Introduction
In this second annual Report on the Status of Ethnic and Racial Diversity at Oregon State University, my goal is to recognize our accomplishments, assert a vision for our future, and embrace the work that will lead us to achieve that vision. More than two years ago, a diverse TEAM (Together Everyone Accomplishes More) of students, faculty and staff wrote a series of recommendations for advancing cultural diversity on our campus and for providing a more supportive environment for students, staff and faculty of color (Appendix A). For the rest of this report, I will refer to people of color in our community as "members of historically underrepresented groups," which includes African American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, American Indian and Hispanic/Latino people.
Though significant progress has been made in response to the spirit and letter of the TEAM recommendations, we have not yet achieved uniform agreement within the university about the importance of cultural diversity on our campus, nor about the steps required to reach that goal. Individual members of our community are at different developmental stages in their responses to the growth of diversity at OSU, from actively resisting to enthusiastically embracing a wide variety of complex changes.
As a community of scholars, we must learn more about cultural diversity and strengthen our individual focus and institutional dedication to create, nurture and sustain a dynamic, stimulating, multicultural university.
