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December 5, 2016

Local Church Leaders Partner with Roberts to Strengthen Strategies in Hiring a Diverse Workforce

Recruiting a diverse workforce is a goal and a challenge for many workplaces in America today.  Roberts and Northeastern are intentionally changing faculty and staff hiring and recruitment practices to attract and retain a workforce that more closely reflects the ethnic and racial diversity of our student body. . 

As the College celebrates 150 years of service; this endeavor aligns with our founding beliefs in social advocacy and the inherent value of all people.   Roberts is recognized as one of the Best Colleges to Work for, and we want to continue that achievement as a more diverse community for the next 150 years.

On November 10, the Office of Human Resources for Roberts Wesleyan College and Northeastern Seminary invited area church leaders, to participate in strategic discussions for strengthening the institution’s commitment to developing a more diverse workforce and to build relationships and connections with the participants.  Many of the participants had previous connections with the College or Seminary as students, alumni, adjunct faculty, advisory council members or guests.  The group – richly diverse and balanced by age, race, and gender – were pastors and lay ministry leaders from The Historic Parsells Church, Memorial AME Zion Church, New Bethel CME Church, Light of the World Assembly of God Church, Church of Love and Faith Center, and New Life Fellowship.

 

As a campus community, discussing topics on diversity and inclusion meant understanding what this initiative means to community members and developing partnerships.  The group discussion was focused on: recruiting diverse faculty and staff, providing opportunities for students in their congregations to come to campus through summer camp scholarships, communicating job opportunities to a broader base of qualified candidates, recognizing roadblocks or obstacles for connecting with applicants and developing networks or strategies to connect with diverse applicants.  The College and Seminary are grateful to these community leaders for their suggestions and candid input about removing systemic issues that may deter true diversity.

“I applaud the Office of Human Resource of Roberts Wesleyan College and Northeastern Seminary for providing intentional collaborations between the College and area congregations. The bold move of the College in creating a stronger diverse workforce community moves the school from cultural credibility to intercultural integrity. Thus, the institution is called to go beyond its usual network of hired-hands to delve even deeper into relationships with a broader group,” said Rev. Dr. Marlowe V.N. Washington, lead pastor of The Historic Parsells Church.

Having a diverse workforce that mirrors our communities at Roberts and Northeastern will help us better serve our students and enable a more inclusive and diverse learning experience.  “For providing guidance toward building an environment that reflects the beauty and flavor of the Body of Christ,” said Dr. Doug Cullum, vice president and dean of the Seminary as he extended special thanks to leaders. This community-building discussion was an excellent starting point to strengthen the culture of diversity and inclusion.


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