversity, multiculturalism, social equity and affirmative action. The person hired in this position should be responsible for providing advice, services, training and development opportunities that support the university's mission.
A president can provide other leadership opportunities in the community through an office of equity and diversity run by an administrator. For example, I am going to become a part of Leadership Lackawanna this fall, the leadership group for the county where my university is located. The administrator for an office of equity and diversity is a collaborator, both on and off campus, for the purpose of creating an inclusive environment that strategizes with others to encourage participation and contributions by all who are a part of the decision-making process for improving the working, living and learning environments in a multicultural community.
 This office can also serve as a liaison with the local community. When I first took my current position, there was a reception to introduce me to the Black community. That was key, partly because of my cultural background, but more because it allowed me to meet the Black community. This gathering of local Black community and business leaders produced a dialogue that continues today. Because of many questions and suggestions by those in attendance at the reception, an Executive Leadership Council was formed to see how we could work together for the Black community's interests as they relate to the local community and the university and to improve the climate for minorities. We also have an offer from a local business to help publish a directory so that a new or potential minority faculty or staff member and their family may find it easier to work and remain with the university, as well as feel comfortable in the community.
While the council is a group of Black business and community leaders, we also have an open forum after each meeting where we invite other culturally different groups to engage in dialogue with us. We want to foster good relationships with all persons in our community. The formation of a special interest council similar to ours is not exclusive to our specific cultural group and is a strategy that can be duplicated by any cultural group. We would like to look back several years from now and know that we made a difference for new minority faculty, staff and their families or for any community. We are a resource and hope to always be a resource for developing a multicultural community in our area.