#Diversity

Jan 14, 2016
2 min

Diversity: Who are we?

In a new weekly series, the Belmont Vision will explore perspectives from students, faculty and staff of various religious affiliations, genders, sexual orientations, ethnicities, races, abilities and areas of interest as we work to build a comprehensive view of our campus at large. The fourth principle of Belmont’s Vision 2020 plan states,“Diversity will be enhanced across the university community.” But where does the university fall in the pursuit of that diverse campus tod

Nov 20, 2015
2 min

Diversity, education focus for first HOPE Council general body meeting

Students from multiple backgrounds gathered to talk about campus diversity issues and how to educate students on sensitive subjects at the first HOPE Council General Body meeting Wednesday. HOPE Council was created last semester as means of for underrepresented student groups to communicate their concerns to administration. The council is made up of delegates from its member organizations, but meetings are open to all students. Wednesday’s conversation quickly shifted to dive

Oct 5, 2015
2 min

Rev. Dr. Aloyo talks the challenge of diversity in higher education

The Rev. Dr. Victor Aloyo Jr. spoke passionately on how universities must tackle the challenge of diversity at a convocation Monday morning. Aloyo is the Chief Diversity Administrator and Director of Multicultural Relations at the Princeton Theological Seminary. He is also the father of Alyssa Aloyo, who serves as president of the Hispanic Student Association at Belmont, which hosted the convocation. In the last several years, universities have a seen a rise in incidents wher

Oct 5, 2015
4 min

‘Speak Up Latina’ convo kicks off Hispanic Heritage Week, new Hispanic Student Associati

The Hispanic Student Association celebrated its introduction to campus and kicked off Hispanic Heritage Week on Friday with “Speak Up Latina,” a panel focusing on challenges for Latinos in higher education. The panel featured four Latinas from the Nashville area, including the Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Vanderbilt Maria Ornelas as well as three workers from Conexión Américas– a non-profit organization that helps integrate Latinos into the Nashville community,

Apr 6, 2015
4 min

UPDATE: Misinterpretation of employment policy led to RA applicant rejection based on faith

Editor’s Note: The Vision removed the original article from its website Tuesday due to factual errors in the story. Belmont does hire non-Christian students in a variety of student worker positions. Student workers–including RAs– are not required to respond to the university’s mission, values and vision statement. The Vision apologizes for the error and recognizes its obligation to correct the mistake in order to present full and accurate stories to its readers. Below is an u

Nov 11, 2014
4 min

Students raise concerns over diversity, transparency and growth at Vision 2020 meeting

While university President Bob Fisher revealed his seven strategic priorities when crafting Vision 2020, Belmont students were more concerned with questions regarding Belmont’s growth, student fees and diversity at Monday’s Vision 2020 Town Hall Meeting. “I think that the revealing of Vision 2020 was a great opportunity for students to see the strategic priorities set forth by Dr. Fisher,” said Jeanette Morelan, Student Government Association President. “I think it was also a

Jan 22, 2014
6 min

A sit down with the Dean of Students

Since his arrival on campus during winter break, new Dean of Students Dr. Jeffery Burgin has told anyone who will listen that “although things are not always perfect, we are all in this together. And that is the responsibility of each of us in this community to make this university the best that it can be.” Now a month into his time here at Belmont the former vice president of Student Affairs and dean of students at Alabama A&M, is looking to build a base that creates this vi

Dec 4, 2013
2 min

‘Bridges to Belmont’ program will bring in 30 additional Metro seniors

Nine months after the initial announcement of Bridges to Belmont the university has made plans to expand the pilot program in its second year. An additional 30 Metro seniors will be selected as scholarship recipients and will join the current 26 students in the program next fall. But, this year, participants can now come from Whites Creek and Pearl Cohn. The program initially was only available to seniors at Maplewood and Stratford. “The Bridges to Belmont program is a life-

Jan 25, 2013
2 min

MLK Week nears end with straightforward discussion

As Belmont’s week commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. neared its end, a packed room in the Beaman Student Life Center put race and its role at the university at the center of a two-hour discussion Thursday afternoon. History professor Dr. Peter Kuryla and the school’s MLK Commemoration Committee led the talk, wanting to hear what Belmont’s minority students have to say on about of race and diversity in today’s increasingly multicultural society. MLK committee member Dr.

Aug 22, 2012
2 min

Fisher focuses on Vision 2015 in speech

Accomplishments, challenges and a look to the future were the main messages in president Bob Fisher’s state of the university address Wednesday morning in Curb Event Center. At the start of the opening convocation, a video presentation was shown to the audience as a lead-in to Fisher’s speech. The presentation had various students, professors, coaches and staff answering what they were most proud of at Belmont, the biggest challenges the school faced and what their wildest dr

Mar 21, 2012
4 min

Casting ‘Hairspray’ prompted campus search for racial diversity

Through every song, dance, and laughable moment presented by the Belmont Musical Theater department in “Hairspray,” there’s great entertainment — and there are essential members of the cast and chorus who had to be recruited from other departments. There are roles for black actors in the play, which ran for 2,500 performances on Broadway, but there are no black students in the musical theater department. In fact, only about 4 percent of the Belmont student body is black. “Ope

Feb 21, 2012
3 min

Nursing major preps for national pageant

Natalie Newbill builds her beauty from the inside out. Relaxed, but not sloppy. Poised, but never pretentious. She’s calm and collected, and there’s a controlled spirit about her that most college students couldn’t maintain with such a packed schedule. After all, Newbill balances her course load as a nursing major with various duties as a resident assistant in Patton Hall, secretary of the Black Student Association and second vice president of Delta Sigma Theta. Of course, sh

Jan 25, 2012
4 min

BU aims for diversity

As Belmont promotes student diversity through initiatives like “Welcome Home,” the school is also trying to recruit a more diverse faculty and staff. In the Vision 2015 plan, the university lists as a goal to “increase diversity and cultural competency,” and to achieve it by trying to “actively and intentionally recruit diverse faculty, staff, board and students. The university, said provost Dr. Thomas Burns, wants to attract a more representative faculty based on the school’