Bucknell Joins Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance as Inaugural Member

Building on its strategic commitment to strengthening inclusion, equity and access on campus, Bucknell University has joined a group of leading institutions as an inaugural member of the new Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance. Led by the University of Southern California Race and Equity Center, this consortium of more than 50 colleges and universities will share strategies and leverage their resources to make a collective impact on racial equity in higher education.

"Bucknell is proud to be an inaugural member of this alliance," says President John Bravman. "By combining our efforts with those of other liberal arts schools through regular meetings and planning sessions, Bucknell will be better positioned to swiftly and effectively address race-related issues in our campus community."

Resources of the alliance will include learning sessions that emphasize actionable strategies and tools; a virtual portal accessible to every employee of member institutions; and monthly meetings of alliance presidents. Annual campus climate surveys of alliance members will also gauge conditions and progress as perceived by faculty, staff and students. Data from these surveys will be shared among member institutions, enabling Bucknell to share its success and learn from the accomplishments of others in building more equitable and inclusive communities.

Bucknell's alliance partnership will be managed by Nikki Young, associate provost for equity & inclusive excellence.

"Bucknell's investment in this exciting new initiative underscores the importance of building a foundation of inclusion, equity and access on campus," Young says. "Being a member of this alliance provides us a broader perspective from peer institutions and important resources as we address social injustice and create accountability structures to benefit our marginalized people here at Bucknell."

Bucknell's membership in the alliance advances the University's goal of building and strengthening a foundation of inclusion, equity and access on campus — a strategic commitment of the Plan for Bucknell 2025. It adds to a host of other recent initiatives to support racial equity at the University, including the establishment of a University-wide Anti-racism Task Force and the naming of faculty Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Fellows, as well as the elevation of Young's position to the University's senior leadership team. The University has also strengthened its financial aid resources to promote a more diverse student body, an effort it aims to grow in the coming years.

"As I've expressed, we can and must do better to ensure that all Bucknellians feel welcome and fully supported in this community," Bravman says. "I look forward to working closely with other founding alliance member schools who share this fundamental goal. As leaders in higher education, we have a special obligation to advance anti-racist dialogue and action in the United States and beyond. Our work with the alliance will augment our individual efforts to make fighting racism a permanent part of everything we do at Bucknell."

Bucknell joins the following institutions in the alliance:

The USC Race and Equity Center will manage data collection and analysis for the alliance.