Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Overview

Living our Mission

Verto Education is committed to fostering community and embracing diversity on all semesters. Institutionally, we are committed to implementing hiring practices that result in Verto staff who are reflective of our diverse student population. We also continue to encourage and create more opportunities for every participant, especially those who are underrepresented in higher education and study abroad.

Through our daily practices, we strive to strengthen our community and make all feel welcome, included, and valued. Verto is dedicated to being an organization in which staff, participants, and alumni feel seen, supported, and affirmed. Our community and the following initiatives continue to open constructive dialogue and bring about positive change:

• Actively diversifying our staff to be reflective of Verto participants, identifying bias blind spots to create equal representation, high employee retention, upward growth, and productive recruitment
• Creating an evolving, robust training program for our staff to better understand and anticipate the needs of all participants and alumni through cultural humility and collaborative onboarding experiences
• Researching and facilitating safe spaces and providing mental health resources for all staff, participants, and alumni.
• Continuing to diversify our participants, high school counselors, independent educational consultants, and partner institutions to promote accessibility within higher education through presenting merit scholarships and need-based grant opportunities. Scholarships and grants are made possible through The Verto Fund, Verto’s non-profit arm.

If you are an enrolled participant or parent, prospective participant or parent, or prospective staff member, Verto invites you to our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office Hours and Virtual Events.

Partner Colleges with over 30% of incoming students who identify as Black or African American; Hispanic; Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; American Indian or Alaskan native; or two or more races (2019):

• Temple University (31.8%)
• Case Western Reserve University (36%)
• Rhodes College (30% – Multicultural & International Students)
• Pace University (34%)
• Adelphi University (44.6%);
• Portland State University (32.85%)
• Goucher College (38%)
• University of Auckland, NZ (63% Non-European Students)
• University College Dublin, Ireland (32%)

Common student organizations on campus you could join:

• Black Student Association (BSA), Black Student Union (BSU) or African-American Student Association (AASA)
• National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC)
• National Black Graduate Student Association (NBGSA)
• National Indian Education Association (NIEA)
• Alpha Pi Omega
• National APIA Panhellenic Association
• Latinx Student Union (LSU)
• India Student Association (ISA)
• Indigenous Student Association (ISA)
• Students for Palestine Association
• Asian American Cultural Association (AACA)
• Hawaiian and Pacific Islander club (HAPI)
• Common Ground Alliance (CGA)