Harvard University’s Task Force on Inclusion and Belonging advised the university to avoid “over-reliance on indicators of excellence that systematically favor historically dominant groups” in a report released Monday.
The report, published by the 46-person task force, also suggested that the university create a center revolving around either inclusion and belonging or identity, politics, and culture, according to The Washington Free Beacon.
The task force advocates for “inclusive excellence,” saying “the goal of recruitment, promotion, and retention will be to maximize excellence and diversity simultaneously.” The report does not advise which concept Harvard should favor if excellence and diversity are ever at odds.
The task force recommends that Harvard “use public art and symbols to bring 21st century Harvard into visibility in public spaces and shared experiences.”
The report also advises the university to amend certain segments of its statement of values, changing “leadership” to “inclusive leadership” and adding a commitment to “inclusive excellence” to community members’ commitments to education and scholarship. “Responsibility for cultivating the bonds and bridges that enable all to grow with and learn from one another” is appended in a bullet-point segment of the statement.
Harvard spokeswoman Tania deLuzuriaga stressed that the report was a “discussion draft of an executive summary for its report-in-progress” to The Daily Caller News Foundation.
“The goal of releasing this discussion draft is to engage the University community in testing and refining the work to date,” deLuzuriaga told TheDCNF. “The Task Force expects further revisions to result from this process of campus discussion before a report is finalized. The final report will be issued by the start of spring semester.”
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