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Campus Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

McDaniel College was the first coeducational college south of the Mason-Dixon Line, and one of the first coeducational colleges in the nation. We strive to continue this tradition of social justice by committing ourselves to being a diverse and inclusive community. We are guided by our First Principles, which compel us to place students at the center of a humane environment and demand that we respect others and share responsibility for the common good.

Visit the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Learn About Campus Committees Engaging in DEI Work
Download the College's Response to Students, June 2020 Download the College's Annual Safety Report (Clery Report) From the President, June 2020: McDaniel's Commitment to Diversity, Equity and I…
Students volunteer at Carroll Lutheran Village.

As part of a holistic approach to building a diverse and inclusive culture, we seek meaningful training opportunities to promote diversity and educate employees on what diversity and inclusive thinking means in their day-to-day interactions with students, colleagues, partners, vendors and others.  The trainings below were offered throughout the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 academic years. 

Diversity Issues: Structural Inequality and Classroom Strategies

Faculty Retreat August 22, 2018-Required for faculty
Natalie Gillard, founder of Factuality and Assistant Vice President for Multicultural Experience at Stevenson University
Dr. Erin Watley, Assistant Professor of Communication
Dr. Wendy Morris, Acting Dean of the Faculty and Associate Professor of Psychology

During the first 90 minutes of this session, Natalie Gillard will lead us in FACTUALITY, which is a facilitated dialogue, crash course, and board game, all in one, that simulates real life experiences in America. It is played with a rich group of diverse characters who encounter a series of fact-based advantages and limitations based on the intersection of their race, gender, sexual orientation, faith, and class.

During the last 60 minutes of the session, Erin Watley will present strategies, which can be used when difficult dialogues occur in the classroom, and Wendy Morris will present pedagogical techniques which can improve student performance and minimize achievement gaps for first generation college students and students of color.

The Struggle is (Still) Real:  Mental Health and Disabilities on Campus. 

Faculty Retreat August 22, 2018-Required for faculty
Melanie Conley, Director of Student Academic Support Services
Heidi Huber, Director of the Wellness Center

The population of students attending McDaniel increasingly reflects the diverse world in which we live.  Join the staff of the Wellness Center and SASS to discuss the various rewards and challenges of working with students with a wide array of psychological and learning differences.  This presentation will explore profiles of diverse learners​ as well as strategies for identifying and responding to students in distress.  This experiential session will include open collaboration and case examples to contextualize the work we do together to support all students.

Faculty Book Club 2018

“Bandwidth Recovery: Helping Students Reclaim Cognitive Resources Lost to Poverty, Racism, and Social Marginalization” by Cia Verschelden

LatinX/Hispanic Students: Best Practices and Promise for Our Growing Population

Thursday, November 1, 2018
Amy McNichols & Jose Moreno

LatinX/Hispanic student population has grown by over 240% since 1996 and continues to grow steadily. In fact, our majority population could in fact be LatinX within a few decades. Please join our conversation about making McDaniel a place they want to call home and where they will thrive, from admissions to retention to graduation day.

Understanding Microaggressions in Course Evaluations

November 2018 Department Chair Meeting
Faculty Inclusion and Diversity Committee

NFO The Struggle is Real: Mental Health and Disabilities on Campus

Required for new faculty only
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Heidi & Melanie

The population of students attending McDaniel increasingly reflects the diverse world in which we live. Join the staff of the Wellness Center and SASS to discuss the various rewards and challenges of working with students with a wide array of psychological and learning differences. This presentation will explore profiles of diverse learners as well as strategies for identifying and responding to students in distress. This experiential session will include open collaboration and case examples to contextualize the work we do together to support all students.

Factuality

Thursday, February 28, 2019 - Required for faculty that didn’t attend in August
Natalie Gillard, founder of Factuality and Assistant Vice President for Multicultural Experience at Stevenson University

Natalie Gillard will lead us in FACTUALITY, which is a facilitated dialogue, crash course, and board game, all in one, that simulates real life experiences in America. It is played with a rich group of diverse characters who encounter a series of fact-based advantages and limitations based on the intersection of their race, gender, sexual orientation, faith, and class.

Case Studies on Tackling Your Classroom Cultural Conflicts

Thursday, April 18, 2019
Erin Watley

During this session we will discuss some of the specific cultural diversity related challenges that we have encountered in our classrooms. We can examine how cultural identity has impacted individual student issues, collective classroom interactions about social hierarchies and power, or smaller student group dynamics, and then discuss how to navigate those occurrences in ways that are culturally supportive and affirming. We will go over some general tips for facilitating critical cultural exchange and addressing conflict, but the majority of the time will be spent discussing your own scenarios.

Prior to the session you will have the opportunity to submit your own example of a classroom situation that you experienced as challenging, or going particularly well, to discuss.

NFO Leaving our Bias at the Door

Required for new faculty only
Thursday, April 25, 2019
Jose Moreno

We will be reviewing Implicit Bias and how that can affect our students learning and sense of belonging in the classroom.

Restorative Practices

Faculty Retreat August 21, 2019 - Required for faculty
Julia Jasken, Provost; Richard Smith, Associate Professor of Sociology; Cathy Orzolek-Kronner, Professor of Social Work; Jim Kunz, Professor of Social Work

Restorative Practices is an emerging social science that focuses on the role played by authentic and collaborative communication strategies in strengthening relationships between individuals and enhancing social connections within communities. Research within higher education specifically has concentrated on the development of affirming methods to help students learn from their mistakes, set classroom policies, and meaningfully engage in difficult classroom conversations. This interactive session will provide an overview of restorative practices and share examples of how these practices can be used in our alternative adjudication process, classroom discussions about inequalities, and community building around the College’s First Principles.

Self-Empowerment through Writing: The Benefits of Affirmative Writing Activities Across Disciplines

Faculty Retreat August 21, 2019 - Required for faculty
Suzanne Nida, Director of College Writing

Values affirmation activities in higher education have been shown to improve student performance among students of color and 1st generation students even if included in a course only a few times a semester. Research shows that writing in and of itself is an affirmative tool tied to students’ engagement, which is tied to retention, completion, and success. Thus, giving our diverse student body the opportunity to write in all disciplines will facilitate their success. In this workshop, participants will discuss writing as an affirmative tool and be introduced to writing assignments and classroom strategies that will help build students’ self-confidence, foster self-efficacy, and facilitate engagement. Time will be allotted for participants to work with others to design low-stakes or formal writing assignments or values affirmation activities appropriate to their discipline.

Faculty Book Club 2019

“Teaching STEM to First Generation College Students: A Guidebook for Faculty & Future Faculty” by Gail Horowitz

Restorative Practice and Community Building

Thursday, September 26, 2019
Henry Reiff & Cathy Orzolek-Kronner

As a follow up to the session on Restorative Practices from the Faculty Retreat, this workshop will continue the conversation among faculty as we move forward to reaching our "ideal" McDaniel community. A very brief overview of Restorative Practice will be provided for those who did not attend the first session with more time devoted to our personal experiences as members of the McDaniel College community in both the recent past and what we hope for the future. We will again use circles a mechanism to allow all voices to be heard.

Faculty Discussion about Diversity Statements

Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Faculty Inclusion and Diversity Committee

The Provost has charged the Faculty Inclusion and Diversity Committee (FIDC) with creating a first draft of a statement on diversity for the college. The committee has developed three different working statements (see attached) as a starting point for a faculty conversation to be held on 10/22. We hope you can make it to this session and provide feedback which will help the FIDC develop one working statement. However, if you cannot attend, you will have the opportunity to provide feedback on a draft statement later this semester.

Microaggressions in our Classrooms

Thursday, October 24, 2019
Jose Moreno

We will discuss and explore some examples of what our McDaniel students experience in the classrooms and how we can make our classes spaces for open/ honest dialogue. We will also cover how to avoid and how to confront microaggressions in a class setting.

Generation Z

Thursday, October 31, 2019
Melanie Conley

Generation Z is defined as the cohort born between 1995-2010, which is the age group of our current “traditional” undergraduate population. They possess unique qualities that impact their performance as students and citizens. In this session, we will explore the characteristics of Gen Z students, what has shaped them, how they view themselves, and the way they work as students. Additionally, we will explore ways to bridge the gap in working with students of this generation while learning about strategies to motivate them. Whether you work with students, supervise students or just want to know more about our student population, this training could assist you in successfully partnering with this generation.

Third Thursday – Faculty Showcase & Happy Hour

Thursday, November 21, 2019
Tom Zirpoli, Laurence J. Adams Distinguished Chair in Special Education

Title: The McDaniel - Target Partnership

Description: Since 1983, when Target Community & Educational Services partnership was incorporated, a one-of-a-kind academic internship was born.  The McDaniel College Human Services Management graduate program endowment provides 22 Target Scholars a 75 percent tuition scholarship and a two-year, live-in internship with Target, Inc. Target provides residential, vocational and personal support programs for children & adults with developmental disabilities. Graduates of the program provide senior leadership for many non-profits in the region.

NFO The Struggle is Real: Mental Health and Disabilities on Campus

Required for new faculty only.
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Heidi Huber & Melanie Conley

The population of students attending McDaniel increasingly reflects the diverse world in which we live.  Join the staff of the Wellness Center and SASS to discuss the various rewards and challenges of working with students with a wide array of psychological and learning differences. This presentation will explore profiles of diverse learners as well as strategies for identifying and responding to students in distress. This experiential session will include open collaboration and case examples to contextualize the work we do together to support all students.

NFO Imposter Syndrome and its Impact on Students

Required for new faculty
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Jose Moreno

The presentation will cover the following:

  • Defining Imposter Syndrome
  • The effect that it may have on college students
  • How we can help students overcome it.

Campus Safety Trainings

Campus Safety personnel have received training in the following areas related to diversity:

  • Implicit Bias and Microaggression Awareness
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • Civil Rights Investigations
  • Making Campus Safe for LGBTQ+ Students
  • Transgender Awareness

At McDaniel College, we realize that social justice is a process that requires the commitment of the entire community. As McDaniel continues to affirm our commitment to racial justice, we welcome questions and recommendations at diversity@mcdaniel.edu.

Talk to us.

Learn more about the three leadership groups that will guide McDaniel’s strategy for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). The College is also in the process of creating a student leadership group focused on campus diversity, which will directly interface with the Board of Trustees.

DEI Leadership Groups

Faculty and Staff Recruitment and Retention Plan

Our hiring plan recommends recruitment procedures intended to result in equitable representation of protected classes in the faculty, administration, student body, and staff. It commits all of us to apply the spirit of equality in the total life and work of the College. Through guidelines for enlightened recruitment, selection, placement, and employee development, the College’s hiring plan goes beyond equal employment opportunity in the effort to set an example for our campus and community at large. We realize this is ongoing, collaborative work.

We are also working to diversify our Board of Trustees. Click here to meet our newest Trustees.

Download the Faculty and Staff Recruitment and Retention plan here.

Professional Support Offices That Support Diversity & Inclusion Mentorship & Development

McDaniel_Phone_Bell Background

Supporting Our Students Office of Diversity & Inclusion

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) provides visible leadership and direction for the College’s efforts on behalf of diversity and inclusion.

Learn About the Office of Diversity & Inclusion
Hoover Library view from behind the bell.

Student Accessibility & Support Services

Students with a wide range of disabilities and learning differences are supported through our Student Accessibility & Support Services office. 

Learn About Our Student Accessibility & Support Services

Structural Committee Work

The College has a committee structure to further facilitate work supporting a diverse campus community.

The Faculty Inclusion and Diversity Committee is a standing committee with four elected faculty members, a staff visitor and an administrator visitor.  The work of this committee promotes the hiring and retention of an inclusive and diverse faculty; reviews and recommends policies promoting intercultural competence and inclusion in the classroom and academic programs; fosters faculty awareness of best practices for inclusion and diversity in pedagogy and campus life.

The Coordinated Community Response Team (CCRT) is a larger advisory committee with a cross-section of faculty and staff as well community partners including the local Rape Crisis Intervention Services of Carroll County, Family and Children’s Services and the Westminster Police Department.  This committee makes recommendations on policy, program planning and general philosophy related to developing a community that is free from gender-based misconduct. The work of the CCRT Committee is also guided by a joint federal grant supported by the Department of Justice in partnership with the Office on Violence Against Women.  

MICUA Diversity Surveys

Maryland Independent College and University Association (MICUA) member institutions serve 64,000 students every year. The student population is economically diverse, racially diverse, and demographically diverse in other ways, including adult learners and non-traditional students, students who speak English as a second language, students who are first to go to college in their families, and transfer students from community colleges.

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 Maryland Independent College and University Association (MICUA) Surveys

The Maryland General Assembly passed legislation in 2008 that requires each independent institution that receives State Sellinger funds to report annually to MICUA on programs and practices that promote and enhance cultural diversity. As defined in statute, “cultural diversity” means the inclusion of those racial and ethnic groups that traditionally have been underrepresented in higher education.  

McDaniel College is a proud MICUA member. Recent MICUA Diversity Surveys are available for review below.

Expanding the Impact

In addition to trainings and presentations offered to faculty and staff, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion is active across campus to promote justice. 

The McTeer-Zepp Plaza sits at the heart of McDaniel’s campus, named for prominent Civil Rights attorney Victor McTeer '69, one of the College’s first African-American graduates, and Ira Zepp '52, Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies.

Impacting Students ODI at Work in 2018-2019

During the 2018-2019 academic year, ODI completed six presentations on social identities and micro-aggressions during McDaniel Local, sponsored the “Get out of your Bubble” program that introduces students to a new way and more open way of seeing cultural differences at Orientation and offered six sessions on inclusive language and  understanding social justice topics.

Fall leaves on campus.

Affirming Justice ODI at Work in 2019-2020

During the 2019-2020 academic year, ODI completed nine presentations on the impact of social identities during McDaniel Local, one presentation on Working Across Differences for RA’s, Peer Mentors and E.P’s, six presentations on Power and Privilege for First Year Seminars, and three presentations on Micro-aggressions, Privilege & Power and Social Identities for athletic coaches. 

McDaniel College entrance sign in Budapest.

A Global Effort ODI in Budapest

In October 2019 the Director of ODI visited McDaniel Budapest to act as a consultant on Diversity, Equity and inclusion initiatives for the campus.

View of campus

The Washington Regional Task Force against Campus Prejudice

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is a member of the of the Washington Regional Task Force against Campus Prejudice (WRTF). The task force provides its network of colleges, universities, and individuals with the education, support, and professional development needed to promote inclusion and diversity, advocate for social justice, and address prejudice and bias on their campuses.

The College has two representatives on the task force, one each from ODI and the other from the Office of Residence Life. The representatives attend professional development workshops and discussions throughout each academic year.

Washington Regional Task Force against Campus Prejudice (WRTF)

Spring of 2020

Response to Racial Injustice

In April 2020, in partnership with the Wellness Center, ODI hosted a Green Table Talk to invite students of color to discuss how COVID-19 was impacting their life and their learning. In May 2020, in partnership with the Wellness Center, ODI sponsored Racial Justice: Hope and Healing to discuss the killings of people of color in recent months. The program also discussed ways in which we can come together as a community to heal and how we on the Hill can build a campus of hope and Racial Justice.

During the spring of 2020, The Wellness Center Wellness Center began to organize white accountability efforts for white-identified staff and faculty interested in antiracism efforts on campus. This group will envision ways to create white-identified student/staff/faculty spaces designed to promote self-reflection, education, advocacy, and accountability. All of these efforts will be done in consultation with faculty and staff of color, in the spirit of anti-racism and accountability.

SafeZone Trainings February 25 and 27

“Safe Zone” is a term used ubiquitously by schools and workplaces to indicate both the learning opportunity (Safe Zone workshops) and the people who have completed them (Safe Zone-trained individuals). And even more broadly, the term “safe zone” is used to refer to LGBTQ awareness workshops.

Diversity in our Academic Curriculum

Students must have an understanding of the world within and beyond the United States to develop into critical, sensitive, respectful, and compassionate global citizens.A McDaniel education is multicultural and international in scope. For this reason, students are required to complete one course with a multicultural focus, and two courses with an international or cross-cultural focus.

  • Multicultural: Multicultural education will give students an understanding of the cultural pluralism of American society. Multicultural courses focus on the cultures and experiences of diverse groups in the United States that have been historically subordinated or marginalized and defined by such categories as race, gender, sexuality, class, religion, and disability. Students must complete one course with a multicultural focus.
  • Global: International courses examine the perspectives and customs of cultures outside the U.S. or the relationship between the U.S. and foreign cultures. Students must complete two courses with an international focus. One of these courses must be non-Western—that is, it must examine the cultures of Asia, Africa, the indigenous Americas, or the Pacific Rim, either exclusively or in explicit comparison with other regions.

Our Academic Affairs division also sponsors trainings for new and returning faculty on implicit bias, micro-aggressions and various other topics that prepare our faculty to handle our diverse student population.

Student Organizations: Culture, Diversity, Gender & Sexuality

  • Aaja Nachle: Aaja Nachle means "let's dance" in Hindi. Dance plays an important role in Indian culture and this organization brings this part of Indian culture to the campus. Aaja Nachle focuses on teaching and learning Bollywood styles of dance including, but not limited to, Bhangra, Filmi Bollywood Fusion, "Item Dance", and Dandiya Raas.

  • Africa’s Legacy: The purpose of Africa’s Legacy is to provide an environment in which students are enriched by the study of many cultures, develop a positive self-image, and benefit from mutual support. This organization works to educate peers, acquaintances, faculty, and staff through cultural events and experiences. African diasporic cultures are emphasized but all cultures are welcome.
  • Arabic Club (Al-Nadi Al-‘Arabi): The Arabic Club aims to further expand the awareness of the Arab World through cultural events and biweekly discussion groups
  • Asian Community Coalition: The mission of ACC is to promote awareness of Asian cultures at McDaniel and the surrounding community.
  • Belly Dancing Club: Belly Dancing Club was created to introduce the art of belly dance to the college community. They learn moves from an instructor as well as basic self-taught moves. We also get to perform at different times throughout the school year.
  • Black Student Union: The purpose of the Black Student Union (BSU) is to promote the recognition and involvement of African American students at McDaniel College with the intention of creating a strong voice on campus and to make an impact on the decisions regarding students of the College Community. BSU promotes both academic and extracurricular programs to enhance and increase knowledge and appreciation of cultural diversity.
  • Curl Friends: Curl Friends purpose is to spread awareness and knowledge about natural hair. They host an annual Natural Hair Conference for students and community members at McDaniel College. They bring in YouTube personalities and a natural Hair psychologist to talk about natural hair its impact in the black/African American community.
  • GIRL: The purpose of GIRL is to open a space for Black women and other women of color in order to realize their presence at McDaniel College. Their goal is to have every woman who joins the organization leave feeling more confident than the day before and eventually reach their optimal level of confidence. They are committed to doing community service once a month to help fulfill their goal.
  • Hispano-Latinx Alliance: The Hispano-Latinx Alliance (HLA) is dedicated to giving Hispanic students a chance to express themselves and their heritage in a comfortable environment, and also to educate the McDaniel campus about Hispanic culture.
  • League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC): LULAC is a nationally affiliated student group. The Mission of the League of United Latin American Citizens is to advance the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of the Hispanic population of the United States. The McDaniel chapter is an organization comprised of student leaders that seek to make a difference and leave a lasting impact through their advocacy efforts aimed at advancing the rights and issues that affect the community. Students will have the chance to network, meet members of Congress and make friends with other LULAC student leaders from across the country.
  • Muslim Student Association: The McDaniel College Muslim Student’s Association will focus on providing a place of peace, safety and community for all students, no matter their background; to the best ability of every member; strengthen the brotherhood and sisterhood of students through Islam; and find success both on campus and off by improving our faith in Quran and Sunnah (teaching, deeds and saying of Prophet Muhammad).
  • McDaniel College’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance: The purpose of Allies is to serve as a bridge between the LGBTQ communities at McDaniel College, and as a constructive forum where members of the McDaniel community can express themselves without binding claim to sexual orientation, thereby working toward the greater goal of the UNDERSTANDING and ACCEPTANCE of LGBTQ individuals in society.

Stay Up-to-Date Learn More

Clubs and organizations are always changing. For a complete list of current clubs and organizations, visit The Arch, which has a comprehensive listing of up-to-date organizations.

Go to The Arch

An Inclusive Admissions Process

We realize that to ensure a truly diverse and inclusive campus, we must evaluate the point of entry to the college. Our admissions process is designed to identify and eliminate implicit bias and provide all applicants with a fair review. In addition to comprehensive training for admissions staff, we regularly review our admission policies and practices with the goal of increasing access. As part of these efforts, McDaniel has committed to:

  • A comprehensive and holistic review of every applicant that includes review of not just GPA but high school curriculum, out-of-class experiences and responsibilities (this includes traditional co-curricular experiences like student leadership and athletics as well as non-academic or co-curricular responsibilities such as work or taking care of a family member), letters of support and personal circumstances as revealed through essays.
  • A need-blind admissions process, where a family's wealth is not considered when an application is reviewed. At McDaniel, family income has no bearing on acceptance.
  • The elimination of an application fee.
  • A test-optional admissions policy, which allows students to determine if they would like to submit their test scores.
  • Utilizing applicant's Preferred Name on salutations in communications from the admissions office.

Additionally, McDaniel College admissions staff works hard to cultivate meaningful relationships with school counselors so that counselors feel comfortable advocating for students throughout the admissions process.

A Diverse Class Class of 2023

The Fall 2019 entering class was the most racially diverse in the college's history, reflecting our commitment to making McDaniel a diverse and inclusive community. However we recognize that our institutional profile does not yet reflect the diversity of our country and we are committed to expanding our efforts. Please note that all data is self-reported through the application.

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49%

White

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33%

Black or African American

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7%

Hispanic

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5%

Two or more races

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3%

Asian

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1%

Unknown

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.5%

American Indian or Alaska Native

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0%

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

At McDaniel College, we realize that social justice is a process that requires the commitment of the entire community. As McDaniel continues to affirm our commitment to racial justice, we welcome questions and recommendations at diversity@mcdaniel.edu.

Talk to us.

Learn more about the three leadership groups that will guide McDaniel’s strategy for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). The College is also in the process of creating a student leadership group focused on campus diversity, which will directly interface with the Board of Trustees.

DEI Leadership Groups
McDaniel College
2 College Hill
Westminster, MD, 21157
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