Walker College Inclusive Excellence team to host Diversity & Inclusion Virtual Town Hall on Aug. 20, seeks input to inform diversity, equity and inclusion action plan

The Walker College of Business (WCOB) at Appalachian State University is seeking input from its business students, faculty and staff members to inform a diversity, equity and inclusion action plan for the 2020-21 academic year. To be involved, members of the college's Inclusive Excellence Team will host a Diversity & Inclusion Virtual Town Hall on Thursday, August 20 at 5:30 p.m.

According to assistant professor of management and inclusive excellence team member Jacqueline Tilton, the town hall event will be "a time of listening." Tilton, whose research aims to understand and give voice to the disparate experiences of diverse employees and additionally discover the mechanisms that serve to mitigate or exacerbate organizational and societal inequality, will co-facilitate the conversation.

Tilton will be joined by co-facilitators Erich Schlenker, Director of Appalachian's Center for Entrepreneurship, and Jamie Anderson Parson, Assistant Professor of Finance. Parson also serves as the college's Inclusive Excellence Team chair and was recently appointed Acting Co-Director for the Center for Academic Excellence Inclusive Excellence Team.

"We invite everyone to come and share their thoughts and stories," said Parson. "We hope to use these to inform our plans for educating students, faculty and staff in the future."

Parson added that the facilitators hope to learn where there is consensus among community members. She said that the town hall event will allow each participant the opportunity to speak, and that the facilitators will be minimizing their own voices in order to allow the greatest amount of time to hear from others. "We invite everyone to share their thoughts and stories," she said.

Register

The event is open to any Appalachian State University community member, with an aim of reaching business students, faculty and staff members. Register and view the proposed plan online, business.appstate.edu/diversity.

About Inclusive Excellence in the Walker College of Business

We foster a culture that values diversity and we intentionally include people and perspectives from diverse cultures, worldviews, backgrounds, traditions and ways of life. We know that diversity takes many forms, including, but not limited to, diversity of Age, (Dis)ability, Cultural Background, Educational Background, Gender Expression, Gender Identity, Geographical Region, National Origin, Neurodiversity, Race and Ethnicity, Religion, Sexual Orientation/Sexuality, Socioeconomic Status/Social Class and Veteran Status. We believe organizations that value people from a multitude of backgrounds have a competitive advantage in global industry and that business can empower change on a grand scale when guided by just, inclusive and equitable principles.

About the Walker College of Business

The Walker College of Business at Appalachian State University delivers transformational educational experiences that prepare and inspire students to be ethical, innovative and engaged business leaders who positively impact our community, both locally and globally. The college places emphasis on international experiences, sustainable business practices, entrepreneurial programs and real-world applications with industry. Enrolling approximately 3,000 undergraduates in 10 majors and 175 graduate students in three master's programs, the Walker College is accredited by AACSB International – the premier global accrediting body for schools of business. Learn more at business.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the state of North Carolina, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls more than 19,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.

Walker College Inclusive Excellence team to host Diversity & Inclusion Virtual Town Hall on Aug. 20, seeks input to inform diversity, equity and inclusion action plan
Published: Aug 11, 2020 10:52pm

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