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Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and Inclusion

You belong.

At the WVU Alumni Association, diversity and inclusion means celebrating and welcoming all backgrounds and experiences, including race, gender, ethnicity, ability, nationality, age, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, and veteran status, among others.

Our Commitment

The WVU Alumni Association is dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion across all facets of our organization. This commitment is reflected in our establishment of a dedicated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee, which provides thought leadership and recommendations to the Board, ensures inclusivity in membership and recruitment, and coordinates ongoing training. We mandate annual diversity and inclusion training for our Board members, conduct surveys for inclusive alumni feedback, and have changed our bylaws to ensure diverse representation on the Board. Additionally, we have added the Vice President for the WVU Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as an ex-officio member and invited the President of the Black Alumni interest group to serve on the committee. Our efforts also extend to expanding identity-based interest groups, providing networking opportunities for alumni of color, and actively recruiting diverse alumni for leadership roles within our organization. We proudly support campus partners' inclusive programs and activities, fostering connections between current students and alumni.

Resources

Upcoming Events

Mark your calendar for upcoming events and conversations about diversity and inclusion.

See Events

A family of 4 smiling at a WVU Alumni event

Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion exists because WVU is always striving to create the safe, diverse, welcoming community we all deserve.

DEI Website

WVU grads of varying ethnicity posing in front of the Mountainlair in gold graduation gowns and caps

Common Definitions

We’re here for meaningful conversations, so let’s start by defining some of the terms we use.

View Definitions

A Letter to Our Alumni

Kevin Berry, Associate Director of the WVU Alumni Association, writes about our core values in an open letter to the Mountaineer Family.

Read the Letter

Share Your WVU Experience

We want to hear from you.

We have set up a form where you are welcome to share your personal experience at West Virginia University or as an alumnus in your community. We welcome your feedback as we work toward change and healing.

Share Your Experience

WVU Native American Studies Land Acknowledgement

West Virginia University, with its statewide institutional presence, resides on land that includes ancestral territories of the Shawnee, Lenape (Delaware), Haudenosaunee (Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, Tuscarora), Cherokee, and many other Indigenous peoples.

In acknowledging this, we recognize and appreciate those Indigenous nations whose territories we are living on and working in. Indigenous peoples have been in the land currently known as West Virginia since time immemorial.

It is important that we understand both the context that has brought our university community to reside on this land, and our place within this long history.

We also recognize that colonialism is a current ongoing process, and as scholars seeking truth and understanding, we need to be mindful of our present participation in this process.

(Developed Fall 2019 w/input from NAS Committee members, especially Dr. Charlotte Hoelke, and after NAS Program consultation with tribes, to be read at NAS public events and included in NAS syllabi, and shared with others, including WVU Humanities Center, Morgantown Human Rights Commission, et al. This statement can and should be modified as circumstances dictate, to be as inclusive, relevant, and accurate as possible. Bonnie M. Brown, NAS Coord.)