At Monday night’s Students’ Association meeting, Nathan Ziegler, director of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access, presented during open forum about the work his office is doing to meet the needs of all people on campus.
“As an institution, it is our duty to train students how to engage with others in respectful ways and our obligation to support and advance underserved and marginalized communities,” Ziegler said.
The Diversity Academy is a new training program tied in with existing curriculums. The program will begin in the spring semester and feature 16 sessions about diversity.
If students complete 10 of the sessions and two additional electives, they will receive a certificate for equity advancement and cultural competence. Students will be able to register for the program at the start of spring semester through an email that will be sent by Ziegler.
“Receiving a certificate from the diversity program will show future employers you have a very valuable skill for this global age,” Ziegler said.
Ziegler said he is also working to form a mentorship program for minority students. Additionally, a Diversity Council will be launched soon, which brings stakeholders on campus together to encourage greater diversity and inclusion on campus.
Amendment 17-03-A was approved during old business, which requires all organizations participating in general budgeting to have a representative attend at least one SA meeting before the start of general budgeting to describe the group’s activities and explain the use of its student fee allocation.
If an organization representative fails to attend meetings as required, the club will not be allowed to participate in the general budgeting process for the following fiscal year.
SA also approved Ordinance 17-02-O, showing its support to combine the Music Council, State University Theatre and Prairie Repertory Theatre budgets into one budget known collectively as the School of Performing Arts.
The next meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 20 in the Lewis and Clark room of The Union.
