From the Center for Student Diversity
PLUS Program 2013 Recap
This summer, the Center hosted another successful bridge component of the Preparing for Life as a University Student (PLUS) Program. 36 first-year students from across the Commonwealth of Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, and Texas participated in mock class session, professional development workshops, and other opportunities designed to support them in building a sense of community and William & Mary, while getting connected to important campus resources. This year’s PLUS faculty included Professors Anne Charity Hudley, Cheryl Dickter, Leah Glenn, John Riofrio, and Kate Slevin.
In continuing to expand the Program beyond the first-year experience, approximately 20 PLUS sophomores participated in the second Fall Break Externship experience in Washington, D.C. A collaboration between the Center and the W&M D.C. Office, PLUS students spend two days in D.C. engaged in professional development workshops, student panels, and shadowing opportunities with alumni and friends of the College in the D.C. metro area.
Fall Orientation Experience
A theatrical ensemble of 11 W&M students brought the CSD mission to life during Fall Orientation, and will reprise their performances in January for Spring Orientation. Our ensemble brought the diversity of the W&M Tribe to the stage with some cast members performing their own original poetry and monologues. The powerful pieces touched on experiences such as being the son of an immigrant, navigating South Asian cultural expectations, struggling with mixed feelings of being a “foster kid,” persevering through depression, finding one’s identity as a white person, and understanding the experience of being Black in America.
As a follow-up to the New Student Orientation in August, the CSD team of 28 Diversity Peer Educators completed 10 hours of training and conducted 58 one-hour Dialogues on Diversity in 10 days with our 1,475 members of the Class of 2017. The highly interactive dialogue sessions guided students through discussions to explore their own identities, learn about the experiences and identities of others, and establish common expectations for living together in community.
Safe Zone
Our newly expanded Safe Zone Leadership Team of 11 students kicked things off with style, inviting the campus to participate in our “I am an Ally” campaign. More than 120 students, faculty and staff submitted photos of themselves declaring their motivation for being an ally to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender. The photos were shared in an online awareness raising campaign on our facebook page. Following the successful campaign, we offered 5 Safe Zone training workshops this fall, and 113 people completed the training to join the Safe Zone Program.
Student Affairs’ Staff Focuses on Diversity/Inclusion
In November, we welcomed diversity consultant, Amer F. Ahmed, to the College. Amer facilitated a workshop with the entire Student Affairs staff on “Utilizing Intercultural and Social Justice Frames to Build Inclusive Student Affairs Practices.” Amer also gave a campus-wide talk on Islamaphobia in America.
Exploring Religious/Spiritual Life @ W&M
This summer, the Interfaith Youth Core, led by Eboo Patel, announced the launch of the Campus Religious and Spiritual Climate Survey (CRSCS). Offered in partnership with Dr. Alyssa Bryant Rockenbach and Dr. Matthew Mayhew, the CRSCS is a “temperature check for how students navigate religious diversity's challenges and possibilities.” The Student Assembly, Center for Student Diversity, and the Office of Student Affairs has come together in conjunction with other campuses across the country to survey our campus’ religious and spiritual climate in Spring 2014. This will be the first time the College has broadly explored religious and spiritual life at William & Mary.
