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Monmouth Student-Athletes a Force in Campus-Wide Anti-Bias/Discrimination Pledge

Monmouth, IL (10/29/2020) — With more than half the student body at Monmouth College comprised of student-athletes, it's only fitting that the Fighting Scots' teams are a driving force to rise up for equality and diversity.

Fighting Scots Athletics, the Office of Intercultural Life, Scots Student Senate, Sexual and Gender Alliance (SAGA), and Sigma Epsilon Fraternity sponsored an anti-bias/discrimination pledge drive during the three-day NCAA Diversity and Inclusion campaign the last week of October. Monmouth has long held an inclusive mindset which dates back to the institution's founding in 1853 as one of the nation's first institutions of higher learning to admit women on an equal basis with men.

"Everyone welcomed me to campus in the first week of my freshman year," said Nyasaina Kwamboka, a sophomore distance runner from Nairobi, Kenya. "It's the Monmouth spirit, the Monmouth way. Everyone is friendly and welcoming. Even when I stayed with (teammate) Caitlyn Allen when the pandemic struck and I couldn't return home, I felt like I was already truly at home, safe and supported."

Kwamboka, a member of the Scots' women's cross country and track and field teams, was one of a variety of Monmouth's student-athletes, coaches, student governance leaders and administration which participated in the college's culminating event, a Zoom meeting shared via the college's social media platforms presenting the anti-bias/discrimination pledge and urging the campus community to sign up.

The Fighting Scots teams are leading the way for inclusion, providing a roster home for many of the students who identify with an under represented status. While the week's events highlighted the inclusive nature of the Scots, there is still work to be done, according to Regina Johnson, Monmouth's director of multicultural student services who also serves dual roles as the Scots' Athletic Diversity and Inclusion Designee to the NCAA and co-chair of the College's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Working Group (DEI).

"We have had to ask some tough questions of our ourselves and the campus community, such as: What are we providing for our students from diverse backgrounds? Are we meeting their expectations as far as their physical and psychological safety?" said Johnson whose husband Nate serves as an assistant coach with the Scots' football program. "Representation and a safe environment means a lot to our under-represented populations as well as our majority students. When we do not provide support in those areas, the campus climate is impacted."

The event, organized by the Scots Student Senate and the DEI, called the Monmouth College community to rise up as one campus to show support for the under-represented groups of Monmouth's student population.

The COVID-19 pandemic, political and social unrest and other factors have altered everyone's way of life in 2020, but on the Monmouth campus the administration, student organizations and student-athletes continue to work together to address those challenges. Johnson freely admits the full impact of the pledge may not be immediately known, but it's a good starting point.

"Success can be hard to measure, but there are ways that we can gain some metrics and know that we're doing things that are taking the campus community in the right direction," she said. "The uptake in requests from student organizations, faculty, and staff, on how to facilitate through tough conversations, or how one can be more mindful of identities that aren't always readily visible, such as hidden disabilities, speaks to me that people genuinely want to do better at every level."

Johnson hopes the campus community can continue to bring awareness and further support a healthy climate for all students, including students, faculty, and staff which identify with an under-represented identity.

"What's important is that all of our work, taken together, will move the needle in the right direction so that Monmouth continues to be a place that welcomes and embraces individuals from all backgrounds and provides equitable and inclusive spaces for everyone," explained Johnson.

The anti-bias pledge and video may be signed on-line by clicking the links at the end of article on MonmouthScots.com.

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