LVC's Committee on Inclusive Excellence was restructured and renamed the Committee on Inclusion and Intercultural Learning (ILL) to solidify the connection between Inclusive Excellence and global learning, and to encourage curricular and co-curricular engagement. The committee began their work in reviewing college policies and determining a funding structure for the President's Fund for Inclusive Excellence. Funds were made available to the campus community in November 2016. The ILL met with human resources on cross-cultural training for administration and staff. The committee is in the process of reviewing strategies for reporting and responding to bias incidents. Also, in consultation with the Office of Marketing & Communications, they are managing and updating resources for the College's page on Inclusion and Intercultural Learning for the website. The ILL is tasked with presenting a report annually to the Board of Trustees marking institutional progress.  

At their October 2016 meeting, the College's Board of Trustee's Task Force on Inclusive Excellence reported on their recommendations to the community regarding inclusion and intercultural learning. Their recommendations included: create a focused and sustainable institutional approach to inclusion and globalization; determine the institutional objectives and measurable outcomes; and create a program and timeline for launching the Center for Inclusive and Intercultural Learning.

LVC joined the American Talent Initiative, a collaborative project to increase college access for talented low- and moderate-income students. LVC was invited to participate because we are just one of 270 top colleges and universities in the country with a six-year graduation rate consistently above 70 percent (LVC's is 76 percent). 

President Thayne signed a statement, along with nearly 600 other college and university presidents, calling on the U.S. to uphold the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program for undocumented immigrant students.

A special interest flag policy was approved. The policy established a special interest flagpole that provides a forum for LVC student groups and academic departments to fly a temporary flag representing a special event, celebration, or campus awareness campaign.

Retention expert Charles Schroeder made a fifth campus visit to provide follow up to his November 2016 visit.

The Committee on Inclusion and Intercultural Learning reviewed complaints and grievances policies to assist students, faculty, and staff in reporting incidents, understanding process, and achieving accountability.

The 4th annual Symposium on Inclusive Excellence, which encourages students and staff to learn, grow, and commit as a campus to comprehensive and continuing engagement with our diverse community, was held. The entire day was reserved for educational sessions that inspired dialogue, a featured keynote speaker, and community lunch. This year's keynote speaker was Dr. Charles H.F. Davis, director of higher education research and initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania Center for the Study of Race & Equity in Education.

The College's faculty and administration endorsed a Preferred Name and Pronoun Policy in March 2017, which includes honoring all College community members' forms of self-identification. 

Student Government voted to add an Equity Representative for each of the four classes. The first elected officers for each class took office starting with the 2017-2018 academic year. 

LVC's Board of Trustees will receive a comprehensive progress report on the institution's strategic plan, Envision 2020; highlighting strategic focus area #3, Inclusive Excellence and high performance. The report was developed by a special working group that outlined recommendations for a Center for Inclusive and Intercultural Learning. 

The Office of Multicultural Affairs was reorganized into the Office of Intercultural Affairs & Inclusive Programs (OIA). Part of the new office's mission is to provide leadership and direction for the development of educational, cultural, and social programs that enhance intercultural understanding.

Student-athletes produced and debuted the "It's on Us" video and promoted the five steps to intervention as part of the "Step Up" programming. 

President's Innovation Grants are awarded for "Creating a Latino Culture at LVC," "Intergroup Dialogue at LVC-Phase Two," and "Diverse Affiliate Ministries," among others.

The Vigil Against Violence was held in the Frederic K. Miller Chapel. This program highlighted personal reflections from students, faculty, and staff and announced more than 20 opportunities for co-curricular programming throughout the semester.

In response to racial incidents on campus, students organized a community-wide march against hatred and discrimination, using #LVC4change.

Residents of the Women's Services and Gender Resource Center and Student Government co-hosted an LVC community walk-out and march through campus and downtown Annville. The march was a statement against hatred and discrimination, and an assertion of inclusivity and acceptance. An estimated 800 students, faculty, and staff participated.

Published a schedule of facilities projects that address accessibility to campus buildings and other needs, such as All-Gender restrooms. To date, automatic openers for restrooms in the Allan W. Mund College Center, Clyde A. Lynch Memorial Hall, and Neidig-Garber Science Center have been added, as well as to the entrance of Vernon and Doris Bishop Library. These improvements were expanded to the exterior of Bertha Brossman Blair Music Center and restrooms in Bishop Library.

Numerous single-use bathrooms and restrooms converted to All-Gender, including int he Dellinger, Funkhouser, Hammond, Keister, Marquette, Mary Capp Green, and Stanson residence halls. Spaces were also converted to All-Gender in other campus building, including the Bertha Brossman Blair Music Center, Carnegie Building, Fencil Studios, Maud P. Laughlin Hall, Clyde A. Lynch Memorial Hall, Frederic K. Miller Chapel, Allan W. Mund College Center, Rosemary Yuhas Commons, and Zimmerman Recital Hall.

Included an American Disabilities Act (ADA) ramp to the expanded stage and increased the space for wheelchairs in the pew area of the Frederic K. Miller Chapel.

Completed a major revitalization of Mary Capp Green Residence Hall that included installation of a lift/elevator that serves the lower level and first floor. Half the building is now fully accessible. The bathrooms on these two floors now meet all current accessibility standards. In addition, the single use bathroom on the first floor has been designated as an All-Gender bathroom.

Added and inclined walkway to enable disability access to tennis courts as part of the summer 2016 Shankroff Tennis Center project. Installed an accessible composting toilet as well. 

Received an external funding commitment that will cover the majority of costs associated with constructing a significantly upgraded pedestrian bridge over the railroad that will include ADA accessible ramps on both sides of campus.

Developed plans to create an ADA accessible walkway to connect North and South campus as part of the soon-to-be-completed PennDOT Route 934 improvement project. This phase of the project was completed in March 2017.

Produced an inequities report outlining the causes of inequity in educational outcomes of our students. The report includes data on retention and graduation rates as they relate to student subgroups and their educational activities or participation. The report was used to develop initiatives to address inequities during the fall 2016 semester.

Members of the College faculty published a letter in support of LVC students. The faculty pledged their commitment to doing everything they can to make the campus a space of bravery and freedom.

LVC's Summer Enrichment Program, a pre-orientation geared at providing all incoming (new and transfer) ALANA and multiracial students with a jump start on college life at LVC, was expanded to a week-long program. An online course that incorporates a writing intensive curriculum and social interactions has also been added. The program, formerly known as the Bridge Program, will continue to combine peer mentoring, residential living, academic success, and leadership development to assist students in making a successful transition to college and the LVC community.

In the curriculum and co-curriculum, increase the prevalence and visibility of intercultural competence and course content to reflect our commitment to equity, globalization, and Inclusive Excellence. 

Full-time faculty participated in a faculty development program. The agenda, informed by a faculty advisory group consisting of representatives from various college committees, included concurrent sessions on topics related to global learning, inclusive pedagogies for diverse learners, mentoring students versus advising them, understanding the unique learning needs of "Generation Z," and navigating difficult conversations on sensitive topics in the classroom.

Iris Jacobs, a diversity, curriculum, and training consultant, conducted training with the College's Resident Assistants. 

Instituted intercultural and cross-cultural training for staff and faculty. Through workshops and speakers sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, developed a model for dialogue facilitation and skills development for faculty (fall 2016), and developing a model for staff (spring 2017).

By the end of the 2016-2017 academic year, all administrative divisions received professional development training in Culturally Responsive Practices for Gender & Sexuality.

Members of senior leadership, faculty, and staff participated in a professional development module that focused on inclusion and campus climate. The Summit, offered by the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Race and Equity, is a three-part series on Racially Responsive Leadership in Higher Education, Developing Racial Literacy in Student Affairs, and Reducing Racism in College Classrooms.

Revised the student admission tour to emphasize appropriately our goal of Inclusive Excellence. 

Hired 14 new faculty, of which two are ALANA and three are international, including two Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants.

Hired the College's first assistant professor of Africana Studies, Cona Marshall. This was an interdisciplinary appointment.

Renata Williams was hired as the first director of the Office of Intercultural Affairs & Inclusive Programs.

Hosted and visited groups of students from educationally underserved communities in Philadelphia and Baltimore (i.e. Cristo Rey and KIPP). 

Revised job descriptions and recruitment/retention efforts to attract a more diverse pool of candidates for staff positions.

LVC annually hosts a large group of Milton Hershey School students for an on-campus summer experience that includes collaborative education programming.

Several members of the Board of Trustees provided inaugural funding to support the President's Fund for Inclusive Excellence.

President Thayne and the Committee on Inclusion and Intercultural Learning awarded the inaugural grants to the following Inclusive Excellence initiatives: The International Food Fair, Intergroup Dialogue Facilitator Training, LVC's Career Closet, and Musical Alliance Workshops with Stephen Wade.

The late Hobson and Grace '30 Zerbe generously committed their estate to the College to enhance student learning through direct experiences within the Languages Department. Their gift will support several initiatives, including the Zerbe Summer Study Abroad Scholarship, which aids language majors or minors who need additional financial support to pursue summer study abroad opportunities. Their gift also supported two Fulbright FLTAs this year.

Through the generosity of alumna JonnaLynn Knauer Mandelbaum '69, B.S.N., M.P.H., Ph.D., a full-tuition scholarship was established to support a student of high promise but limited financial means from sub-Saharan Africa. The Almond Tree Scholarship covers tuition, room, board, and taxes, and includes an annual $6,500 stipend for travel and other related expenses. The first scholarship was awarded to Shingirai Guchu from Zimbabwe who enrolled for fall 2017. Fatima Madondo and Darrell Tanyaradzwa Duri, also from Zimbabwe, enrolled in fall 2018.