Diversity and Inclusion

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion strives to build a welcoming culture at Nebraska Wesleyan University through respect, belonging, community and growth.

Respect: Respect creates a foundation of mutual understanding and appreciation for individuals' differences and fosters an environment where diverse perspectives, identities and backgrounds are valued and treated with dignity. By elevating respect, people feel safe, listened to and empowered to contribute to the campus culture. 

Belonging: A personal sense of acceptance, connection, and value helps us realize that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. Forming and nurturing relationships rooted in trust allows everyone to participate and contribute as their authentic selves at Nebraska Wesleyan.

Community: The cultivation of dialogue and collaboration helps us achieve our shared goals. We may not always agree with one another, but communities are shaped through active engagement and the ability to work through our differences while upholding our collective values.

Growth: Continuous intellectual and personal development enables people to reach their full potential. The diverse intersections of our world generates curiosity and enriches our lives with different ways of thinking so we may be lifelong learners committed to expanding our viewpoints.

Diversity and Inclusion Programs and Events

Prairie Wolf Civil Discourse

Collaboration between Office of Diversity and Inclusion along with the Communication Studies Department will provide space to have healthy discourse on topics from a range of viewpoints. These discussions will be led by student facilitators once a month.

September 13, 12 p.m. – Mental Health at school and work Prairie Wolf A/B
October 11,12 p.m. – Gender fluidity Prairie Wolf A/B
November 8, 12 p.m. – Do you have a right to health care? Prairie Wolf A/B

NWU’s Belonging Survey

The Purpose of NWU’s Belonging Survey

The survey seeks to measure Nebraska Wesleyan University’s effectiveness in creating an environment where every member of the campus community feels they belong. Questions focus on how current practices foster or inhibit belonging, and how existing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts are succeeding or failing.

NWU’s Belonging Survey has been part of our strategic planning process since September 2019. President Good wants to assess the climate of belonging on campus to know how best to grow the community as a place where everyone belongs.

Even before Good was hired, the presidential search committee determined that NWU’s 17th president should prioritize authentic growth toward a more diverse, equitable and inclusive campus. This survey stems from this priority.

Sharing Survey Results

We’ll assess the aggregated data to determine where we are succeeding or failing to cultivate a sense of belonging on campus. We’ll report the data and our interpretation. And we’ll share our recommendations with the Administrative Council and the Board of Governors. The university’s leadership will use this information to support, guide or alter NWU’s strategic initiatives over the coming years.

Diversity Awards

Advocate for Diversity Award

The NWU Advocate for Diversity Awards honor students, staff, and faculty members who raise awareness about a need, problem, or opportunity regarding issues of diversity and inclusion on campus. Advocates for Diversity inspire others with their advocacy to ensure that all students, staff and faculty feel welcome, engaged and empowered.

Nominees should demonstrate a willingness to challenge stereotypes and be a bridge builder between diverse groups. Winners receive a $400 scholarship or stipend and are recognized each year as part of the university’s MLK Day celebrations.

Nominations should detail the following:

• How has the nominee raised awareness about a need, problem, or opportunity regarding issues of diversity and inclusion on campus?
• How has the nominee inspired others with their vision and advocacy for initiatives to ensure that all students, staff, and faculty feel welcome, engaged, and empowered?
• How has the nominee challenged stereotypes and been a bridge builder between diverse groups?
  • How does the student exude enthusiasm for serving the NWU and Lincoln community?
  • How has the student demonstrated sensitivity and knowledge about campus needs and an ability to enrich the campus through extracurricular involvement?
  • How has the student demonstrated initiative, creativity, responsibility, cooperation, leadership, and/or concern for others?

Send your award nominations to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at nwu-divincl [at] nebrwesleyan.edu (nwu-divincl[at]nebrwesleyan[dot]edu). 

Mary Butler Award Nomination

The Mary Butler Award acknowledges a junior or senior in good academic standing who identifies as a student of color. Nominees should exude an enthusiasm to serve both the Nebraska Wesleyan and Lincoln communities and should be sensitive to and knowledgeable about campus needs. They should demonstrate the ability to enrich the campus through extracurricular involvement.

Winners receive a $400 scholarship and are recognized each year as part of the university’s MLK Day celebrations.

Please write a statement of 200-500 words explaining why this student should receive the Mary Butler Award. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion will want to know how the nominee has addressed one or more of the criteria below:

• How does the student exude enthusiasm for serving the NWU and Lincoln community?
• How has the student demonstrated sensitivity and knowledge about campus needs and an ability to enrich the campus through extracurricular involvement?
• How has the student demonstrated initiative, creativity, responsibility, cooperation, leadership, and/or concern for others?

Send your award nominations the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at nwu-divincl [at] nebrwesleyan.edu (nwu-divincl[at]nebrwesleyan[dot]edu). 

Bias Education Response Team (BERT)

Nebraska Wesleyan University is committed to being a safe community for everyone to learn, work and grow. All members of the campus community have a responsibility to speak up when we witness incidents of bias or hate.

What is a bias incident?

A bias incident is conduct or expression that targets an individual or group based on race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, cultural background or other characteristics. Bias incidents include a range of behaviors including telling cruel jokes, name calling or harassment based on another’s real or perceived membership in a certain group.

What is a hate crime?

A hate crime is a an act of conduct or expression to which a bias motive is evident as a contributing factor and which has risen to the level of a crime. So, while all hate crimes are bias incidents, not all bias incidents are hate crimes.

What is the impact?

Hate crimes and bias incidents don't just victimize individuals; they harm communities by making others feel unwelcome or less safe. We must work together to reduce bias and eliminate hate on our campus.

Reporting incidents of bias or hate

If you have experienced or witnessed bias or hate, or if you are advocating for someone who may have, the Bias Education Response Team (BERT) wants to hear from you. BERT can investigate claims and respond appropriately to support victims and educate the campus community.

If a crime has occurred, call 911. Once you are safe, report the incident to the Bias Response Team as soon as possible at reportbias [at] nebrwesleyan.edu (reportbias[at]nebrwesleyan[dot]edu) or (402) 465-7732.

BERT begins investigations of all reports of bias or hate within 48 hours. Possible interventions may include referrals to University Judiciary. BERT provides feedback on reported incidents, suggest ways to prevent future incidents on campus and suggests programming to address the issue. Our BERT facilitator, Candice Howell, can also be reached at chowell [at] nebrwesleyan.edu (chowell[at]nebrwesleyan[dot]edu).

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Committee

This committee is dedicated to ensuring that the Nebraska Wesleyan community remains diligent and progressive with the university's diversity core value. It is comprised of 16 voting members, including three faculty, five staff, seven students and an ex officio committee chair.

The committee’s purpose is to enact holistic and positive change by maintaining an inclusive campus; building a more diverse population; and providing access, information and awareness of opportunities within the Nebraska Wesleyan community.

DEIA subcommittees focus on:

• Institutional Policies
• Inclusive Pedagogy
• Cultural Competency Development
• Recruitment and Retention of Diverse Groups
• Campus and Community Programming
• Campus Accessibility

For more information, contact Wendy Hunt at nwu-divincl [at] nebrwesleyan.edu (nwu-divincl[at]nebrwesleyan[dot]edu). 

Intersectionality Resource Center

Intersectionality Resource Center is a place of advocacy and support for students with intersecting identities on the NWU campus. IRC provides students a meeting place, resources on intersecting identities and training opportunities. See the Intersectionality Resource Center webpage for more information.

Land Honor and Acknowledgement

Here at Nebraska Wesleyan, we acknowledge the truth that the land we work, learn and live on is the ancestral and forcibly ceded territory of indigenous nations.

We acknowledge that the land and the natural resources on which these nations depended were and are inextricably linked to their identities, cultures and livelihoods, as well as their physical and spiritual well-being.

We honor vital ancestral knowledge and expertise of land, resources, culture and spirit.

We honor the elders, past and present, of the indigenous nations that inhabited the lands of eastern Nebraska: Ponca, Pawnee, Omaha and Otoe-Missouria.

We honor the many other indigenous nations that we do not name but who lived on or traveled these lands over thousands of years, as well as those who live on these lands today.

We honor this land upon which we work, learn and live. We pledge to steward it throughout the generations.