Our Story
The University of Connecticut has long been a national leader in providing affinity-based support and programming, especially through our Cultural Centers and Programs that serve as a model for building community and providing spaces of belonging. In 2014, the University re-committed itself to diversity, re-emphasizing a tenet of its Mission Statement.
In 2015, then-president Susan Herbst commissioned a Diversity Task Force to improve diversity at UConn. The Task Force realized that faculty, staff, students, and alumni demanded diversity. They saw there had been some improvements with diversity, including a more diverse student body and greater breadth and width of teaching, outreach, and programming. Unfortunately, the Task Force also saw that UConn was simply not doing enough: faculty diversification was too slow, staff diversification was even slower, and campus climate suffered from acts of overt intolerance and subtle microaggressions targeted at traditionally underrepresented members of our community. UConn resolved to change.
In May 2016, Herbst established the Diversity Council to implement that change through a multi-dimensional diversity and inclusion plan. UConn created an Office for Diversity and Inclusion. When Tom Katsouleas succeeded Herbst, he reaffirmed UConn’s financial commitments, including by hiring UConn’s inaugural Chief Diversity Officer, Dr. Frank Tuitt, to oversee UConn’s Diversity and Inclusion plan and move UConn to a justice-oriented and anti-racist institution. In 2021, Dr. Andy Agwunobi signaled a continued commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice as UConn's Interim President and CEO of UConn Health.
In support of the University's mission to increase diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, this website provides transparency, updates, and a variety of resources for UConn faculty, staff, students, and alumni. UConn is uniquely positioned to be a leader in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. There are no simple solutions. Instead, it is critical that we bring diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice into everything we do every single day. Change requires all of us, and it requires going being just policing unacceptable behavior. Change requires engaging, reflecting, and changing ourselves, and this website is a resource to being that journey.
