New students entering the University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ at Boulder will be welcomed by students, staff and faculty from the Building Community Campaign at the Fall 2000 Convocation on Thursday, Aug. 24, at 5:30 p.m. on the Norlin Quadrangle.
University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Student Union tri-executive John Moore will ask the students to pledge their commitment to making the Boulder campus a better place to live, work and learn.
"I am really looking forward to the opportunity to welcome the students who are going to become part of our campus community. It is imperative that we communicate to them the importance of community and the fact that our success as individuals hinges on the success of the community as a whole," Moore said.
According to Elease Robbins, associate vice chancellor for student affairs, dean of students and chair of the Building Community Committee, welcoming new students at the event is an important occasion.
"This annual gathering helps to create a positive atmosphere and energy for the upcoming academic year for students, faculty and staff," Robbins said.
"ItÂ’s also a time to let new students know that the campus community strives to welcome and respect all people and that they have an important role in our efforts to build a stronger and better community."
Last year approximately 1,200 new students signed the commitment to community at convocation, which reads:
"We come together to proclaim our commitment to a diverse, respectful and caring community. We dedicate ourselves to creating a welcoming and safe environment where all people may pursue scholarly ambitions, personal growth and active citizenry. It is in the sum of unique individuals that we find our strength, creativity and inspiration to promote change and progress."
The Building Community Campaign sponsors and supports a variety of academic, personal and professional campus activities that promote respect and success in individual and collective efforts.
Initiatives for 2000-01 include:
*The ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Experience, a program designed to help incoming students adjust to campus life by introducing them to the expectations that come with membership in the campus community. The program began last year with a group of students in Farrand Hall and is expanding to include groups in Sewall Hall and Williams Village this fall.
*Community Speakouts and dinners in surrounding neighborhoods, including the Hill, to build bridges among the university and its neighbors.
*The Bias Motivated Incident Response Team, which responds to hateful acts targeted to groups and individuals.
*Interactive Theater Project, which combines dramatic skits with audience interaction to set the stage for conversations ranging from alcohol to date rape to diversity
*Partnership with the ChancellorÂ’s Advisory Committee on Minority Affairs to sponsor the annual campus diversity summit Feb. 20-21.
*Environmental scanning presentations that help staff and faculty see how their surroundings send messages about what they value and donÂ’t value.
*Community Builder awards to people who have worked to improve the sense of community on the Boulder campus.
The Building Community Committee is a group of faculty, staff and students who provide assistance to groups seeking to increase diversity, community and civility on the Boulder campus. Membership is open to all interested persons.
For more information on joining the committee, or to nominate someone for a community builder award, visit the Web site at .