News Detail
Developing RE as an inclusive institution
In June I spent three days at the University of Chicago with a group of heads of schools, our annual pilgrimage to a college campus where we benefit from talks with leaders of the institution. Columnist and author, David Brooks, a proud alumnus and board member, shared with us his experience as an undergraduate at Chicago. His deep appreciation for the school that set him on his way was unmistakable. Brooks introduced us to his concept of “thick” institutions.
Thick institutions, he said, “become part of a person’s identity and engage the whole person: head, hands, heart and soul.” In a New York Times column earlier this year: “How to Leave a Mark on People” Brooks wrote: “In a thick organization selfishness and selflessness marry; it fulfills your purpose to help others have a good day.” Thick institutions have a lasting impact on the people who pass through them.
Ransom Everglades is a thick institution. We share a common set of values and a worthy mission, more than a century old, that motivate us “to put more in the world than we take from it.” We engage our students with stories of our past and aspirations for our future. A Ransom Everglades education equips our students with both the skills needed to be successful in college and beyond and the moral fortitude to make the world a better place. We help our students become good and decent human beings, and we endeavor to prepare them for the challenges our ever-changing world will inevitably present. Our greatest hope is that our graduates will take RE with them.
Last year, the Student Life Committee of the Board of Trustees engaged in a year-long process to examine diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at Ransom Everglades. The committee’s work began with a campus visit from Dr. Steven Jones, CEO of Jones and Associates Consulting who met with groups of constituents to learn about the many dimensions of diversity at RE. His findings sparked conversations at both the board and faculty level, and at the final board of trustees meeting last May, the trustees ratified the following diversity statement:
Ransom Everglades is committed to providing students with an outstanding education and promoting the ideals of Honor and Excellence. A culture of diversity and inclusion will encourage students to pursue those ideals in an environment where i) students can be themselves; ii) students are exposed to and challenged by a broad range of perspectives; and iii) students can develop values of respect, integrity, compassion, and a commitment to social responsibility.
Dr. Jones returned to RE three weeks ago to work with the faculty before the opening of school, and he will be meeting with the board again at the end of this month.
What does DEI have to do with thick institutions?
Thick institutions do what is right. A school-wide commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is the absolute right thing to do. It’s not just morally right; it’s also in the best interests of our students and our school. In the words of Dr. Jones, we will “skill up” so that everyone in our school community can experience that sense of belonging that allows us to perform well, be our best selves and thrive as a community. DEI work is also not limited to our relationships with each other; it is about our hiring practices, our admission outreach, our curriculum and our commitment to civic engagement. DEI is about empathy, interconnection and listening. And it’s about understanding and appreciating the diversity of Miami and what we can do as a school to contribute to the city’s betterment.
In the end, we will engage in this work so that all members of our community are comfortable with their place within the institution. At the same time, we will be developing an inclusive mindset and listening posture that will elevate our school community while increasing each student’s potential for success in a society in which difference is the norm.
Penny Townsend
Head of School
Middle School
2045 South Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, FL 33133Phone: 305 250 6850
Upper School
3575 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, FL 33133Phone: 305 460 8800
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Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove, Florida. Ransom Everglades School produces graduates who "believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it." The school provides rigorous college preparation that promotes the student's sense of identity, community, personal integrity and values for a productive and satisfying life, and prepares the student to lead and to contribute to society.
Ransom Everglades School®, The RE Way™, RE Pathways™ and Bowden Fellowships in the Humanities™ are trademarks of Ransom Everglades School.
Ransom Everglades School®, The RE Way™, RE Pathways™ and Bowden Fellowships in the Humanities™ are trademarks of Ransom Everglades School.