Director discusses efforts to increase diversity among faculty and graduate students

The ObserverThe Observer Top Stories Pamela Young, the University’s first director for academic diversity and inclusion, shared some of Notre Dame’s efforts to recruit more diverse faculty, staff and graduate students in a lecture Monday night in DeBartolo Hall.
“I think there are some things you have to think about that are inherent to the University,” Young said. “I remind myself of those factors on a daily basis. We’re a faith-based institution in a faith that is white, male and has a very strong hierarchy. That’s the context for the things that can get done.”
Young said some of the “beginning efforts” of the University included having all academic units complete diversity and inclusion plans and designate a diversity and inclusion representative.

Part of Young’s efforts include conducting workshops on a variety of topics related to diversity and inclusion, including cultural competency and issues related to race, class and gender.
“If there’s any area of my responsibility that I would say that’s working very well, it’s in that area,” she said. “I get a request to do a workshop, I put it together and I deliver it.”
Along with director of staff diversity and inclusion Eric Love, Young said one initiative over the past year to address issues surrounding diversity and inclusion was to create a “practitioner’s group.”
“I like the word ‘practitioner’ because I don’t see myself as an expert,” she said. “I don’t really believe anyone is an expert in this because you’re constantly learning and improving.
“We gather monthly — faculty and staff — to talk about issues of concern. In February, we talked about [University President Fr. John Jenkin’s] decision not to make Notre Dame a sanctuary campus.”
While Notre Dame staff members receive information about diversity and inclusion regarding recruiting as part of their training program in a module ...


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