Over the last two years, The Elephant in the Room series has worked to bring issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion to the forefront of life at IUP. We have had some great workshops and speakers, and we look forward to having many more.

COVID-19 has drastically changed what all of us anticipated our spring 2020 semester (and summer) would look like. Instead of being able to gather face-to-face, we are all finding ourselves existing in a space of isolation, where we are relying more than ever on forms of electronic communication. We miss people (even the introverts).

With that being said, our work does not stop because we are apart. If anything, our work is more important now than ever before. It is very easy for conversations of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to fall by the wayside while we are in the midst of a crisis, but we are committed to doing our part to keep that dialogue going.

Over the next few months, we will be regularly posting blog posts on a range of DEI issues that have been brought to light or exacerbated by COVID-19. These conversations may not be easy, but this work never is. We are passionate about seeing how The Elephant series can grow its DEI efforts and support the IUP community in the process.

But most of all, this is about you.  What you think and what you feel.  This is your community.

So, before we get down to business, how are you?

Please feel free to share how you are doing in the comments section below.