UMHB Announces Next Steps to Address Racism

Students, Alumni, Faculty, and Staff:

In June, I announced that our university would be taking steps this fall to identify and eliminate the biases that contribute to racism on our campus. We have made progress this summer, and I want to give you an update on this important initiative.

• We have engaged the consulting group Renew Partnerships to guide us as we take a deep look at how racism is affecting people of color on our campus. Renew Partnerships has an established track record in helping colleges identify sources of racial injustice and how to address those problems in practical and biblically sound ways.
• I have asked our Senior Vice President for Administration and COO, Dr. Steve Theodore, to establish in the coming weeks a special committee to collaborate with Renew Partnerships in this endeavor.
• Next month, students, faculty, and staff will be invited to participate in an online and anonymous “climate survey” through Renew Partnerships to measure key racial dynamics in our campus community. These broad-based, detailed survey results will help us learn more about how we can improve the UMHB experience for persons of color.
• Renew Partnerships will also be conducting in-depth training with the university’s leadership team in the next few weeks to expand our own understanding of this important issue. In preparation for this training, the members of the President’s Council are completing a self-inventory, which helps identify how equipped we are currently to work toward racial justice and unity.

I also want to remind everyone that UMHB has an established process to report concerns of discrimination. More information can be found on the university’s online reporting site at umhb.edu/report-it.

Please join me in prayer as we build on these initial steps. We will share more information as our work together progresses.

Randy O’Rear, Ed.D
President