The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has released Pratt Institute’s first Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Progress Report. The extensive document, now available to explore online, chronicles the past two years of cultivating a campus where all students, faculty, and staff can thrive.
The Pratt DEI Team, SGA DEI Chair, and CEI Student Workers with 2020 MLK Breaking Bread Keynote Speaker (photo by Samuel Herrera)
The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has released Pratt Institute’s first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Progress Report. The extensive document, now available to explore online, chronicles the past two years of cultivating a campus where all students, faculty, and staff can thrive.
Since Pratt’s DEI Strategic Plan was finalized in 2018, important progress has been made toward nurturing a welcoming environment for the whole Pratt community; recruiting and retaining diverse students, faculty, and staff; and expanding outreach to the external community. This work has been led by the DEI Office and DEI Council, both overseen by Vice President Nsombi B. Ricketts. The DEI Office oversees the Center for Equity and Inclusion (CEI) which was established in 2016 and is led by Director of DEI Jazmin Peralta. The DEI Team also includes Program Coordinator Tyler Cino Maradiaga and Administrative Assistant Meg Humphrey.
“I am very proud of everything my team has accomplished in the last two years,” Ricketts said. “We look forward to our continued partnerships with students, faculty, staff and alumni to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in the Pratt community.”
In its productive two years on campus, the DEI Office has made significant progress in fostering campus partnerships with other offices, organizations, and student groups, and organizing robust year-round programming, from the Community Dialogue Series featuring timely conversations on identity, current events, and social justice, to annual events recognizing national heritage and history months. The DEI Office has also partnered with other units and divisions to launch collaborative initiatives like the Pratt Food Pantry, Student Diversity Advisory Board, Staff Council, Search Advocates, and the fall 2019 Campus Climate Survey.
In the coming academic year, the DEI Office plans to sustain and expand its established initiatives such as the DEI Allies Training Certificate Program, which educates faculty and staff on gender and sexuality, allyship, bias, and cultural appreciation. Details on these and other programs, as well as further information on DEI at Pratt, are now available on the recently expanded DEI website.
The report also explores programs and initiatives beyond the DEI Office, demonstrating how across schools, units, and departments there are dedicated efforts to support DEI goals for students, faculty, and staff. Together, the Pratt community can continue to build on these foundational two years and look ahead to more ways to improve the Pratt experience for all.
Read the full Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 2019-2020 Progress Report and find more information on the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion website.