Difficult conversations started by our own affected LSMSA stakeholders led to the creation of this IDEA Advisory Council. The Council, comprised of volunteers, has a mandate to ensure LSMSA fulfills its mission to every student and that all barriers to full participation in the LSMSA experience are removed. The Council is dedicated to assisting the institution in addressing inequities based on race, LGBTQ+ and disability issues, among other challenges voiced by our LSMSA community.
Among the goals of the Council are a review of institutional policies impacting Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access; engagement with external professional resources such as Dialogue on Race Louisiana for additional training and tutelage for creating an educational environment that bars no student from the best opportunities available; and creation of safe and secure process for students to find resources or seek help, if needed. The Council is currently engaged in commissioning a ‘Climate Study’ to more empirically determine where we are as a community in meeting the needs of and providing opportunities for all our students.
We recognize that this is just the beginning of a long road. However, the members of the LSMSA IDEA Advisory Council are dedicated to continuing this journey and moving with the urgency that these issues demand.