Dear Members of the Campus Community,

This note begins the communications that you will receive regarding the Council on Equity and Inclusion.  You can read more about the Council in the Working Group’s May 2018 report.  President Anderson and Board chair Larry Stranghoener’s announcement of the establishment of the Council outlined its membership as follows:

The Membership of the Council:

— A Chair selected by the Chair of the Board of Regents and the President.

— 2 members of the President’s Leadership Team, selected by the PLT.

— 2 faculty members, one elected by the faculty through its established governance process and the other selected by the Dean’s Council.

— 2 members of the staff, one elected by the exempt staff and the other elected by the non-exempt staff.

— 2 students, one elected by the Student Government Association and the other jointly selected by the Council Chair and the President of SGA.

— 1 alumnus/alumna of the College selected by the Alumni Board.

The Student Government Association, the Faculty Governance Committee, the Alumni Board, and Human Resources have begun the work of conducting elections of representatives from their constituencies. We expect that each of these organizations will use its established processes for identifying and electing candidates.  In my capacity as chair, I am also charged with selecting one of the two faculty representatives, which I will do in consultation with the Deans Council, and, in partnership with SGA president Sarah Freyermuth, selecting a second student representative. We will make the selections once the elections are complete.  It will take a couple of weeks for SGA, FGC, HR, and the Alumni Board to develop lists of candidates and conduct elections. Once the work of election and selection is done, I will share with you the entire slate of members.

I am eager for the work of the Council to begin. Particularly in this divisive time in our national discourse, ensuring fairness and inclusiveness in our own St. Olaf community is a pressing matter. I am confident in our capacity — as individuals and together as the campus community — to advance the college and each other. Thank you for what you do to advance St. Olaf.

Marci Sortor
Chair of the Council on Equity and Inclusion
Provost and Dean of the College
Professor of History