Campus Diversity & Inclusion
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Diversity & Inclusion

As a diverse community comprised of students from different communities and cultures worldwide, Lausanne is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. Doing so requires us to be intentional and help make connections that increase our understanding and value of one another's perspectives.

IN THIS SECTION

Lausanne is a community that will never tolerate any form of discrimination, intolerance or​ ignorance from its students, faculty/staff/administration, parents or any other Lausanne​ community members. We promote diversity and inclusion within all areas of our community.​ Therefore, as an educational institution, Lausanne’s goal is to foster a community that evokes positive change in the world.

Lausanne is committed to creating an inclusive environment that celebrates differences and​ promotes dialogue through various perspectives.​

We continually practice this objective through facilitating education on, exposure to and​ engagement with diverse perspectives within the Lausanne community, the greater Memphis area and the world at large.

  • Students Of Color 48%
  • Bi-Racial 12%
  • Caucasian 52%
  • African American 26%
  • Asian 19%
  • Hispanic 3%
  • Native American 0%

*as of September 8, 2020

Updates to Student & Parent Handbooks for the 2021-2022, completed through Task Force Working Groups in Spring 2021.​

  • Dress Code​
  • Discipline​
  • Social Media & Technology Policy​
  • Statement on Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion​
Lausanne Diversity & Inclusion Council​

Some examples of the work of this Council​

  • Act as division and department liaisons to the Council.​

  • Develop specific divisional and departmental action plans under the guidance of senior administration, Upper School Dean for Student Affairs & Inclusion and the Director of Human Resources.​

  • Collaborate with and provide feedback to senior administration, student and alumni diversity and inclusion clubs, Councils and Boards.​

  • Advocate for the inclusion of diverse perspectives in the classroom and the school community​

  • Create a safe school culture that is inclusive and respectful of all.​​

Middle School faculty who serve on this Council:​ Ms. Whitmore, Ms. Pirani, Ms. Whitehorn and Ms. Shea

Upper School SGA ​ Diversity & Inclusion Representatives​
  • Each grade level chair reflects Lausanne’s racially and culturally diverse student body and is voted on by the Upper School student body​
  • Responsible for overseeing the schedule and content for select convocation speakers whose topics are geared towards diversity, equity and inclusion​
  • Responsible for their respective grade level as well as two (2) clubs, with an emphasis on the Cultural Awareness clubs​
  • Meets with Assistant Head of US monthly as a group ​
  • Will suggest grade level as well as cross-grade level collaborations​
  • Elected each May, serving a 1-year term.​
  • Each Diversity & Inclusion Chair (with the support of a faculty/staff sponsor) will also oversee a Cultural Awareness & Identity (CAI) Club(s):​
  • Make recommendations for what CAI clubs Lausanne should establish each year to the Assistant Head​
  • Leads a chosen CAI club(s)​
  • Ensure that the CAI club content is educational, informative and aids in inviting presenters and speakers depending on discussion topics to the Forum​
  • Minutes should be taken and posted after each meeting ​
  • At  monthly meetings with Assistant Head, chairs should report on CAI club(s) content and make recommendations for the progression of content, as well as upcoming presenters for convocation
Upper School​ SGA Cultural Awareness & Identity (CAI) ​ Clubs​
  • Arabic Club​
  • Bible Studies Club​
  • Black Girl Awareness ​
  • East Asian Society Club​
  • Gay/Straight Alliance Club ​
  • World Religions Club​
  • Exploring Culture Through Food​

TASK FORCE

The murder of George Floyd in late May of 2020 prompted questions and discussion regarding inclusion at Lausanne. Acknowledging the need to better support diversity and inclusion on our campus, a Task Force has been formed to facilitate further discussion throughout the community, make recommendations and guide change. Dr. Noma Anderson leads the task force during monthly meetings.

 

Lausanne Collegiate School has held a longstanding commitment to diversity and multiculturalism. Lausanne's Diversity and Inclusion Task Force has been established to create an inclusive environment for the entire Lausanne community. This task force advocates policies and practices that will benefit all, regardless of race, ethnicity, country of origin/ citizenship, religion, sex, gender identity or other identifiers. 

The Task Force structure, which you can see below, is designed to provide a flow of information from all constituents to the Task Force and vice versa.  

Dr. Noma Anderson is the Lausanne Collegiate School Diversity and Inclusion Task Force leader, providing perspective and as a consultant for Diversity and Inclusion across all divisions.  

As the past president of the Lausanne Board of Trustees and a current Lynx parent, Dr. Anderson is a beloved member of the Lausanne community.     

Over the years, Dr. Anderson has served as a special advisor for diversity and inclusion at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and as the inclusion chair of the president's Diversity Advisory Council (DAC).  

Dr. Anderson has a renowned academic background. She served as the chair and a professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami and as the dean of the School of Health Sciences at FIU for five years. 

Before that, Dr. Anderson was a chair for ten years and on the faculty for 16 years in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Howard University in Washington, D.C.  She was on the board of directors for the ASHA from 1998-2000 as vice president for academic affairs, and again from 2006-2008. Dr. Anderson was also named a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) in 1992 and served as ASHA president in 2007. She received the Harvard University Foundation Medallion for Intercultural and Race Relations in 2007, Legacy Laureate from the University of Pittsburgh in 2016 (her doctoral alma mater) and the Presidential Award from Emerson College in 2020 (her master's alma mater). 

Dr. Anderson holds a Ph.D. in speech-language pathology from the University of Pittsburgh and an M.S. in speech pathology from Emerson College in Boston. She received her B.A. in speech pathology and audiology from Hampton Institute in Hampton, Virginia. 

Send a message to Dr. Anderson and the Diversity and Inclusivity Task Force by clicking here. 

 

The Task Force is comprised of current students, alumni, parents and faculty and staff. These members will work with their constituency groups to ensure that the task force hears from our community members. 

Members of the task force will meet regularly to facilitate further discussion throughout the community, make recommendations and guide change. This will include community listening sessions with Dr. Noma Anderson's assistance. Several sub-committees have also been formed to help gather information and insights from all of our constituency groups. 

The Task Force structure is designed to provide a flow of information from all constituents to the Task Force and vice versa.  

To share a comment or concern with the Task Force, click here.  

Diversity and Inclusion Task Force Members:

  • Dr. Noma Anderson, Chair 
  • Charlotte Albertson, Secretary 

Alumni Representatives 

  • Jacob Church ’00, Alumni Board President 
  • Esperanza King ’06, Trustee 
  • Sabaa Sharma ‘13 

Student Representatives 

  • Ali Devji ’21, SGA Co-President 
  • Jad Hamze ’21, SGA Co-President 
  • Cailin Brown ’21, SGA President candidate 
  • Justice Crawford ’21, Senior Class President 
  • India Norris ’22, Junior Class President 

Parent Representatives 

  • Stuart Cohen P ’32, P ‘27 
  • Deena Knight P ‘23 
  • Janet Lo P ’30, P ‘27 
  • Maleka McCray P ’26, P ‘21 
  • LaTreka Smith P ’31, P ‘27 
  • Trey McKnight P ‘27

Community Representative 

  • Dr. Noelle Trent, Director of Interpretation, Collections and Education at the National Civil Rights Museum 

Faculty & Staff Representatives 

  • Chris Jordan P ’21, P ’24, P ‘27, Upper School Dean for Student Affairs and Inclusion (Years at Lausanne: 5) 
  • Rachel Hammons, Director of Lausanne 360 (Years at Lausanne: 18) 
  • Samantha Douglas P ‘34, P ’35, Upper School Counselor (Years at Lausanne: 3)