The IDE Steering Group met with President Steve Poskanzer on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020, to formally launch the IDE Planning process. The effort was intentionally planned to continue into the fall of 2021, so that Carleton’s 12th president, Alison Byerly, would have a meaningful opportunity to put her own stamp on the final plan.
Our group’s first order of business was to hire a consultant skilled at helping organizations achieve inclusion, diversity, and equity. We believe our learning, evaluations, deliberations, and eventual choices will benefit from a fresh, external assessment that comes from outside the college. We chose Cambridge Hill Partners for this partnership.
With the help of Cambridge Hill Partners, we have developed an IDE planning process that is transparent and inclusive and draws upon the experiences and perspectives of the entire Carleton community. This process includes opportunities to hear the voices of all our stakeholders: students, alumni, faculty, staff, parents, and friends of the college. Including these diverse voices will help ensure that the final plan will have greater impact and legitimacy.
We will provide opportunities for you to share your thoughts and ideas throughout the planning process. Stay tuned.


The Steering Group leading the IDE Planning effort is co-chaired by Trustee Jeninne McGee ’85 and Professor Chico Zimmerman (Classics). Other members of the group include:
- Associate Professor Cherlon Ussery (Linguistics)
- Trustee Alison von Klemperer ’82 P’16
- Director of TRIO/SSS Trey Williams (Forum)
- Administrative Assistant to Director of the Arts and THDN Sally Bell Pierce (SAC)
- Student Maya Rogers ’22
- Multicultural Alumni Network Board Chair Jennifer Lopez ’02
- Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Art Rodriguez ’96
- Vice President for External Relations Tommy Bonner
The co-chairs of the CEDI Leadership Board and the remaining members of the Tuesday Group will be “floating members” who will participate periodically in steering group meetings.
IDE Reading List
- Sara Ahmed, On Being Included (Duke U. Press 2013)
- Words Have Lost Their Common Meaning, John McWhorter
- Essay by Musa alGharbi, ‘Diversity Training’ doesn’t work. This might.
- A Conversation on Race
- White Privilege in the Classroom
- “CEDI Action Team Report on Low-Income and First Generation (LIFG) Student Opportunities”
- “CEDI Action Team Anti-Racism Training Proposal“
- “Ideas and Themes that emerged from December 2020 LTC IDE Discussion on Supporting and Recognizing DEI work with Faculty and Staff”
- “Letter to President Poskanzer and Senior Leadership regarding EDI efforts at Carleton”
- “Black Student Demands presented to President Poskanzer and Senior Leadership”
- “Open Letter for Carleton College”
- “What Supports Students, as told by Alums and Current Students to Faculty“
- Schreiner, “The Thriving Quotient“
- Schreiner et al, “Faculty Attitudes and Behaviors that Contribute to Thriving in First-Year Students of Color“
- Isabel Wilkerson Opening Convocation 2018
- Sigal Ben-Porath Convocation: Free Speech on Campus
- Equity-Minded Faculty Workloads
- How university diversity rationales inform student preferences and outcomes