Academy Offers Faculty DEI Training

In advance of students’ returns to campus, this summer the Academy hosted the Exeter Diversity Institute—an optional three-day program that provided 46 members of PEA faculty and staff with a space to learn and discuss topics such as race, gender, religion, sexuality, ethnicity and ability.

The institute consisted of several classes and group workshops that ran for eight hours each day and were facilitated by Exeter faculty members including English Instructor Alex Myers, English Instructor Courtney Marshall and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life Heidi Heath. According to Director of Equity and Inclusion Stephanie Bramlett, who also facilitated workshops, the program’s purpose was to “develop language, understanding and good practices around equity and inclusion” by encouraging personal reflection, discussions about the Academy’s institutional structure and reconsideration of community practices.

Myers attributed the program’s success largely to Bramlett. “She is a real leader in getting everyone involved in their own growth and education about DEI topics,” he said.

Science Instructor Frances Johnson appreciated the accessibility of the Institute, as she has typically had to travel for similar programs in the past. “This is a work that has interested me for some time and it seemed like a fantastic opportunity, especially as this workshop was with the people I have taught with and will continue to teach with,” she said.

While faculty were encouraged to attend, the conference was made optional, a choice endorsed by Associate Dean of Multicultural Affairs Hadley Camilus. “From my vantage point, there’s a recognition that autonomy is important here,” he said. “Requiring a person to cut short their summer plans is a major ask; doing so can backfire. With time, more faculty will be inclined to participate in the Summer Institute—especially as their colleagues convey positive experiences about it.”

On the other hand, upper Annabel Ramsay questioned whether members of the Exeter community who would most benefit from such training were likely to volunteer. “I think microaggressions and things like that are pretty internalized, not something you consciously think you’re doing or know to avoid,” she said.

All 46 attendees were assigned to one of four rotations, giving everyone a chance to explore different topics pertaining to the DEI mission with a specific emphasis on the role of faculty and staff at an educational institution. “One of my goals for our time together was to raise awareness about religious and spiritual diversity at Exeter and the importance of awareness about religious and spiritual identity for all of us in our work here,” Heath said.

Marshall led a workshop centered around financial inclusion and recapped topics discussed by the Financial Inclusion Committee in the past year. “We explored topics like what are the special challenges that come from requiring financial assistance on campus and what does it mean to be committed to not just financial diversity, but financial inclusion,” she said.

For Physics Instructor David Gulick, Myers’ workshop on gender was a highlight of the program. “Myers’ workshop helped me understand some of the complexities of the different parts of someone’s gender and how they identify themselves,” he said. “It was pretty exceptional to expand my understanding of such an important concept. Also, I think one of the wonderful things about the three days was it answered some questions, but also provoked new questions as well.”

Students were excited to hear of the training session. “I just feel like any diversity training is a positive thing,” Ramsay said, “especially in an environment like Exeter, which is mostly white.”

Ramsay continued, “It would be helpful for [faculty to learn] how to deal with students of different backgrounds because you might learn something new that you wouldn’t have known before.”

Camilus described the institute as a promising step fostering greater awareness and inclusion in Exeter’s adult community. “The Institute exhibited the commitment that PEA has made to evolving in the realm of diversity and inclusion,” he said. “I think we’re moving toward having a faculty that is more aware of issues related to identity and more competent in how to address matters as they arise.”

Lower Janessa Vargas echoed similar sentiments. “I think it’s important to have this basic training even if you don’t feel as though you’ve gotten much out of it,” she said. “At a school like Exeter where people come from so many different places around the world, the faculty need to know how to deal with certain situations and support their students.”

The institute, alongside other recent administrative initiatives, is certainly a visible “step in the right direction,” according to senior David Kim. “Even at the opening assembly, when students heard the introductions of faculty who are more diverse than prior years, one could see the emphasis Exeter is placing on the DEI mission,” Kim said.

Reflecting on the purpose of the Institute, Marshall concluded that the primary purpose of the institute was to establish a code of conduct for faculty members, regardless of their own beliefs. “The issue is not trying to change peoples’ minds about things, but it is about telling them this is how you’re expected to behave,” she said.

“The school is asking us to make sure that every student feels like if they have a problem, they can go to an adult and that adult will listen and help that child and help affirm them in that way,” Marshall continued. “That’s your job, regardless of how you feel.”