Diversity at the IU Alumni Association

Diversity Resources

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Diversity Director Clarence Boone Jr.

Clarence Boone Jr.

From 1993 to 2002, Clarence Boone held joint appointments. With the IUAA, Boone was an affiliate club director, with the IU Foundation he was a development officer, and with the Office of Student Development and Diversity he was director of the Office of Community and School Partnerships. In 2002, he began serving as IUAA director of Diversity Programming. Among his duties, he coordinated activities for both the Neal-Marshall Alumni Club and the African American Arts Institute Alumni Association. Since then, he has added the following affiliate groups to his portfolio: the Latino Alumni Association, the Groups Alumni Association, and the Asian Alumni Association. He coordinates alumni events and programs that specifically target minority alumni, faculty, staff, and students. Boone assists the IUAA in increasing minority involvement and participation; identifies and cultivates prospective minority alumni leaders and donors; and serves as a liaison to the Office of Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs. In March 2009, Boone was appointed to IUAA’s senior cabinet staff.

Diversity Expectation Statement

President and CEO of the IUAA Tom Martz issued this statement on April 24, 2009:

While much has been accomplished at the IUAA to increase multicultural awareness and foster diversity, there is still more to do. For us, an inclusive environment is a business imperative. Therefore, the Diversity Team of Implementation, one of eight teams assigned with administering the IUAA’s strategic goals, has established the following Diversity Expectation Statement for all of our staff, constituent societies, affiliate groups, chapters, and Executive Council members to follow.

The IU Alumni Association embraces a culture of mutual respect and acceptance while recognizing individual diversity. The diversity of the people of Indiana University has long been the source of innovative ideas and creative accomplishments throughout its history and into the present. Diversity refers to the variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance. Such differences – including race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, language, abilities/disabilities, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geographic region, and more – don’t separate us, but strengthen us, and make our IU family stronger. This philosophy must permeate our organization at every level via an active and engaged membership and must emphasize quality as well as quantity.

We acknowledge the acute need to remove barriers to the recruitment and retention of alumni leaders and volunteers in historically excluded populations and to push forward programs that are often not considered. Our Board of Managers, Executive Council, local boards, chapters, constituencies, committees, task forces, and staff must continue to search for activities and initiatives that represent the multiplicity of our alumni. Alumni leadership at every level must reflect the collective diversity of the IUAA. While many of our groups have made progress, there is always room for improvement, and we challenge them to further diversify our current membership.

Programs and services that truly incorporate diversity can promote mutual respect and make possible the full, effective use of the talents and abilities of all involved. With this practice, the IUAA worldwide can foster innovation and train future leadership.

 

IUAA Diversity Team of Implementation