Tapping into its alumni network, Colgate University has created an innovative initiative that brings multicultural alumni back to campus to support its diverse students.
The Mosaic Initiative, a strategic outreach program, actively seeks to “weave a vibrant tapestry” of fellowship and mentorship by connecting the institutions’ alumni of color with students from underrepresented groups through volunteering and career development.
As a private, liberal arts institution in rural New York, it is not always easy to attract or keep students from international countries or from underrepresented populations, said Timothy C. Mansfield, associate vice president of advancement and alumni relations at Colgate.
“Making sure that students have a fulfilling experience, and likewise alumni, keeping them connected to the college, that’s a really important demographic that we need to be paying closer attention to.”
Following a 100-hour-long student demonstration in 2014 that called for more representation, inclusion and equity at Colgate, Mansfield’s alumni office began to think “deliberately” about “purposeful ways” it could better support students while also engaging with its alumni of color who felt moved by the demonstration.
What ensued was the creation of the Mosaic Initiative after alumni relations received an outpouring of messages from alumni of color asking how they could help or support students who possibly faced similar experiences that they did as an undergraduate student.
Jaleith Gary, a Colgate alumna and director of philanthropy at the Urban Alliance, said that when she learned of the events on campus, she felt a range of emotions from “empathy to fury to pride.”
