打破障碍

Institutions of higher learning are not immune to the plight of cultural intolerance. 但, 作为明日领袖的教育者, 韦德体育app官网 is determined to confront implicit bias, 教导接受并创造一个包容的社区. 这所大学努力“促进多样性”, equity and inclusion in an environment of mutual trust and respect at all levels of the institution and facilitate opportunities and success for all community members,” as established in the 韦德体育app官网 战略计划, 目标4. 这种向学生灌输这些原则的动力, 教师, 员工和社区在开放大学的存在中随处可见.

When the university was founded in 1957 by Matilda Dodge Wilson, 罗切斯特地区是农村, 以农田为主. 两年后, 奥克兰’s first international student enrolled at the university, and leadership began recognizing the value of diversifying campus. 在60年代早期, the university’s female population created the Associated Women Students of Michigan

州大学-奥克兰, which aimed to promote unity among female students and help develop qualities of leadership.

In 1968, the civil unrest of 比赛 relations spilled over on OU with the fatal shooting of Isaac Jones, 奥克兰第一位黑人毕业生, 在当地的加油站. 总理维.B. “Woody” Varner, along with his colleague Manuel Pierson, Ph.D., 以及校园里的其他领导, began actively pursuing ways to offer support and greater opportunities on campus for underrepresented minorities.

“It is my hope for each of you,” Varner remarked at OU’s spring 1969 commencement, “... that as you move to positions of influence in the affairs of man, you will give a new and vital meaning to those words which have for too long been hollow rhetoric — the words justice, 自由, 自由, 平等, 人的尊严. These must be the birthright and the property rights of all men, 实现这一切是你崇高的使命, 你的任务, 你的任务高于一切.”

结果是, 这所大学雇佣了更多的有色人种教职员工, as well as implemented an aggressive outreach effort to Pontiac and other underrepresented communities with robust recruitment and bridge programs. This helped pave the way for creating greater diversity and inclusivity on campus over the next several decades.

在70年代, the International Students and Scholars Office was established, as well as the recognition of Hispanic heritage with the university’s first “La Raza Day,将拉丁裔高中生带到校园. 在1983年的春天, 俄亥俄州立大学举办了首届残疾人意识周活动, while the 90s paved the way for the LGB community with the inclusion of 性取向 in the Equal Opportunity Policy for students. In 2006, the university honored the Asian-American community with a celebration to recognize the uniqueness of Asian cultures, 包括俄罗斯, 巴基斯坦, 印度和阿富汗. 在2010年代, the Center for Multicultural Initiatives began a new program — Collectively 奥克兰 Retains Everyone (CORE) — to help first-year working-class and other minority students succeed at 韦德体育app官网.

“As evidenced by President Pescovitz’s action to establish diversity, equity and inclusion as a strategic goal for the university,格伦·麦金托什说, vice president for student affairs and chief diversity officer, “it is recognized that cultivating all types of diversity and demonstrating inclusion is essential to exemplifying the mission and values of our campus community. 我们继续取得可见和可衡量的进展.” 

McIntosh has been with the university for more than two decades, and recalls a variety of points of pride in OU’s commitment to building cultural competence:

• The Center for Multicultural Initiatives (CMI) — formerly the Office of Minority Equity — was established in 1994. 麦金托什是第一位全职导演.
• The national award-winning 韦德体育app官网 Trustee 学术 Success (OUTAS) program was established in 1995.
• 2005年，性别与性取向中心(GSC)成立. Since then, a number of accomplishments, such as same-sex benefits, became a realization.
• OU has been rated the overall most LGBTQ-friendly university in Michigan by the 校园 Pride Index. And, in 2018, the GSC office space was renovated and expanded.
• The Veterans Support Services (VSS) office was established in 2009. In 2018, the office received a new location with greater resources to meet student veterans needs.
• 奥克兰 has been deemed a “Military Friendly School” for six consecutive years, 去年升到了黄金级别.
• 未被充分代表的少数族裔学生人数, 尤其是非裔美国人和西班牙人, 在过去十年中有显著增长吗. Additionally, the achievement gap has decreased from 30 percent to 11 percent.
• 少数族裔教员的数量有所增加, and a provost diversity 教师 fellow position and a post-doctorate fellowship program were created.
• The university is actively supporting underrepresented minorities and underrepresented groups through employee resource groups.
• Individuals with disabilities continue to be a major focus. OU has made campus facilities to accommodate students with mobility challenges, addressed restroom accessibility challenges and enhanced exam proctoring services.

前进, McIntosh seeks to build upon these programs and establish more collaborative, 大学范围内支持性别的努力, 比赛, 宗教, 认为, 种族, 性取向, 退伍军人身份和残疾人.

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