Grand Valley State University is among the first cohort of institutions to be granted the coveted DOIT (DiverseOrganizational Impact and Transformation) Certification. So, in this episode, Diverse host Ralph Newell sits down with the institution's president, Dr. Philomena Mantella, to discuss the recognition and Mantella’s mission to improve the social mobility of young adults through education.
Don’t miss this conversation focused on action, improved pathways to education, working alongside the community, and setting the tone in DEI work in higher education with Mantella.
KEY POINTS:
QUOTABLES:
“The opportunities we have with diverse students or students that have been underserved or underrepresented in higher education is to give them that sense of possibility that perhaps they haven't contemplated before.”
“I get really frustrated when I hear people say things like, ‘we don't have enough talent.’ Because we are leaving so many people out of the knowledge economy or not relating to other educational pathways more seamlessly, creating these ceilings.”
“We see the promise of individuals of all backgrounds, but we understand that those structures of systemic inequity are really inhibiting the equality of opportunity.”
