Message from the Chair

The core to community is collaboration.

"Reclaiming Our Identity"

Established in 1979 by then Emory University president James Laney, The President's Commission on Race and Ethnicity (PCORE) has a long and commendable history of working toward change within the Emory Community. This past year we celebrated the 30th anniversary of PCORE. We are grateful to our current University President, James Wagner, and all who support our commitment to maintain and nurture a diverse, enlightened, and respectful community here at Emory.

I would like to welcome each of you to the 2009/2010 President’s Commission on Race and Ethnicity. To both the new members as well as those who are returning for another year. I hope that each of us will be empowered and seek to empower others as we work together toward accomplishing the purpose of this great commission, which are:

We will strive to increase PCORE’s presence on campus and receive feedback on what issues staff, students and faculty would like to see the Commission address. As we proceed to execute our agenda for the year we will aim to “Reclaim our Identity”. As a result, PCORE would examine how to better address issues and needs of the Emory community as a whole. This year we will be committed, aggressive, focused and engaged with what we choose to present as action items. When we identify an area of weakness not only will we see a problem but seek to find a solution. Our effectiveness will bring about meaningful and impactful change.

PCORE will collaborate with the President's Commission on Sexuality, Gender Diversity, and Queer Equality (PCSGDQE’) and President's Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) to formulate a combined mission statement.

We will continue to support activities of existing PCORE Committees. See below for our 2009-2010 goals. We welcome your attendance at any of the general body meetings and encourage you to join the faculty, staff, and student members of PCORE in our mission to ensure that Emory remains a destination University.

Staff Initiatives Committee

• Work with the combined commissions’ task force in developing administrative policies and procedures for annual reports and annual meetings with the President.
• Actively recruit hourly wage employees to join and work with the commission
• Submit a proposal to enhance the Emory Courtesy Scholarship
• Professional Development Fund Awards

Faculty Initiative Committee

• Implement TCP Dialogues @ Emory Midtown
• Plan and implement disability/special needs forum in collaboration with Emory Hospitals
• Recruit three faculty members as alternates to PCORE 2009-2010
• Plan Emory night @ Dialogues in the Dark Exhibition Fall 2009

Special Projects Committee

• Co-sponsor a series of discussions focused on creating dialogue around the generational gap that is occurring in the Emory Community and nationally. Discussions should be segmented into categories surrounding gender, race, socio-economic status, work-life balance, etc.
• Brown Bag by invitation only, facilitated possibly by TCP, which engages the white male segment of the Emory Community and gauges that segment’s thoughts on race at Emory.

Recruitment and Retention Committee

• Explore the need of a bridge program that ensures students' successful transition into the Emory environment at the academic, bureaucratic and social levels.
• Provide awareness to new incoming students of the academic support resources offered at Emory.

Best,

Stacey Derico, PCORE Chair (2009-10)