January 28, 2021
The Office of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) offers a friendly environment composed of a variety of identities and individuals at Shawnee State University. Their vision is to welcome each student by helping them feel comfortable and included in the campus community through important conversations and student group activities.
D&I has created equal opportunity and resource son campus, by recognizing and celebrating the differences in everyone while promoting the positive outcomes of different perspectives.
“I think it’s important to note that while the focus is often on students of color, or historically underrepresented students, D&I is for everyone,” Marlita Cadogan, Coordinator of Student Life and Diversity & Inclusion said.
Cadogan focuses on making sure the campus community recognizes the work of D&I is not only her job but the job of everyone on campus.
“Diversity and inclusion impacts people in different ways,” Cadogan said. “Whether it be gaining new experiences like learning about a new culture you weren’t familiar with or better understanding the world around them by getting a glimpse through another person’s viewpoint, there is a lot more to diversity and inclusion than one would expect.”
In past semesters, D&I hosted “Sunday’s Best” church crawls, “Highlight Your Hustle”, Donuts & Dialogue panel discussions, and Black History Month celebrations. Changing pace this year due to COVID-19 regulations, the office has had to change its practices to bring groups together while still maintaining health guidelines.
“This is why I have shifted gears to hold more meaningful conversations with the students I do encounter,” Cadogan said, who has moved many events this year to a virtual format.
Part of D&I is AHANA – African, Hispanic, Asian, Native American – a student group associated with the office. AHANA’s mission is to increase awareness of diversity for multi-cultural students attending the university.
“One program we are currently focusing on are #namestories and #notyouraveragebearstories to highlight the voices and empower students who are underrepresented,” said Cadogan, who also serves as an AHANA advisor in her role.
Hosting weekly virtual meetings, AHANA invites students to join them to learn more about their mission and have an opportunity to create a spirit of unity and togetherness on campus. The group meets weekly throughout the semester on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. via Zoom.
Even with the limits on being able to gather in person, D&I continues to spread their message and promote diversity acceptance across campus and in the surrounding community.
“We are here to encourage folks to speak up for themselves and others if they see something that is excluding or not equitable so we can fill in those gaps,” Cadogan said.
To learn more about the Office of Diversity & Inclusion at Shawnee State University, students can reach out to Marlita Cadogan with questions at mcadogan@shawnee.edu