- Mailing Address
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500 Washington St SE
Gainesville, Georgia 30501 - Phone
- (770) 534-6100
- Email address
- admissions@brenau.edu
- Website
- https://www.brenau.edu/
- School Information
- "Not just excellent — extraordinary. At Brenau, this is education: Using your language skills to translate scientific research from a foreign language to complete a biology experiment; learning dance by participating and performing with a professional company; researching zoology, speaking Spanish and studying Mayan culture deep in the Yucatan forest. Such experiences make life extraordinary. And such is living and learning at Brenau, where education has the power to change lives" (Source: https://www.brenau.edu/about/). The total undergraduate enrollment of Brenau lands at around 1,700 students. The university has a student to faculty ratio of 9 to 1. Brenau employs over 300 instructional and non-instructional staff.
- General Information
- Brenau University has created both a Working Group on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Excellence as well a strategic plan for DEI. As part of these initiatives, Brenau is planning on engaging in DEI training for students, faculty, and staff. See developments below:
Actions Taken
- Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
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As part of its strategic plan, the university committed to "recommending racial equity education for each segment of the university" and "recommending ways to make Brenau co-curricular and extracurricular activities more diverse, equitable and inclusive."
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Brenau has a goal to accomplish "training faculty, staff and students in diversity, equity and inclusion."
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Brenau provided training which called upon students to "explore the history and impact of microaggressions, anti-racism vs. non-racism, and systemic oppression on client and counselor perspectives, interactions, and service delivery" and "continue discussion regarding perceptions, intersectionality, privilege, and types of oppression" regarding counseling.
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- Resources
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Brenau committed to "enhancing recruitment, retention and promotion of diverse faculty and staff from historically underrepresented populations."
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The Trustee Library offers "anti-racism, diversity, and inclusion resources." Included in this list is an "Anti-Racist Reading List" by Ibram X. Kendi, author of "How to Be an Anti-Racist."
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On August 5, 2021, Margie Gill was appointed as the interim executive director for Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives.
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The Physical Therapy Department states that its program would "promote an educational environment that supports diversity, inclusion and belongingness."
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The College of Fine Arts and Humanities states that students would "Enhance" their "international and cultural competency by reading literature from diverse cultures and underrepresented voices," as part of the Bachelor of Arts in English program.
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According to the Black Faculty and Staff Association president, from a February 2022 Brenau News article, the Association "'seeks to expand and deepen dialogue with various Brenau members; increase investment in programming and infrastructure supporting equity, diversity and inclusion; deepen our commitment to enhance diversity; enhance scholarship and collaboration; and confront racism and injustice'."
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Communication Department Assistant Professor of Communication Anna Deeb, Ph.D. co-authored a 2020 scholarly article titled, “Dear White People: Using Film as a Catalyst for Racial Activism against Institutional Racism in the College Classroom.”
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In describing its Bachelor of Arts in History/Political Science program, the College of Fine Arts and Humanities states that students would "Learn from an innovative curriculum that emphasizes civic engagement, social justice and global studies."
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- Symbolic Actions
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On March 9, 2021, Brenau announced that the university created a Working Group on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Excellence and a strategic plan for DEI that involves "facilitating a series of Brenau Conversations around issues of diversity, equity and inclusive excellence for students, faculty, staff and alumni." This action was taken as a response to the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, and others, as the university explained.
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Brenau's Black Student Association "urged all Brenau students to join in the nationwide college blackout" in order to "stand in 'solidarity' with the students of color at Mizzou."
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On December 15, 2020, the university announced, "The Brenau University community gathered recently for a series of Diversity Week discussions on topics including class, poverty and perceptions; gender and sexuality; and cultural understanding and environmental justice."
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On March 9, 2021, the university announced that, "Brenau University President Anne Skleder participated in a panel as part of the Focus Atlanta Official Virtual Launch Conference in November on the topic of Inclusive Education: Diversity and its impact on upward mobility."
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