Ongoing Work in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The School has:
Adopted an overarching school Anti-Racism and Inclusivity Statement
Developed department-specific anti-racism and inclusivity statements
Expanded the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office by adding an Associate Dean of DEI
Hired a Director of Human Resources to better support employee culture
More than doubled LGBTQIA+ faculty from the 2021-22 school year
Increased formal support of student affinity groups
Updated the Student Handbook with formalized protocols for reporting and responding to bias-related incidents
Held regular required DEIJ training with Liza Talusan for faculty and staff
Hosted Jared Fox for full faculty training on LGBTQIA+ topics
Held anti-bias training for faculty with the Anti-Defamation League
Sponsored faculty and staff attendance at the National Diversity Practitioner’s Institute (NDPI)
Incorporated DEI reflection and feedback into evaluation tool for faculty members
Maintained its ongoing assembly series of guest speakers, artists, and workshop leaders to engage the School in discussion on a wide range of topics related to equity and inclusion
Established “REP” --a student performance group that focuses on issues of racial equity and identity-based biases-- as a fixture of student orientation
Hosted OUT MetroWest for school-wide discussion on LGBTQIA+ issues
Established funding for the Kenneth E. Whitlock, Jr. Black History Month Endowed Speaker event
Updated responsibilities of the Equity and Inclusion Officer senior leadership position
Diversified required texts in freshman and sophomore English courses
Expanded electives for seniors in English and history
Refined the “Unraveling Racism” module for juniors in U.S History courses
Amplified study of the Jewish experience in all three history courses across freshmen, sophomores, and juniors
The Board of Trustees has:
Reviewed and renewed governance practices and structure to facilitate improved communication channels between the Trustees and Middlesex administration
Prioritized dedicated time for trustees to meet with students to hear feedback both in-person and remotely
Established new structure for Trustee Committees to meet remotely prior to on-campus meetings to allow the full board better opportunity to discuss high priority topics
Participated in regular DEI training as a full board
Incorporated DEI training in the new trustee orientation process
Sponsored anti-bias training for the Head of School Search Committee
While continuing to support and enhance the initiatives listed above, Middlesex plans to:
Hold ongoing conversations specific to gender inclusion policies and inclusive spaces
Continue our focus on broadening the diversity of both the Middlesex faculty and Board of Trustees
Engage in thoughtful analysis of discipline data to assess which populations, if any, are disproportionately represented across the discipline process
Continue our assessment of financial needs of families including all aspects of a Middlesex education and experience
Begin office-specific training for both the Admissions and Alumni/Development Offices
Work with the Middlesex Alumni Association to create better channels of communication and feedback between alumni, the Board, and the School