Dear Alumni and Friends,
It is exciting to share my first official eNews greeting as vice president for the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMA&D) and chief diversity officer for the three UW campuses. I can’t express enough how thrilled I am to be a part of the UW and greater Seattle communities.
Since beginning my tenure on August 1, I have spent a great deal of time meeting with students, faculty, staff, administrators, supporters and community members in order to get a sense of the context of the UW, state and region. It has been a busy first three months and I have greatly enjoyed listening to and learning from many of you. These conversations will continue to inform our work moving forward and I anticipate many great things to come.
The fall quarter is also off to a running start. We had a great time introducing first-year students and their families to the university through our annual series of Welcome Daze events. The excitement could be felt at our Welcome Daze Kick-Off Luncheon, as well as the several community dinners hosted by the Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center. I had the honor of giving the keynote address at the Black/African American Community Dinner and it was a great opportunity to connect with our students.
I hope many of you were able to come out to campus last weekend for Homecoming festivities. On Oct. 21, the UW launched the public phase of its largest-ever philanthropic campaign. I encourage you to visit our web site to learn about the OMA&D campaign priorities we’ve identified that will support our access and success missions. Festivities continued with the 22nd annual Multicultural Alumni Partnership (MAP) Bridging the Gap Breakfast on Oct. 22. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the breakfast due to a prior commitment, but I know it was a great success thanks to the support of our donors and friends.
One of the reasons I was attracted to this position at the UW was the university’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion from top leadership. The UW Race & Equity Initiative started by President Ana Mari Cauce in 2015 is truly indicative of this commitment and we are pleased to share an update on the initiative’s recent progress this fall.
We are very much aware that injustices continue to take place around the world, throughout our nation and right here in our communities. These are difficult times for everyone, especially our students. And change tends to take more time than we’d like, especially at large institutions. However, our efforts to create a more just and equitable campus environment for everyone continue to be a priority. As the work unfolds, I will share these updates as well.
Our 2016-17 OMA&D Fact Sheet which highlights our programs and pride points is now available online. You can also follow me on Twitter (@VPOMAD) to find out what is happening here on campus. I thank you all for your engagement and support, and look forward to connecting with more of you in the future.
Sincerely,
Rickey Hall
Vice President for Minority Affairs & Diversity
Chief Diversity Officer