submitted by pribbeno@augsburg.edu
I am pleased to share that, later this morning, we will announce that the Forum on Workplace Inclusion® will be moving to Augsburg University, effective July 1.
The Forum is nationally recognized for its leadership as a convening hub for professionals in the field of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Forum’s annual conference at the Minneapolis Convention Center attracts more than 1,500 participants from around the world and is the nation’s largest workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion conference designed for a national and global audience.
By partnering with the Forum, Augsburg gains immediate visibility, recognition, and connections among corporate leaders who share our commitment to diversity and equity. The partnership expands opportunities for corporate philanthropic support, professional connections for our students, and Augsburg’s ability to help make a meaningful impact in building more inclusive and equitable workplaces. The structure of Augsburg’s agreement with The Forum was inspired by the Minnesota Urban Debate League — an Augsburg program that has modeled self-funding operations as part of a successful university program partnership.
The Forum, which was founded in 1988, has been housed at the University of St. Thomas for the past 23 years. This morning, during the opening session of the Forum’s annual conference, University of St. Thomas President Julie Sullivan and I will announce that the Forum is transitioning to Augsburg from St. Thomas, recognize the tremendous contribution St. Thomas has made in building out this program over the years, and honor the leadership of the Forum staff in this important work. A news announcement about the transition will be published on http://www.augsburg.edu/news later this morning.
The Forum staff will move this summer into open space in Science Hall, and Steve Humerickhouse, executive director of the Forum, will report to me. Working with Steve and me to support the transition are Leif Anderson, vice president and chief strategy officer; Lee George, executive director of the Strommen Center for Meaningful Work and director of corporate relations; Joanne Reeck, chief diversity officer; and Heather Riddle, vice president of Institutional Advancement. For more information about the Forum on Workplace Inclusion and the Forum team, see the link below.