Good morning. My name is Brian Sandoval, President of the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno. And on behalf of our University and our and NSHE sister institutions, I would like to welcome you to this year's Northern ÁùºÏ±¦µä Diversity Summit.
During our 8th summit here in Northern ÁùºÏ±¦µä, we will focus on the theme of “Work, Study, Family and Life Balances in Higher Education: Advancing Best Practices in a Pandemic World.” The theme of balance could not be more appropriate for our campus in higher education at this time.
As faculty, staff and students, we arrived each day to further the missions of our great institutions through our work and learning. While juggling work and study, we also support our families and manage the multitude of priorities in our lives. This has become increasingly complicated in the past two years, and we have faced the ongoing and evolving challenges of the pandemic. We have seen demands for racial and social justice. And we have experienced those demands and effects on our goals of diversity, equity and inclusion.
That leaves us with the question of the day: How do we balance so many valuable and competing priorities? There's not one right answer to this question but many. That is why today's summit examines balance from multiple lenses and angles, so that we can identify the unique challenges faced by specific groups and develop individualized solutions for our D.E.I. and larger campus communities.
Throughout the pandemic, our University, has strive to advance an ethics of care — rethinking the power and authority of our institution through the lens of caring. Prioritizing the importance of caring for ourselves
and others and focusing on the relationships that bring value to our lives helps to ensure, we can more effectively balance our priorities. It also makes us more resilient as we face the impacts of the pandemic, including one of the most pressing — making sure the unresolved historical racial and social justice issues, for all of us, remain at the forefront of our campus conversation.
Over the past year, we have seen our faculty, staff and students come together countless times to address these important issues. Many of you here today, have been part of this impactful change. For that, I thank you and encourage you to continue with your efforts.
As we look toward the future, the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion will remain at the heart of our institution. This strategic direction is reflected in our upcoming University Strategic Plan, which includes goals and benchmarks for diversity, equity and inclusion.
Events like today's Northern ÁùºÏ±¦µä Diversity Summit offer so much value as well. To the members of the planning and cultural diversity committees as well as our Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Dr. Eloisa Gordon-Mora, thank you for your leadership and efforts to make this Summit a success once again.
I also want to thank all of you, for making the commitment to attend today. Advancing best practices to balance work, study, family, and life will benefit each of us as individuals and as a collective.
Thank you again for joining us for this valuable gathering. And Go Pack.
