Group Aims To Celebrate Heritage, Diversity on Campus
With speakers, film series, music and activities, Hartwick College is celebrating the diversity of students, faculty, staff and alums by promoting a year-long slate of Heritage Month events.
“This is an important part of recognizing diversity in this community,” said Alicia Richardson, college diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging officer. “It’s about taking the time to be thoughtful about programming and to hold space for these communities.”
Created in 2023, the Heritage Month and Observance working group was tasked with developing campus-wide messaging about the Heritage Months and inviting the campus to join in the celebrations by promoting events on and off campus.
The 2024-2025 Heritage Months are:
Sept. 15 – Oct. 15
Hispanic Heritage Month
Nov. 1 – 30
Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month
Jan. 1 – 31
Muslim-American Heritage Month
Jan. 20
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Feb 1 – 28
Black History Month
March 1 – 31
Women’s History Month
April 1 – 30
Campus Pride Month
National Arab Heritage Month
May 1 – 31
Jewish Heritage Month
Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Fostering an inclusive culture that will prioritize staff and student wellness as they seek to build unity, cultivate lasting relationships and networks, and contribute to campus vibrancy is the first goal in the College’s DEIB Strategic Plan.
One of the plan’s action items to achieve this goal is to inform the campus about the Heritage Month and Observance working group. The aim is to encourage professors, clubs and other organizations to share their programming and activities, allowing for a continuous series of messages and an event list for each heritage month.
The group has also created a website to list activities for the months.
The working group includes the following members:
Sarah Busche, assistant director, Center for Global Education
Kathryn O’Connor, IT infrastructure engineer
Libby Cudmore, staff writer
Timothy Raimy ’17, assistant director of civic engagement & fraternity and sorority Life
Alicia Richardson, college diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging officer
Tessa Yang, associate professor of English
Yang explained that these members weren’t the only ones. “We want everyone to feel seen,” she said. “And if anyone wants to suggest a month, an event or even participate in writing these messages, let us know.”
Submissions can be made on this form.
“The opportunity to craft this messaging is open to all members of our community,” says Richardson. “It’s everyone’s responsibility – and opportunity – to learn about and celebrate the diversity on this campus.”
