Office for Civil Rights, Compliance and Community Initiatives

“Words like freedom, justice, democracy are not common concepts; on the contrary, they are rare. People are not born knowing what these are. It takes enormous and, above all, individual effort to arrive at the respect for other people that these words imply.”

-James Baldwin, “The Crusade of Indignation,” 1956.

In “The Controversies and Difficulties of the Liberal Arts Colleges,” Dr. Lewis P. Jones ’38 wrote that a college must be both conservative by “transmit[ting] to each new generation … the accepted judgments and values of our civilization and society” and liberal by embracing its “contradictory duty of constantly examining and re-evaluating that heritage” in order to “add something to this heritage during each generation.” Wofford’s vital ongoing dialogue about the past, present and future includes honest engagement with the complex and diverse lived experiences that make us human. These conversations can only be conducted in an environment that respects and protects Wofford faculty, staff and students’ freedom of inquiry and right to a learning and working environment free of discriminatory harassment. They cannot take place in ivory tower isolation. Therefore, Wofford seeks to establish partnerships that encourage its faculty, staff, and students to engage with Spartanburg, and that invite community members to enjoy the college’s cultural and educational offerings. The Office for Civil Rights, Compliance and Community Initiatives was established to advance these institutional imperatives.