Determined to be present and have their voices heard, 11 Western Massachusetts Sisters made the 1-1/2 drive to participate in the Williams College forum on “diversity in construction.” Held on February 1, 2018, the forum focused on hiring practices for College construction projects. Attendees included 80 students and some staff.

During the forum, the College was urged to reevaluate its standards for racial and gender diversity in hiring and contracting. There were also questions about the College’s Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) requirement for construction workers.

The Western Massachusetts SIB has been pursuing construction opportunities at Williams College for a while. In particular, SIB Chair Lisa Clauson has been working with students and meeting with professors to encourage greater female representation on construction jobs. The Williams Record, an independent student newspaper, cited their support for this effort on their Editorial Page and in an article titled: Students Explore Equity In Construction At The College.

In moving forward, Lisa says, “I’m in the process of working with students to figure out the next steps. I’ve held a few more meetings with professors and one administrator. The students are going to initiate meetings with key administrators.” Stay tuned.