As one of the Association’s Strategic Values, integral to the fabric of the newly adopted Strategic Plan, promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion is an essential component of inspiring healthy people and healthy communities.
When it comes down to it, our sweet spot—as leaders in collegiate recreation—is in our shared capacity to inspire healthy people and healthy communities; unsurprisingly, issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion are often at the core of collegiate recreation missions. Creating and extending meaningful opportunities for our community members to participate in inclusive and sustainable opportunities to engage in recreation, sport, and fitness activities is a crucial part of our work. And from our Association’s founding, they are also domains which are deeply woven into the tapestry of our Association’s history.
It is in this long (though admittedly imperfect) tradition that NIRSA is proud to announce the Association’s Statement for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Drafted by the NIRSA Commission for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and wholeheartedly adopted by the Board of Directors, the statement will help guide future efforts of the Association and shape the cultivation of best-practices and other shared resources.
The Commission engaged in extensive environmental scanning and a thorough literature review as they worked to craft a statement that articulates NIRSA’s position, the underlying beliefs, and specific actions through which we realize our values. Out of their good work, we can clearly and proudly say: NIRSA celebrates equity, diversity, and inclusiveness. We embrace these pillars of excellence as crucial to healthy people and healthy communities.
Members continue to express a need for additional resources, information, and research in various domains related to equity, diversity, and inclusion. In fact, 100% of the proposals for the 2013 NIRSA Collegiate Recreation Research Grant were rooted in topics of equity, diversity, or inclusion. And while we recognize and celebrate the good work being done in this arena by NIRSA members, we know there is much more that needs to be done.
“As the Association moves forward with this Statement for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in hand, we know that our impact will be extended when our members are invested and actively working to sew our values.”
As the Association moves forward with this Statement for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in hand, we know that our impact will be extended when our members are invested and actively working to sew our values. So, tell us what is happening on your campus. What are your successes? What challenges do you face? If you haven’t already, join the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Community of Practice and engage the discussion and share your resources.
