SGA approves diversity statement

Highlights from Statement

  • Ball State University aspires to be a university that attracts and retains a diverse faculty, staff, and student body.
  • Diversity is an integral part of the university's identity.
  • Ball State will be a place recognized for its positive climate—one where all stake holders know that their contributions to the mission of the university are essential to our success.

The resolution and Ball State's Statement of Importance of Diversity and Inclusion can be found on SGA's Google Drive.

The Student Government Association unanimously approved a senate resolution encouraging the university to adopt a statement on the importance of diversity and ethnic inclusion.

As of the meeting on Wednesday, 340 students sponsored the legislation.

Carlos Mata, diversity and multicultural chair for SGA, said this has been in the works since February.

“Finally seeing it being passed is like a dream come true for me,” Mata said.

The origin of this legislation came after an incident occurred in Ball Communications, where there was an image depicting an African American being lynched on a screen back in January, according to reports from WCRD News.

Mata was looking for a diversity statement from the university and could not find one besides the SGA diversity statement, he said.

He and Carli Hendershot, who was a senator and Spectrum representative at the time, spoke to Charlene Alexander, director of Office of Institutional Diversity. She informed them that there was no university diversity statement.

“We pride ourselves in diversity,” Mata said. “I saw the Beneficence Pledge, it says we treat each other with respect, and I am a 100 percent believer in that we treat everyone with respect equally.”

While the university doesn’t have a diversity statement, Alexander said the Beneficence Pledge addresses diversity issues.

At the same time, Alexander and her advisory board were developing a statement on diversity for university she said. Both parties were able to work together, provide feedback and create the statement.

“It is important for us to point to a statement that is endorsed by our student body, Campus Council, University Council, Faculty Council, the President and Board of Trustees,” she said.

The university senate must also approve the legislation before it goes to President Paul Ferguson and the Board of Trustees.

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