TIFFIN UNIVERSITY, Tiffin, OH— Tiffin University will be honored as an institution committed to diversity for 2017, on behalf of Minority Access. The formal presentation will take place during the eighteenth National Role Models Conference from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 in Washington, D.C. TU’s Provost, Dr. Peter Holbrook, will receive the recognition.
The National Role Models Conference is one of the most prestigious conferences of its kind addressing issues of diversity and disparities in our nation. Minority Access is committed to increasing diversity, and its mission is to assist colleges and universities to recruit, enhance, and retain underserved and underrepresented populations. “Minority Access is pleased to bestow this special honor on TU in recognition of its current commitment to diversity,” said Mason Monroe, director of Minority Access. “We congratulate Tiffin University.”
Cognizant of the value of global openness, Schumacher launched a multi-year initiative, “Celebrating Cultural Uniqueness (CCU),” in November 2017. CCU builds global and cultural appreciation into the DNA of the university and she is quick to point out that “global” is not limited to international, ethnicity or race. “It is about differences in gender, religion, region, financial situation, sexual orientation, physical ability or other elements that shape a person’s worldview,” she said.
“We’re trying to build comfort with and appreciation for cultural differences into our curriculum, not just offer an experience,” explains Schumacher. “We want to go deeper than just a trip abroad or to the inner city. We want every student to experience this in the classroom as well.”
Shifting the cultural paradigm will give Tiffin University graduates an immediate competitive advantage in the global workplace of today.
“We already have a very diverse student body, and a diverse culture,” Schumacher points out. More than 40 percent of the student population identifies as culturally unique. “We have a great laboratory for learning from each other. I want to take something we already do well and make it better. I want to showcase it as a competitive advantage.”
And that competitive advantage is powerful. It’s defined as:
Tiffin University graduates, regardless of their area of specialty are innovative problem solvers who can leverage diversity of any type to work effectively with people who are different from them and produce innovative ideas
“TU will be known as an institution that educates and develops individuals to be prepared for the realities of the world they live and work in,” Schumacher said. “TU believes that diversity is something to be understood, respected, and celebrated.”