TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Indiana State University officials gathered Friday to recognize employees and students who are leading the way to make campus more inclusively excellent.
First presented in
2016, the annual Inclusive Excellence Award recognizes outstanding efforts and
significant contributions toward creating diverse, inclusive, equitable and
socially just departments and communities. Nominees are identified for their
commitment and dedication to serving students, as well as creating a more
equitable workplace. Awards are selected by the President’s Council on
Inclusive Excellence.
Venita Stallings,
an adviser in University College, was presented the staff award. The Bayh
College of Education’s Colleagues Helping Implement Lifelong Learning (CHILL)
was recognized with the student organization award.
“To the students
and Venita, who is a long-serving quality colleague on campus: This is an
important moment,” said ISU President Deborah Curtis. “It’s not just to thank
you. It’s a ‘well-done’ for the work you’ve done. You’ve become role models for
others.”
CHILL provides
education majors the opportunity to engage in mentorships that build a
community based on professionalism, leadership and collaboration through an
innovative, cross-curricular approach. The organization strives to create
opportunities for students to offer firsthand accounts of their own experiences
in the teacher education program at Indiana State.
“Thanks for taking
the time to recognize what we do in the community and for our fellow education
majors,” said Andrew Brown, a middle school math teaching major from
Crawfordsville, Ind.
Rana Johnson, who
joined the Indiana State staff Sept. 1 as the associate vice president of
inclusive excellence and strategic planning, served as the luncheon’s emcee.
“As I work with
administrators, faculty, staff and students at ISU to develop tactical programming,
strategic best practices and unique partnerships, I endeavor to ensure that our
university is an institution that others wish to imitate — but can never
duplicate,” Johnson said. “I must also highlight the Inclusive Excellence
Committee Members and the important work they do — oftentimes going above and
beyond their daily responsibilities to promote equity and inclusion across the
campus community — as well as the local community of Terre Haute. Your work
does not go unnoticed. I thank you. We thank you!”
Curtis praised
Johnson for her “amazing set of experiences and credentials” and said she was
glad to call her a colleague.
“I’m so grateful to
Dr. Johnson for putting her stamp on the way we’re going to engage. This is the
start of something really big,” Curtis said.
