Dona Cordero, assistant provost for diversity and inclusion, recently announced her resignation from Northwestern. Her role on campus encompassed the overseeing of institutional diversity efforts as well as several new initiatives, including the NU Best Practices forum. She also chaired the University Diversity Council, which includes faculty, students, staff and alumni. 

As many in the student body are aware, changes are happening at both the individual and the institutional level, some of which were initiated by Cordero. Currently, as mentioned in the provost’s email about Cordero’s upcoming transition, undergraduate curricular initiatives are underway to expand learning opportunities about diversity.

Beginning with Wildcat Welcome, where new students attend a Diversity and Inclusion Essential NU, and continuing throughout the rest of their time at NU, students are encouraged to share their own experiences and listen openly to those of others. These conversations offer indispensable opportunities to reduce prejudices and foster mutual respect among students. Not only does our campus community benefit as a result, but students carry this attitude of tolerance and respect with them as they return to their homes and travel all over the world.

Yet discussions about diversity and inclusion on our campus are hardly restricted to those discussions that happen at the Diversity Council and other panels. Projects such as those directed towards the increasing awareness of microaggressions exist all over campus in varying degrees of organization. Tumblr pages are used as an arena to discuss the effects of class on life as a student. Frequently, incredibly deep and significant discussions, not only about individual-level but institutional-level improvements to address inclusion issues, take place at the lunch table or lounges. Unfortunately, these concerns aren’t always communicated to the administrators, whom are capable of implementing policies.  While certainly instrumental in personal growth and the improvement of understanding between students from diverse backgrounds, this insulation of ideas means that institutional policies and programs fail to always reflect issues pertinent to academic and social wellness at NU.

As a new assistant provost is chosen during a nationwide search, don’t let your opinions go unheard. As an ambassador for whatever policies help NU grow as an inclusive and diverse institution, the assistant provost can only truly function if he or she knows what issues are important to our student body. So, when an email or a poster suggests that a panel is “open to students,” that means you. No one else on campus has your experience or your insights, and to create a community that continues to develop and improve, we need to know what lies at the heart of NU students.

Over the next couple of months, use the opportunity you have to send suggestions, for both members of the search committee and for individuals to fill the position, to [email protected] and help shape the development of the Northwestern community over the coming years.

Coretta Lemaitre is a McCormick sophomore. She can be contacted at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected].