OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU

“At Carthage, we strive to enhance the diversity and equity of our community and, together, to create a more enlightened and inclusive educational environment that positively impacts the world. Because of who you are, where you come from, and the gifts you possess, you belong here.” — Carthage College President John Swallow


You Belong Here

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VIDEO: I Belong at Carthage College

What we’re doing

~28%

of Carthage’s incoming students in Fall 2022 self-identified as American Indian, Asian, Black, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, or multiracial.

We’ll say it as firmly as possible: Carthage rejects all forms of prejudice. But what we stand against is only part of the equation. We’ve expanded support for the things we stand behind — diversity, equity, inclusion. 

Here’s a look at just some of the work we’re doing at Carthage to ensure every student feels valued and heard:

  • The campus Intercultural Center opened in 2020, both as a welcoming place to gather and the hub for a full schedule of inclusive programs. In 2022, it was renamed the Engagement and Inclusion Center with an aim to serve as a campus hub for equity, anti-racism, and inclusion programming by forming strong coalitions and support networks for students, faculty, and staff.
  • The Anti-Racism and Intercultural Seminar Experience (ARISE) guides all first-year students through a two-semester process of personal and relational growth.
  • New scholarships assist women and students of color.
  • The Wiggan-Kenniebrew Black Alumni Network — named in honor of Lorraine A. Wiggan ’46 and Alonzo H. Kenniebrew ’54, the first male and female students of African-American descent to graduate from Carthage — provides mentor relationships and scholarships for multicultural students.
  • An ever-growing number of faculty and staff have completed Carthage’s SafeZone training and/or Equity & Inclusion Certificate Program to become Equity Warriors, giving students lots of people to turn to for support.

At a higher level, Carthage is following through on a campus-wide Anti-Racism Plan of Action. Besides devoting more resources to DEI, we’re working to close racial and income-based gaps in graduation rates by 2030 and infuse U.S. racial history into teaching across the College.

SEE HOW WE’RE MAKING HEADWAY

Explore Equity & Inclusion Initiatives

Michele Hancock “We have the potential to create a culture of inclusion where every individual knows they add value to the Carthage community, an endeavor that is both challenging and noteworthy.”

Dr. Michele Hancock, Vice President of College Culture for Inclusion