September 22, 2021 - The Whitman Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (WIDE) Committee

The Whitman Inclusion, Diversity and Equity committee (WIDE) will hold its first meeting of the year later today. The WIDE committee is a collection of staff, students, and faculty who work in collaboration to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at the college. In February of 2015, then-Whitman College President George S. Bridges established WIDE as a standing committee with a number of specific responsibilities related to articulating and supporting the campus-wide work of inclusion, diversity and equity.

In the initial few years following its creation, WIDE completed several activities, including a campus climate survey and creation of a plan of recommended actions, that were important influences in developing and implementing Whitman’s current strategic priorities. The committee was also charged with ongoing review of and reporting on campus diversity, equity and inclusion efforts as well as acting as an advisory and educational body. 

The WIDE committee has evolved considerably since its development some seven years ago, but endeavors to remain true to its charge. Consistent with its mandate, the current iteration of WIDE functions in an advisory capacity to the president of the college and also engages in coordinated actions to enact institutional efforts around DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, antiracism). WIDE was responsible for organizing the Community Learning Days at the beginning of the calendar year and has contributed to a number of related activities. 

Additional information about WIDE can be found on Whitman’s website. If you are the designated DEIA person in your area, unit, department or would just like to get more involved in the College’s efforts to promote inclusive excellence, please send an email to diversity@whitman.edu. We will add you to an expanding network of DEIA ambassadors at the College.