April 25, 2023
Dear Colleagues,
I want each of you to know that our 2023 annual conference was a huge success!
So many people gathered in Baltimore, and it was satisfying and a joy to see the amount of people who care about advancing inclusive excellence in higher education and beyond. A record-breaking number of attendees - more than 1,100 - showed up in Charm City and enjoyed the hospitality of Baltimore, the food (and yes, the crab cakes), the SPPI reception at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, and so many other ways in which we shared in community with one another. During the conference we learned best practices from our colleagues, shared insight from their practice or scholarship, stood in solidarity with each other, and got charged up about how we will move forward meaningful work to dismantle systems of inequity on campuses.
Throughout three packed days of conference workshops, concurrent sessions, social hours, and moving keynotes, we heard from so many of you and appreciate you sharing your personal stories, suggestions and feedback on why diversity, equity and inclusion work matters to you and your communities. We were absolutely humbled by the number of first-time attendees – about half of attendees were new to the conference. This speaks to the momentum of our work and the value you find in connecting with your colleagues.
We left Baltimore energized by the passion of NADOHE’s collective of dedicated diversity professionals and to return to the difficult work of advancing inclusive excellence in higher education. We hope you found the conference as inspiring as we did and are returning to your home campuses with newfound tools and resources. We keep returning to the words of our closing keynote speaker, Dr. Nolan Cabrera: “I know you are all tired. I know you are all exhausted. But we do have to fight and defend this work because we don’t have any other choice.” At NADOHE, we are even more committed to continuing the fight for diversity, equity and inclusion and fulfilling this year’s theme of Delivering on the Promise: Enhancing Structural Equity to Promote Justice for All.
Sincerely,
Paulette Granberry Russell, J.D.
President