Dear Siena Community,
The President’s Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion (PACDI) held its biannual meeting of the fall semester on December 8. Throughout the year, committee representatives work in partnership with colleagues on campus and in the community to make progress on eleven priorities identified in 2020 as areas of focus necessary toward advancing racial justice at Siena.
In advance of the December 8 PACDI meeting, the point person for each of the eleven priority areas drafted an executive summary with key updates. Those summaries were collected and shared with the committee in advance of the meeting and can be viewed here.
Much of the meeting was focused specifically on the priority area of student retention. Glenn Braddock '95, Ph.D., associate vice president for Academic Affairs, reported on the research, findings, and recommendations produced this year by the Student Retention and Success Committee (SRSC). Glenn’s slide deck on Equity in Retention & Graduation Recommendations can be viewed here. (The slides and key area updates have also been posted to the Strengthening the Bonds of Racial Justice page on the Siena website.)
Glenn’s presentation highlights a critical challenge Siena faces: there is a gap that must be closed between the retention and graduation rates of white students and students of color. The gap, as illustrated on slide two, widens over the course of four years and is more pronounced for men than women. The SRSC made several recommendations that are listed and expanded upon in the slides. Among the recommendations: design and implement a peer mentoring program; invest in a student retention and success software system; and redesign the withdrawal process for students who indicate they are withdrawing for financial reasons.
Following the presentation, Cynthia Isaac Douge ’23, a member of the Student Presidential Leadership Council, facilitated a Q&A with committee members and provided her own perspective, as a woman of color, on the challenges and proposed actions.
Elham Malik ’22, who is serving a one-year commitment as an AmeriCorps VISTA through the College’s Center for Academic Community Engagement, participated in the meeting. Afterwards, she shared her thoughts with the President’s Office via email. Included in her reflection:
“Working in the nonprofit sector as a program development coordinator has shown me that what we are working on is NOT easy, providing me a professional perspective that I did not have as a student. It's not easy to be on the opposing end of structural inequality as a student, and it is no easier trying to dismantle and rebuild these struggles. I say all of this as I want to fully express my gratitude for the work the team is putting in; the College is making enormous strides, and I am so incredibly impressed to hear and see everyone's work.”
I am deeply grateful to Elham and Cynthia for accepting an invitation to the meeting and for sharing their voices. As Elham noted, the work is not easy, but I believe it to be fundamentally crucial to our mission. Any progress, no matter how small, leads to a better Siena College, but keep in mind, our sights are not set on small gains. We’ll continue to work tirelessly, together, to build a more inclusive community for all.
Sincerely,
Chris Gibson