Penn State will host three roundtables this summer and fall to discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus, the university announced this week.

The first of the three, titled “Race, Our Campus Climate and Workplace,” is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30 and can be streamed here. Each event hopes to promote communication and dialogue within the Penn State community about issues involving race and discover ways to advance equity and inclusion for students, faculty, and staff from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.

The roundtable will feature several notable panelists, including Clarence Lang, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Randy Houston, president of Penn State’s Alumni Association, and B. Stephen Carpenter III, dean of the College of Arts and Architecture.

The event will be co-sponsored by the university’s Division for Development and Alumni Relations, WPSU, and the Office of the Vice Provost for Equity.

“At this moment, when so many across the globe are frustrated and speaking out against systemic racism, we want to provide an opportunity for our community to come together, listen and learn together,” Marcus Whitehurst, vice for provost for Educational Equity, said. “This is an opportunity to learn more about the challenges and lived experiences of friends and colleagues of color, and to walk away with greater understanding of how each of us can support diversity, equity and inclusion in our communities, at our University and in our nation.”

The subsequent roundtables will take place later this fall. On September 8, “Race, Teaching and Learning in our Current Climate” will discuss what it’s like for people of color at a university with a majority white campus. The series will culminate with the third roundtable, “Race in the Community,” on November 5.