Human Relations Council
Seton Hall University believes that successful human relations are central to the University’s mission and identity as a Catholic institution. The University views human relations as successful personal and professional interactions that foster respect and understanding for individuals and groups.
The greatness of any community depends upon the degree of dignity, concern and care accorded each segment of a group, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, physical or other disability, sexual orientation, lifestyle, religion and economic status, from those most privileged to those most denied.
Seton Hall continues to demonstrate leadership by assuring that the University’s multicultural community and the interdependent nature of today’s global world are reflected in the University’s curriculum, programs and campus environment. These educational and social experiences provide students with an appreciation of the present world in the larger context of human history.
In 1987, a University-wide Human Relations Council was formed. The council serves as a forceful advocate for human relations on the Seton Hall campus, and monitors and evaluates all human relations efforts and activities.
The membership of the Human Relations Council is based on the functional and symbolic leadership of the University, including the president, all members of the Executive Cabinet, faculty, administrators, staff and student leaders. This assures that the council represents the campus' diversity and involves those individuals with the power to initiate and oversee change at Seton Hall.
The following working subcommittees are charged with creating additional goals that broaden the scope of human relations issues to a fuller vision. The standing subcommittees of the Human Relations Council are:
Diversity
Recruitment
This subcommittee is one
group with three distinct foci -- faculty, staff and administrators, and
students. Each focus works to ensure that Seton Hall University actively
pursues qualified diverse and under-represented candidates for positions
in these areas.
Learning
Resources
This subcommittee,
co-chaired by two members of two different colleges/schools of faculty,
examines, recommends and searches out ways for positive infusion of
diversity and other relevant topics into the curriculum of each
college/school within the University.
Programming
The Human Relations
Programming Committee, comprised of students, faculty, staff and
administration, is dedicated to celebrating the beauty and importance of
diverse beliefs and cultures represented on the Seton Hall University
campus.The committee strives to offer the campus opportunities to learn
about other cultures. Among the theme month celebrations are Human
Relations month in November, Black History Month in February, Women’s
History Month in March and Latino(a) Heritage Month in April. Human
Relations Month begins with the Circle of Unity. The first Diversity
Conference will be held this year in which we will get together to
discuss issues like, racism, homophobia, gender and disabilities.
Training
and Development
This subcommittee creates
and coordinates sessions that sensitize the various constituencies of
the University community to diversity and other relevant issues.
Awards,
Recognition, Communication
This subcommittee is charged with
soliciting the community for examples among us who successfully
accomplish various human relations initiatives. The group ensures
effective communication of human relations initiatives internal to the
campus and external to the community. It also is responsible for the
selection of the Ramon Ramos Medal of Courage recipient.
In addition to the Human Relations Council, the University has a chapter of the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI). NCBI is an international non-profit organization and is dedicated to ending the mistreatment of all groups. NCBI aims to develop a new kind of leader: one who initiates diversity programs, takes principled stands, can enter the emotional heat of groups in conflict and build bridges, and models being an ally for all groups. NCBI trains leaders in the skills of prejudice reduction, resolution of conflicts between groups; coalition building. For more information, see the NCBI web page at: http://admin.shu.edu/ncbi.