Ohio University, Miami University and Kent State University collaborated to form the Reimagining the Academy Conference in an effort to share ideas about how to be more inclusive within their respective institutions.
The conference took place Oct. 18 and 19 in the Kent State Student Center to discuss and share ideas on how to make each institution better.
Morgan Woodin, the conference coordinator from Kent State, said the conference's goal is to share ideas and strategize profound changes for each university.
Woodin said the conference was formed in the Fall semester of 2022 after the vice presidents from each university met at a diversity, equity and inclusion executives conference to discuss how to collaborate.
Both in-person and virtual engagement opportunities were offered, with all three universities taking part in funding the conference. Registration was free for students, faculty and staff within each institution, according to the Reimagining the Academy Conference website.
Kent State contributed to the conference from a fund that is committed to anti-racism efforts, Miami funded the conference from its Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence and OU’s portion was funded from the Division of Diversity and Inclusion, Woodin said.
“Engaging in this collaboration gives us the opportunity to see what other institutions and their people are doing – be it at the levels of events, policies or campus culture,” Woodin wrote in an email. “Identifying successes and challenges gives us possible roadmaps to furthering institutional access and excellence.”
OU’s Interim Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion, Russell Morrow, presented at the conference. He said he hoped the conference would provide the opportunity to learn more about other institution’s inclusion efforts.
One goal of the conference is to share ideas about inclusivity and build a community and network with those who are engaged in inclusive excellence work in higher education, Morrow said.
Despite most of the planning for the conference taking place before Morrow was in the vice president position, he was still given the opportunity to present at the conference, Sam Pelham, an OU spokesperson said.
Along with Morrow giving a presentation at the conference, OU had others facilitating information sessions during the conference on diversity, equity and inclusion, student services and disability justice, Pelham said.
While collaborating to form the Reimagining the Academy Conference has been the first achievement so far, it was a big step having taken a year to plan and execute, Woodin said.
“The Reimagining the Academy conference is our first accomplishment,” Woodin wrote in an email. “Though it would be a disservice to minimize this event as ‘only one’ accomplishment as it has taken a year’s worth of planning, collaborating and execution not only from the conference steering committee and co-chairs but from other areas within our respective institutions.”
