Toward Equity & Inclusion
President Maud S. Mandel shares her vision for the Davis Center and a more inclusive campus. Watch below.
”We must not isolate, but connect; we must not marginalize, but embrace; we must not exclude, but admit and nurture talent, whatever its origins and forms.”
—President Maud S. Mandel induction speech, 2018
Williams College has been tremendously successful in diversifying its student body. Yet it’s been less successful at creating the conditions in which everyone can thrive. For students who come from historically underrepresented backgrounds—from communities that are the most different from Williams—it can be a longer distance to travel to find a comfortable home on campus.
The Davis Center seeks to be that home by helping students find connection and community with one another and by providing equitable pathways and programs to guide them throughout their journeys.
When students know each other well, respect each other and trust each other, they can engage in the conversations necessary to bridge their differences and build equitable and inclusive spaces. In this way, the Davis Center is a resource for the entire campus, teaching us all how to do this critical work.
Toward Williams' goal of deeper inclusion, the Davis Center Initiative seeks to support and sustain both a physical space as well as expanded programming that meets the needs of current and future students.
“The Summer Science Program affirmed that I had made the right decision and that Williams is a place where I can prosper, academically and personally.”
—Cynthia Masese '23
An Evolving Environment
Learn more about the historical context to the Davis Center Initiative, including some of the steps taken by students, administration, faculty, and alumni to help Williams become more diverse and inclusive, and how current campus programs create a sense of community for all.
Take a deeper dive into the history of inclusion, exclusion and restoration at Williams.
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