The Department of Belonging and Social Impact (BSI), formerly known as the Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), is here and ready to make beneficial changes at Fieldston. Led by Shannon Matlovsky, the department’s interim executive director, BSI works thoughtfully to improve Fieldston’s social climate. Recently, Matlovsky had the chance to talk about the crucial role the BSI Department hopes to play.
Clad in a colorful dress and square statement glasses, Matlovsky eagerly described the inner workings of her job and BSI’s. The department’s mission, she explained, was intertwined with the school’s: providing students with a progressive education that ensured they would feel seen, valued and heard.
“Our intent is really to make sure that all the adults, all the students and all the families have the skills that they need so that they feel like they belong here and then they can access all the richness of who we are as an organization,” said Matlovsky.
Matlovsky quickly assured that the department’s name change was not about moving away from diversity. Rather, she said, it was to center the essential value of belonging in the Fieldston Community. “When people feel valued, when they feel like that they belong to a place…it helps everything,” she said.
A driving force for the department’s change of name was understanding the needs of the community and finding ways to address them. Matlovsky brought up three questions the department asked when exploring a renovation: “Where are we as a school? Where do we need to go? And how might we get there?” The department noticed that Belonging was pivotal at Fieldston and responded to that need by rebranding as BSI.
Matlovsky emphasized BSI’s commitment to creating a space for each individual, such as establishing school-wide systems that support individuals of all identities. “Whether you call it DEI, whether you call it Belonging, it has to include the range of identities and experiences that people have,” said Matlovsky. “It has to take that into consideration because that’s how you create belonging.”
Matlovsky said that most of her job, as interim executive director, is spent making sure that she brings an equity and belonging lens to every single conversation. She brought up her part in curriculum changes, explaining that her job was to consider how the new material would impact students of all identities. When discussing issues such as a new curriculum, Matlovsky said she aims to mitigate any unintended consequences and suggest paths to create a more inclusive environment.
Before stepping into her current role, Matlovsky was the DEI lead at Ethical Culture in Manhattan for three years. Now, part of her job is to check in with the BSI Departments at all divisions and align their goals and practices. Looking forward to the summer, Matlovsky mentioned she would be spending a lot of time looking at policies and practices, including strengthening existing measures like gender-inclusive restrooms and creating new ones to address community needs, such as outlets to voice concerns and suggestions for students.
Heading into the 2024-2025 school year, Matlovsky hopes to increase dialogue and understanding of BSI and the Fieldston Community. “I would love much stronger partnerships between the BSI department and Fieldston students in general,” she said, “We need more time with the students, we want to have that access.”
To address the lack of connection, Matlovsky brought up plans to hold office hours for students to voice their concerns and suggestions: “We would love to be able to have more partnerships with student groups, individual students, where we’re getting your feedback and we’re hearing what’s really important to you all.” Through these conversations, said Matlovsky, the BSI Department could see the effect of policies and modify them to meet students’ needs.
Given the crucial role of belonging at Fieldston, students should take every opportunity to create a community where everyone feels they are a valuable member, said Matlovsky. “Doing so can be as simple as brightening someone’s day or lifting a friend up.”
