Stevenson University’s Center for Diversity & Inclusion recently created an Alumni Committee to address an admitted lack in diversity within its own Associate Board. This new committee intends to host future events on campus and virtually to address issues such as diversity, inclusion, and race, among other issues, in relation to the school’s diverse alumni community, as well as the Mustang community at large.

Allison Cuneo, Assistant Vice President of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations at Stevenson, spoke about the committee’s necessity-based creation. “The Board itself, from the executive committee and then in conversation with the D&I Committee, the board itself really lacks representation and diversity at this point,” Cuneo said. “And that has become of the utmost importance. Something we really need to improve upon as we work to recruit new members is to have a more accurate representation of what our amazing student body is actually like.”

The Diversity & Inclusion Alumni Committee has planned several future events and offerings in an effort to mitigate this lack of representation and to encourage others to join. “We are currently working on a newsletter that will go out to all alumni each month,” said Jennifer Milam, the chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Alumni Committee. This newsletter will highlight alumni achievements, offer book recommendations for adults and children, list current SU initiatives and events, and feature information relevant to whatever the current “Heritage Month” theme might be.

Heritage Months at SU celebrate the school’s diverse communities and offer opportunities for the public to learn about them. On Thursday, April 22, for instance, SU’s CDI and Arts Alive! will honor Asian and Pacific Island American Heritage month through various art forms from the campus community.

Alumni involvement, and maintaining a diverse alumni board at Stevenson, is important to the health of the institution and community, Cuneo added. “When alums remain active within our community, they continue to enhance the student experience,” she said.

Those interested in the upcoming Diversity & Inclusion Alumni Committee’s newsletter or in becoming active within Stevenson’s Alumni Association can visit the group’s Facebook Page or contact Allison Cuneo at [email protected].