Brown-bag sessions planned to discuss 'Next Steps for the Climate' at St. Thomas
University of St. Thomas students, staff and faculty are invited to attend one of two upcoming brown-bag discussions on "The Next Steps for the Climate of the Campus."
They will be held:
- from noon to 2 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 20, in the Rogge-Leyden Room of Murray-Herrick Campus Center on the St. Paul campus;
- from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, in Room 201 of Opus Hall on the Minneapolis campus.
The university in the spring of 2007 embarked on a yearlong study of the campus climate and diversity, which included both quantitative and qualitative research. Global Lead Management Consulting Inc. was retained to conduct the study, which included focus-group sessions and a survey distributed to more than 13,000 members of the St. Thomas community.
Results of the research were announced in May by Father Dennis Dease, president. For more information, see the executive summary, recommendations and overall quantitative findings that were prepared by Global Lead. Dease's column announcing the findings can be found here.
Dease appointed three St. Thomas administrators to identify the next steps the university should take to implement the recommendations outlined in the Global Lead report. The administrators, who will host the brown bag sessions, are Dr. Susan Alexander, executive adviser in the president’s office; Dr. Lawrence Potter, executive director of institutional diversity; and Edna Comedy, associate vice president for human resources.
The brown-bag sessions will especially focus on the climate report's "Recommended Roadmap for Change."
"We want to hear from everyone," Comedy said. "The more perspectives we hear, the richer the action plan we develop and implement will be. Please join us."
A light lunch will be provided at the session on the St. Paul campus. Those attending the Minneapolis session are welcome to bring their own lunch; beverages will be provided.