President Dottie King, Ph.D., announced the creation of an Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) makes firm its commitment to values that have long been a part of The Woods’ fabric.
“From our inception, we were a multicultural place, founded by immigrants from France who did not speak English, sent here to educate young women during a time when women were not being educated,” said King. “From that time until now, we have believed that supporting diverse populations creates a culture of personal and intellectual growth. We know that learning is enhanced when we share our unique perspectives, discover our commonalities and encourage respect for our differences.”
King appointed Dee Reed ’08 as the associate vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion to lead the newly created office. Reed brings significant experience as a communications professional having served in the leadership roles of executive director of strategic communications and executive director of marketing and communications at the College since 2010.
In this new role, Reed will develop strategies to establish an increasingly diverse, equitable and inclusive academic environment while providing opportunities for students to embrace social justice and develop knowledge and skills necessary for making thoughtful, responsible contributions in our communities.
She will manage initiatives to broaden college access, support student success and expand programming, and facilitate organizational change while working on town and gown initiatives to create a dialogue with the Terre Haute community and beyond. The office will work collaboratively with faculty, staff and students on diversity-related issues including race, ethnicity, culture and gender equity and foster a shared responsibility for an inclusive campus environment.
“It’s important to understand that this is about much more than checking a box and counting numbers,” explained Reed. “This is about impacting our community to change the future through honest, respectful conversations that leads to self-reflection and embraces the value of every individual. As an institution, we have a responsibility to our students to broaden perspectives and to interrupt habituated modes of thinking.”
Reed has been a voice for advancing inclusion at The Woods throughout her time. She was instrumental in the formation of the SMWC Diversity Council and the Black Student Association, which she is the chair and advisor, respectively. Reed was recognized by the City of Terre Haute Human Relations Commission for her work with diversity and inclusion in 2015. She actively works with the Vigo County School Corporation’s Diversity Internship Program to mentor minority students in an effort to help them explore opportunities.
King added, “I have confidence in Dee’s ability to lead this initiative that will help us enhance and sustain an environment focused on diversity, equity and inclusivity for every member of our campus community.”
The College will continue its diversity efforts through its institutional strategic plan, SMWC Diversity Council and diversity scholarships. The Council serves as an advisory and leadership team focused on advancing the College’s strategic commitment to diversity as a core institutional and educational value. The Diversity Scholarship helps to provide access to students to achieve their goals of earning a college degree. The late Congressman John Lewis may have said it the best, according to Reed, “We’re going to get into some good trouble, necessary trouble.”