Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Inclusivity and equity are a mindset and a practice. When embraced, they will affect all aspects of the living-learning community at Jewell, and we are charting a course to do just that. Jewell is working to be a more welcoming, anti-racist campus and support equity and diversity of people, perspectives and values. We invite you to visit this page regularly to stay up to date as we develop plans of action to move the institution forward.
A statement From Dr. Rodney Smith
Vice President for Access and Engagement
At William Jewell College, we are intentional about the values of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. We have committed ourselves to create an environment where all stakeholders feel included and experience a deep sense of belonging. We believe this can only be accomplished by upholding the belief that every person is of the utmost importance and deserves dignity and respect. We embrace these principles, not only, because they are the right thing to do, but we believe the world cannot succeed without them. We know intuitively, as well as empirically, that we are a much better society when we garner the perspectives of people who think, believe, look and live differently than we do. Diverse environments outperform homogenous ones! When we embrace this notion, we produce better outcomes—better communicators, better colleagues, better friends, and ultimately, better citizens.
In the end, we strive for both intellectual and cultural humility, which speaks to an openness to learn and reciprocate learning with our entire community. We invite you to join us as we build a Jewell community that fully reflects our vast country and ever-evolving world.