On Nov. 14, 2024, Drury University faculty members voted unanimously to reaffirm their commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). The faculty released a resolution that reaffirms and reissues the faculty DEI statement originally published in April 2022 with an additional paragraph that reinforces their support.

Quoting the DEI statement, the resolution states “‘advancing the creation of a diverse and inclusive environment where every member of our community will treat each other with dignity and respect’ must be an ongoing, active, and recurrent process.”

The resolution calls on the Drury community to acknowledge and reject “all forms of hate, marginalization, or dehumanization” to foster inclusivity. 

“Diversity and inclusion is one of the guiding principles for Drury,” said Dr. Michael Verney, professor of history. Verney served as the resolution’s primary writer with support from faculty across campus. “I’m deeply inspired by the spirit of Drury. The goal of our liberal arts education is to dignify and uplift and inspire all of our students to be able to achieve their dreams.”

Verney says the resolution represents the faculty’s stance in solidarity with Drury’s administration. “DEI here at Drury is really at the heart and soul of what we do,” he said. “If we ever back away from that, we would really be trespassing against who it is that we are.”

On Oct. 16, 2024, Drury president Dr. Jeff Frederick echoed his support for DEI in an email to all Drury students. “Dignity and respect are moral currencies in this world where all of us can feel welcome and comfortable, and free to be the person we choose to be.”

The resolution reached its unanimous decision quickly at the November 14 meeting. Prior to the meeting, 42 faculty members had already agreed to co-sponsor the resolution, and many more wanted to join during the meeting. 

“Generally, you introduce something under new business, then it is actionable at the next meeting or after 30 days,” said Verney. “In this case, one of our faculty members suggested that we waive that requirement and just pass it now.”

The resolution is primarily in response to campus-related incidents that occurred earlier in the Fall 2024 semester, but it also responds to discrimination occurring in the Springfield community and across the nation. The statement is student-focused both to prioritize student safety on campus and to encourage students to uphold Drury’s DEI values.

Dr. Tim Robbins, professor of Spanish, emphasizes the importance of the student focus. “We value a place where everyone will feel comfortable and welcome, because you have to feel safe before you can learn.”

Prior to this resolution, some faculty and staff members taped copies of the university’s DEI statement outside their offices. Dr. Richard Schur, professor of English and director of Drury’s honors program, says that this action helped professors communicate their individual support for their students. Representing all Drury faculty, the resolution reassures students that no matter where they go on campus, they will find safety and support.

“We wanted to give faculty and staff an opportunity to basically say, ‘In this office, in this space, we adhere to this policy,’” said Schur. “We also thought it would be more powerful for students if there was a resolution that came from the faculty reaffirming that, so that students could see that no matter where they were on campus, that that was how faculty felt.”

Dr. Katherine Gilbert, professor of English, served as the facilitator of a faculty affairs subcommittee, which produced the faculty DEI statement. Like Verney, Gilbert collaborated with other faculty members to draft a statement acknowledging all voices in the Drury community to create the most inclusive DEI policies possible.

Gilbert says this resolution emphasizes the need for communities open to conversation despite differences. She states the resolution “is clearly against certain things and behaviors, but it’s also aware that this is a group project, and we’re all in it. Everyone is invited to show up and participate.”

DEI is often misunderstood as only applying to race, gender, or sexual orientation. The DEI statement and the resolution define diversity broadly to include not only the above, but also religious affiliations, social classes, and disabilities.

“People often think that statements like these are about somehow identifying who’s racist and who’s not,” said Gilbert. “Instead, it’s helping people to see and understand how things operate or function, so that everyone is empowered to create a welcoming space.”

Faculty hope that this resolution fosters community on campus, so that students with apprehension or questions about DEI can be honest and receive guidance and support. 

“I want to reassure [students] that they are not alone in wanting to address and speak the truth,” said Gilbert. “Faculty have their backs.”

Students interested in getting involved with DEI efforts on campus can explore groups who emphasize DEI awareness, such as Black United Independent Collegiate (BUIC), Sociedad de Orgullo Latino (SOL), and Drury Allies. 

“Start small,” said Robbins. “Identify a group that works with your interests. See where you can go and also know that there’s plenty of faculty who would be more than happy to help with the hard work that can be DEI.”

Schur encourages students to see college as a time for exploration. “College is this rare, special moment in most people’s lives where you’re around people who think differently than you, come from different backgrounds than you, and this is the time to get to know people.”

This resolution reaffirms Drury’s DEI promise to its current and incoming students, but there is still plenty of work left to do. 

“DEI work is never done,” Schur said. “We’ve never created the world that could possibly be as good as it can be. DEI at Drury means being self-critical, honest, and always trying to improve.”

If you’re interested in reading the full resolution, contact Dr. Michael Verney at mverney@drury.edu. For more information on Drury University’s DEI policies, visit Drury’s website (www.drury.edu) or contact Dr. Rosalyn Thomas at rthomas005@drury.edu.