Wednesday, March 12, 2025
|
|
|
Feature by: Dr. John Johnson, Vice President for Inclusive Excellence
|
On Monday of this week, in the matter of NADOHE v. Trump, a U.S. District Court judge reaffirmed a nationwide preliminary injunction of Executive Order 14151, titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” as well as Executive Order 14173, titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.” As noted by Democracy Forward, the decision “protects the ability of universities, workplaces, cities and communities to continue fostering diversity and inclusion without fear of retaliation or lost funding.”
Last week, I attended the annual conference for the National Association for Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) in Chicago, Illinois. Given the current political climate and the escalating rhetoric around the value and legitimacy of diversity, equity and inclusion, it was especially important for me to connect with my professional community and hear from industry experts about the state of the field and the best strategies to consider as we navigate these turbulent times. I have been a member of NADOHE for the last five years and not long after my arrival at Whitman, established Whitman College as an institutional member of the organization.
Posted on the door to my office are the NADOHE Standards of Professional Practice. These standards have informed the approach to my work over the last 3 ½ years. Explicit in those standards are a commitment to defining diversity in broad and intersectional ways, being strategic and intentional in managing institutional change efforts, promoting inclusive excellence in teaching and learning practices, collaborating with senior leaders on the development of inclusive excellence infrastructure, the importance of senior inclusion administrators modeling professional ethics, and a number of other critical elements for engaging in this work with integrity and a persistent focus on equity, belonging and civil rights compliance.
The recent executive orders regarding diversity, equity and inclusion do not, I repeat, do not make diversity, equity and inclusion efforts or offices illegal. As Art Coleman, education law expert and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, noted in a published letter, “Nothing in federal discrimination law forbids maintaining diversity, equity and inclusion as core to an institution’s mission or including race- or gender- related topics as part of teaching, programming and training.”
Read more.
|
|
|
Off-Campus Studies: Travel Tip
|
Enhanced Identification Required for Domestic Flights Starting in May
|
Effective May 7, 2025, REAL ID will be a requirement for travel on domestic flights within the United States. Anyone who wishes to board a domestic flight in the U.S. will need to show either a REAL ID, passport or other TSA-compliant form of ID to pass through TSA Airport Security.
Residents of Washington state without a passport will need a REAL ID-compliant card such as a state-issued Enhanced Driver’s License or Enhanced ID. A standard driver’s license will no longer be sufficient.
If you plan to fly in the United States on or after May 7 and do not yet have a REAL ID or valid passport, we recommend that you obtain one of these forms of ID as soon as possible. Note that REAL ID is available only to U.S. citizens. Non-citizens will be required to show their passports, Permanent Resident Cards, or other acceptable ID at TSA Airport Security.
Further details can be found at the links below:
|
|
|
President Bolton Holds Open Office Hours for Students Tomorrow
|
President Bolton will hold open office hours on Thursday, March 13, from 4–5 p.m. in Reid Campus Center (look for signage by the fish ladder sculpture). Throughout the semester, students can drop by these sessions to share their thoughts or just to chat.
|
ASWC General Election Deadline Friday
|
The Associated Students of Whitman College (ASWC) is holding general elections for 2025–2026. Petitions to run for elected positions are due on Friday, March 14. Positions include the ASWC President and chairs of the following committees: Student Development, Communications, Nominations and Appointments, Finance, Sustainability, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. For more information about ASWC and to see the election schedule, visit goaswc.org.
|
Healthy Minds Survey for Students
|
Whitman College is currently administering the national Healthy Minds Survey to all students. Look for an email from Dean of Students Kazi Joshua with a link to the survey. The results will provide Whitman with a comprehensive picture of mental health and related issues on our campus. More student responses mean better information from the survey, and better information from the survey will help us best evaluate our ability to meet student needs and to evaluate our existing programs. Participants will have the opportunity to win one of four $250 gift cards and one of ten $100 gift cards. The survey will close on Friday, March 14.
|
Class of 2025 Seeks Banner Designer & Commencement Speaker
|
The Class of 2025 is seeking seniors to contribute to the upcoming commencement ceremony in May. One senior will be selected to design the senior banner and will be compensated $100. Another senior will be selected to speak briefly at commencement. Applications for both are due on Friday, March 14. For more information and additional requirements, email Senior Event Committee Chair Rocio Josephine Lybarger-Yanes ’25 at lybarger@whitman.edu.
|
|
|
Photo (@penroselibrary): Stop by Penrose Library for some reading suggestions in recognition of Women’s History Month. A display near the front of the library highlights women in comics.
|
|
|
|
|
Reid Campus Center, Room G02
|
|
|
Would you like to share an event with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.
|
|
|
Whitman Today is emailed to Whitman College staff, faculty and students each weekday during the academic year and twice a week during breaks. An archive of previous issues is available online.
All submissions are welcome! If you have accomplishments to celebrate, an event to publicize or other Whitman content to share, email whitmantoday@whitman.edu. Submissions of 125 words or less are due by noon on the business day prior to publication. Submissions may be edited and/or held for a later date according to space and editorial needs. Your submission also authorizes use on Whitman's social media unless otherwise specified.
|
|
|
Find us on social media: @whitmancollege
|
|
|
|
