Raising the Banner of Diversity

Adelphi is more diverse than it’s ever been, with more than 45 percent of its students identifying as non-white, and 19 different diversity organizations where students can find community, engagement and friendship.

Now the University has launched a campaign celebrating this diversity and welcoming students of every race and ethnicity, culture, faith and sexual orientation back to campus.

Celebrating Adelphi’s Diversity Organizations

“Many Voices. One Adelphi.” takes the message of diversity, equity and inclusion to the streets and walkways in the form of colorful banners around campus, a line of merchandise in the campus store and special online badges for students. The banners feature a custom logo alongside the names of the organizations that reflect the University’s exceptional diversity. They include Black Students United, the Latino Student Association, the South Asian Student Association, Sikhs United, the Chabad Jewish Student Group, the Muslim Student Association, the Indigenous Peoples Awareness Coalition, the Caribbean Student Union, the Korean Entertainment and Culture Club, the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, and many others.

“It’s a comprehensive signage, merchandising and digital campaign to welcome our students and faculty back to campus,” said Jacqueline Jones LaMon, JD, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). “We’ve put banners on walkways, there’s signage for transportation hubs and, later this fall, there will be merchandise in the campus store.”

Welcoming diversity online

The logo has even been turned into a special Zoom background that students and faculty can download for use in online classes. “There’s a chance that some classes may continue to meet remotely, due to COVID, so we covered the online angle as well,” LaMon said. By dropping the Zoom background behind them in an online class, faculty and students can show their support for the diversity of our community without setting foot on campus.

“While we offered a full array of services during the height of the pandemic, when all classes were taught remotely, there were members of our community who felt isolated—who didn’t feel that connected to the University,” she said. “No matter what happens this year, we want to ensure that every student knows that we are open and that we are present and here for them.”

“Many Voices. One Adelphi.” is also part of a campaign to reward students who take some of the DEI training programs offered by Adelphi. These programs teach students to be more understanding and supportive of minority students’ life experiences. And broadening students’ views about people who are not like them is the key to making Adelphi an inclusive environment.

Signs of progress

The banners tell the world about the measurable gains Adelphi has made with its DEI efforts over the past few years, including:

Adelphi’s overall rating on the Campus Pride Index (CPI), a nationally recognized measure of LGBTQ friendliness, has increased to 87 percent, up from 57 percent five years ago. Adelphi earned perfect scores from the CPI in three areas: LGBTQ Counseling and Health, LGBTQ Campus Safety, and LGBTQ Recruitment and Retention.

Adelphi’s student body, staff and faculty have grown more diverse. Underrepresented populations among students increased by 20 percent from 2015 to 2019 and rose by 50 percent among new faculty.

Adelphi was selected by the Association of American Colleges and Universities as a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Center, one of only 23 institutions of higher education chosen for this program.

“We want to make sure our community is aware of the good work that is going on at Adelphi,” LaMon said, “and that everywhere students turn, they are reminded of the goals and priorities of the University in making this a welcoming campus.”