Academic Affairs News

Dear Colleagues,

At its core, a university is devoted to the discovery and transmission of knowledge. The university cannot be limited in its methods and ways of thinking or be confined to one individual’s or a single community’s experiences. We must bring a broad range of ideas and approaches to the table to solve complex social problems, to discover the next breakthrough in science, or to reach new heights of artistic expression. 

To advance our educational mission, exposure to diverse views, values, and cultures is essential. Such engagement expands our horizons, enables understanding across differences, prevents complacency, and promotes intellectual breadth. We must strive to ensure that diversity of cultures, races and ethnicities, genders, political and religious beliefs, physical and learning differences, sexual orientations and identities is present and thriving on our campus. Such diversity will inspire new angles of inquiry, new modes of analysis, new discoveries, and new solutions. 

WKU’s commitment to increasing campus diversity will ensure our strength as an intellectual community. In today’s world, equity and inclusion represents one key to excellence and achievement. 

Achieving the aims for a diverse, equitable and inclusive future at WKU will continue to take hard work. The Office of the Provost is dedicated to continuing to: 

1. Increase the diversity of the faculty, especially faculty from underrepresented backgrounds and including racial and ethnic minorities and women in STEM. 
2. Improve the campus climate so that all experience an abiding sense of belonging and broad access to opportunity; and 
3. Advance free expression within a diverse community in the form of thoughtful and respectful debate which is an extraordinary learning opportunity for all. 

It is also important for everyone to understand that these DEI ambitions are much more than counting numbers and checking boxes. If we’re successful, it will result in significant cultural and institutional evolution for WKU. 

And it will take all of us, working together, to make real and substantive progress. WKU’s excellence is only possible through embracing diversity and ensuring our community is inclusive for all.  

Sincerely,

Robert "Bud" Fischer
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs