Introduction to the Statement
Led by our DEAL co-chairs, the DEI vision and mission statement was developed throughout the 2019-2020 academic year and our entire community of students, faculty, staff, college leadership and alumni contributed to its development. The mission and vision statement will provide a framework and an anchor for our campus to guide our work as we continually outline new action steps and refresh our Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan going forward. It will provide a compass for college leadership, academic departments, students, and offices across campus for our institutional priorities and values. The creation of this vision and mission statement was a true community effort and is a significant milestone for Wheaton.
The Statement
At Wheaton College, we seek to foster a collective sense of engagement, affirmation and belonging, where everyone is proud to be a member of our community.
We acknowledge that institutions can both produce and reproduce systems of inequity and exclusion. We aim to develop a shared practice of inquiry and a culture of shared responsibility for the purpose of identifying, challenging and dismantling institutional oppression.
To ensure inclusion, integrity and excellence in all we do:
We commit to embracing diverse perspectives and being attentive to power disparities, especially as it affects marginalized members of our community.
We commit to continually assessing campus climate and our support structures to identify priority areas for improvement so that this information becomes a part of institutional history and record.
We commit to continually engaging in purposeful conversations where we challenge ourselves and our community to examine our individual habits, and larger college practices, policies, and culture, including denouncing what is unjust.
We commit to identifying institutional barriers to a welcoming and respectful living, learning, and work environment, and allocating resources to remove them.
We commit to funding and supporting initiatives, offices, and centers to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.
We will uphold all of the aforementioned commitments, act upon them, and continually enhance our community to nurture the abundant life we seek.