A Brief History of the Diversity Initiative
The Diversity Initiative traces its origins to the President's Commission on Campus Climate and Life. That Commission, chaired by Professor Dalton Miller-Jones, was charged by then-President Daniel O. Bernstine with investigating “ways to significantly improve the student learning experiences at Portland State University . . . .” The Commission quickly decided that the quality of the student experience could “not be disassociated” with the workplace environment for faculty and staff. In considering Portland State’s campus climate, therefore, the Commission considered what the Portland State experience was for students, faculty, and staff alike.
Between January 1998 and September 1998, the Commission convened at least two hours each week. The Commission reviewed existing reports and documents, listened to constituencies from across campus discuss their programs, concerns, interests, and future directions, and reflected on what changes would most benefit the quality of campus life at PSU and the student learning experiences. Four open forums were held to allow individuals from across the campus to express concerns about campus life. The Commission established a home page to disseminate and collect additional information . . . (Report of the Commission on Campus Climate and Life. Summer 1998. P.1) Following receipt of the Commission’s report in 1999, President Bernstine established the President’s Diversity Initiative and assigned Professor Devorah Lieberman, then Director of the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), the responsibility for advancing the Diversity Initiative (as well as presidential initiatives on Assessment, Student Advising, and Internationalization). Professor Lieberman established the Diversity Action Council, which developed a Diversity Action Plan and initiated a number of programs that still exist today. The CAE incubated the presidential initiatives well. By spring, 2006, the Internationalization Initiative was established under the Vice Provost for Internationalization; the Student Advising Initiative was being reestablished under the aegis of the Vice Provost for Student Affairs, and the Assessment Initiative was assigned to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies. At that point, only the Diversity Initiative had not yet been made a permanent part of the institutional structure. Following the Spring, 2006 reorganization of the CAE, President Bernstine decided to establish a free-standing Office of the President’s Diversity Initiative (OPDI). The new office was staffed by personnel previously assigned to the CAE and continued the Diversity Initiative’s established programs, such as the Diversity Action Council, DAHRT (the Diversity Action Hiring and Retention Team), and PSUnity. In November of 2007, Interim President Michael F. Reardon moved to establish that office as a permanent part of Portland State’s institutional structure. This office, whose director reports directly to the president, continues the work of the Diversity Initiative.
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