The Madison College Division of College Culture and Climate and 365Nation will host a focused conversation over dinner tonight at Madison College Truax with the goal of amplifying diverse communities and making sure that they are reflected in the work of Madison College.
Madison College’s Community Impact team is focusing on building relationships within the African American, Latinx, Hmong and Native communities, and is being intentional that their strategic plan is reflective of those voices.
“We’ve been working with 365Nation just to understand how we can better connect and resonate with our communities of color,” Kesha Bozeman, director of marketing at Madison College, tells Madison365. “And so instead of us looking at data, we just wanted to have a conversation to take those insights and put it in our work as we’re thinking about recruiting prospective students, engaging with the community and, once they are here, making them feel welcome… that they can show up just as they are and feel good about it.”
The agenda for tonight’s community conversation will include a welcome by Madison College President Dr. Jack E. Daniels III and a talk about the future of Madison College with Dr. Damira Grady, the vice president of equity, inclusion, and community relations at Madison College, and Dr. Mark Thomas, chief of staff and executive vice president of institutional policy and strategy at Madison College.
“As we think about our community’s access to our institution and our learner’s journey to success, we want to take this opportunity to invite you, your staff, and representatives from the community you serve to learn more about the college’s new strategic vision for the future,” Madison College said in a press release announcing the event. 
365Nation CEO Henry Sanders will lead the community conversation. Sanders is also publisher and CEO of Madison365.
“The facilitators for the discussion … they’ve done work to just try to make sure that there’s representation there as well and to ensure people feel safe and comfortable,” Bozeman says.
“We hope to plan more events in the future. On the marketing side, it’s just really important to us that we keep a pulse and temperature check … and that we’re resonating with the communities of color, we’re reaching out to them,” Bozeman adds. “It’s so important to me that once we get them in the door, we just don’t leave them. We want to make sure that they’re set up for success and can thrive at Madison College.”
Dinner for tonight’s event will be served at 5:30 p.m. at Madison College-Truax Campus, 1701 Wright St., on Madison’s East Side. Dr. Grady will deliver the closing remarks.
“Childcare will be provided at this event because that’s really important. Madison College is trying to make sure we create space for parents,” Bozeman says.
“This is a safe place. We’re partnering with our climate and culture department that is led by Dr. Damira Grady. There has been a lot of work done to just be intentional that it feels it is a safe place for people to share. We want people to feel comfortable saying whatever they want to say at this community conversation.”
