AndoverMagSpring2015

A Q&A with Linda Carter GriffithLinda Carter Griffith, current dean of Community and MulticulturalDevelopment (CAMD), will become the new assistant head of schoolfor equity and inclusion, effective July 1, 2015. As a member of theAndover community for more than 25 years, Griffith has served, amongother roles, as an English instructor, house counselor, dean of Pine KnollCluster, and girls’ basketball coach. In early March, Andover editor KristinBair O’Keeffe sat down with Griffith to discuss how her new role willhelp fulfill the goals set forth in Connecting Our Strengths: The AndoverEndeavor, the Academy’s new strategic plan.KBO What exactly do equity and inclusionmean?LCG In essence, equity means beinginvited to the table. Inclusion meanshelping to plan the menu. These arepowerful words, and I want to makesure that people recognize that they arenot code words for race. When we usethese words, we mean everything andeveryone, regardless of gender, sexualorientation, race, ethnicity, ability, geographicorigin, class, or religion.(See Diversity Glossary, page 134)KBO And why are they included as oneof the three pillars of PA’s new StrategicPlan?LCG During the strategic planninginquiry process, it became very obviousthat the work done by the Accessto Success committee—created a fewyears after PA initiated need-blindadmission—had only begun to scratchthe surface of our community’s awarenessof and needs pertaining to issuesof diversity, equity, and inclusion.KBO The Access to Success committee—whywas it created?LCG At first, there was a sense oncampus that it was enough to open thegates [via need-blind admission]. Wesaid, “OK, the students have arrived.We’re granting full tuition and expensesand now are bringing a parent or guardianto campus for Family Weekend.”We even created additional summerprograms and travel opportunities.But when the scholarship studentsarrived, we realized that even thoughthey had the intellect, drive, energy, andaspiration that all our students have,many were coming from schools andneighborhoods that hadn’t been able toprovide the necessary academic preparationplus cultural and social capitalneeded to succeed here. We realizedthat financial resources were not enoughto help some of our students fully accessAndover’s educational program. Weneeded to consider ways to enrich theiracademic preparation, as well as providecultural and social capital. That’s whyAccess to Success was formed.English instructor David Fox and Ichaired the committee, and togetherwith some committed colleaguesfrom many different departments, weinitiated a number of positive changesfor our scholarship students. Overall,we became more thoughtful in ourapproach to supporting all students.We implemented mandatory studyhalls when needed, consistent bilingualcommunication with parents, earlieradvisor reports on juniors, pre-juniorsummer for students who need alonger runway for takeoff, and more. Infact, our academic review system haschanged considerably, and each studenthas a team of adults that meets whenevera concern arises.•1802Samuel Phillips Jr. makes a large gift for the“preservation of the essential and distinguishingdoctrines of the Gospel, as professed by our piousancestors, the first settlers of New England.”| | | Trustees create the Scholar of the House22 Andover | Spring 2015•1812–1850Hon. William Phillips Jr. (first cousin of Samuel Jr.)makes a large gift “for the support of charity scholars.”Similar Phillips family donations become known as thePhillips Charity Fund.•1816program; scholarship boys earn their keep bycleaning, ringing the bell, and tending to the fire.