January 5, 2016
Dear Students,
Happy new year and welcome back to campus!
CSL has a profound commitment to the diversity of our community and is focused on creating an environment where students can thrive. Dialogues about diversity and inclusion will be taking place throughout the month of January, and we’d like to draw your attention to some key events.
On January 11, the entire campus community is invited to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at Rockefeller Chapel and reflect on our collective responsibility to work towards a more equitable society. This year the event will feature a key note address from CNN contributor and author, Van Jones, as well as a conversation with special guest, Nikki Giovanni, poet and Distinguished Professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and Theaster Gates, Professor in the Department of Visual Arts and the College, and Director of Arts + Public Life. The MLK celebration website has information about the community reception that follows the event and the small group dialogues taking place across campus during the week leading up to the celebration. It also has more information about an interactive element called the Change Exchange, which gives members of our campus community a chance to join in a conversation about history, hope, and responsibility by sharing a quote or story that has shaped their understanding of history and our collective responsibilities as a society.
Organized by the University Community Service Center (UCSC) in partnership with the UChicago Lab Schools, UChicago Charter Schools and the nonprofit City Year Chicago, the Martin Luther King Weekend of Service will take place on Saturday, January 16, and Monday, January 18. On Saturday, student, faculty and staff volunteers will serve more than 25 community-based organizations on the south and west sides of Chicago. On Monday, hundreds of volunteers from across the city will come together to beautify Thomas Kelly High School and Brighton Park Elementary School with murals, paintings and construction projects. To register for this and learn more about other community service opportunities, please visit UCSC’s website.
On January 7, 12, and 14, students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate in Climate Survey Forums where participants will have an opportunity to provide feedback on issues of diversity and campus climate to the members of the Steering Committee who are guiding the development and implementation of the 2016 Climate Survey. More information is available on the Climate Survey Project website.
We also encourage you to visit the Campus and Student Life web site where you can learn more about a wide array of programs and services designed to support College, graduate, and professional students; to foster campus community and student engagement; and to complement your academic work and enrich your student experience.
You are always welcome to contact us directly – we appreciate hearing from students. Also remember that if you need support, resources such as Title IX Coordinators, Dean-on-Call, Student Health and Counseling, and Spiritual Life are available to you.
We wish you the best during the Winter Quarter.
Karen Warren Coleman
Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services
vpcampuslife@uchicago.edu
Michele Rasmussen
Dean of Students in the University
dos-university@uchicago.edu