Mei-Lee Ney, Chair of Otis’s Board of Trustees (Photo – Monica Nouwens)
Otis announced a contribution of $1 million by Mei-Lee Ney, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Otis College, and a Pasadena resident, in a significant endorsement of the initial anti-racism actions announced by the College in June.
By News Desk
The gift enables the immediate launch of several initiatives, additional scholarships, and the hiring of a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) executive role.
Mei-Lee Ney said:
Systemic racism within our educational, financial, and societal institutions disproportionately affects Black communities and can create additional obstacles for students, faculty, and staff.
On June 1, President Charles Hirschhorn stated that “we all need to actively address structural inequality in higher education. Black Lives Matter at Otis.” The College announced new initiatives to support Black students:
- A commitment to being an anti-racist institution.
- Mandatory anti-racism training for faculty, staff, and students.
- $1.5 million in new aid for culturally diverse and underserved student.
- Additional aid for 2020 Summer of Art students from local high schools.
On Monday, August 10, the College launched the Black Creatives Institute, which is focused on an inclusive and affirming campus climate for incoming Black students to increase student engagement, first- to second-year retention, and degree completion.
Karen Hill, Chair of Otis’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council, said: “This generous and thoughtful gift …will…make a difference in our campus culture, as well as…write a new narrative in history around equity, social justice, and fairness.”
“I hope my donation will inspire others to give,” says Ney, “to make a difference and bring real change.”
Source: Otis. Edited by Margaret Prietto.
This is a step in the right direction.