Georgetown University’s historic commitment to diversity is highlighted by its being one of the first colleges to accept women.

Now, one group on campus is making an effort to ensure that this particular legacy endures.

The Diversity Action Committee, formerly known as the Diversity Working Group, is focusing on bringing attention to and supporting the diversity that already exists on campus this year.

“The DWG changed its name to the DAC to reflect a desire on the part of the group to be more proactive in its approach to tolerance and diversity at Georgetown,” Nicholas Turner, special assistant to the vice president for public affairs and strategic development, said.

Last semester many cultural, religious and gay rights groups were taken aback by a rise in racial intolerance on campus. An individual in Florida with no affiliation to Georgetown sent a racist e-mail sent to the Black Student Alliance and Georgetown’s chapter of the NAACP in February and anonymous fliers attacking gays and minorities were placed inside copies of The Fire This Time, a minority student newspaper.

“One of the challenges the DAC is positioning itself to face is engaging those members of our community who are either not normally drawn to the discussion of diversity or are critics of traditional ways of achieving diversity,” Turner said.

The council is looking to work with the Office of the Provost in promoting diversity-related program initiatives on campus. The DAC also plans to extend its current membership to academic departments, university employees and student organizations.

But many have questioned whether the university should be taking such a role in the community. At a faculty senate meeting last May, faculty members said that it would be insulting to implement a baseline education about harassment and discrimination for all faculty.

Cynthia Martinez (SFS ’05), a DAC member and resident director of the Georgetown University Black House, said she believes that diversity education training should be mandatory on campus so that Georgetown can better address diversity issues as part of the “whole college experience.”

“There’s a very distinct difference between tolerance, acceptance and respect,” Martinez said. “Georgetown’s focus has primarily been on tolerance, but its priorities need to be on acceptance and respect for the whole student.”

Evan Caplan (SFS ’07) said that while diversity training and programs cannot change the world, education can play a role in fostering respect. He chose to get involved in YLEAD (Young Leaders in Education about Diversity) and found that diversity encompasses a great deal more than race.

“Tolerance can be easy – if one does not commit bias, one can claim tolerance,” Caplan said. “But by being simply `tolerant,’ one does not do enough to help others be accepted by the larger community. An atmosphere of acceptance and understanding comes from the university culture and the culture of society as a whole.”