Mission of the Diversity Center
 The PLU Diversity Center brings together people and ideas to celebrate our shared human experience while exploring, affirming and enriching diversity in our community.
What is the Diversity Center?
The PLU Diversity Center brings
together people and ideas to celebrate our shared human experience while
exploring, affirming, and enriching dignity and diversity in our community. The
purposes of the Center are:
-
to serve as a catalyst for campus-wide change;
-
attract and retain students to PLU;
-
strive to build fair practices and habits at PLU; and
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foster cooperation and communication among campus and
Tacoma community groups.
A goal of the Diversity Center is
to be an inclusive and inviting space for students to congregate and enjoy
community. The Diversity Center has an
open door policy that encourages students to come in, eat lunch, finish
homework, talk about life at PLU, ask questions, and more. In addition to the open door policy, the
Diversity Center also programs weekly and monthly activities that provide
unique opportunities to learn about and socialize with other cultures. Students who have found the Diversity Center
to be a resource comment on the welcoming atmosphere, openness of student
Diversity Advocates, the inviting space for questions and learning, and the
chance to just be a regular student in a comfortable setting.
The Diversity Center also has resources
on multicultural and diverse clubs and organizations on campus, as well as in
the local and regional community. If a
student is looking to get involved either at PLU or in the Tacoma/Pierce County
multicultural community, we can help connect them with others who share their
interests.
History of the Diversity Center
Over the years, PLU has addressed multicultural issues in
a variety of ways. Since the 1970s, PLU
has had personnel and financial resources dedicated to advancing issues of
diversity. The 1980s brought student
peer advisors who worked different ethnic groups to provide programming and
peer support. The 1990’s continued
with the same model for programming and peer support. During this time, PLU 2000 listed diversity as an area of
focus. The University Diversity
Committee was formed and in the fall of 1994 two diversity courses became
required for graduation. In the fall of
2000, PLU created a new Associate Director for Multicultural Affairs position
within the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership. The primary focus for this position is
programming diversity related events for students and the university. Fall of 2001, brought the new Diversity
Center, located on the lower level of the University Center. Painted teal and turquoise, added
television, comfortable chairs and a couch- and BOOM!- a new student-centered
space was born. The Center also brought
a change in student leadership. Student
Peer Advisors were replaced with student Diversity Advocates. The change redirected the focus of student
leaders from working with specific ethnic groups to all PLU students. Programming evolved from the vision that
anything created would be attractive to all members of the PLU community, not
just specific ethnicities.
Student
clubs and organizations that focus on multicultural issues or specific
ethnicities are also housed in the Diversity Center. These clubs and organizations have mailboxes and a centralized
location for meetings and resources.
Our first years have been a tremendous success and we look
forward to more years of growth and excitement!
Diversity Across Campus
Fall of 2001, the university created a Commission on Campus Climate to assess the atmosphere and recommend ways to foster an inclusive and affirming community marked by care, mutual respect and an ability to engage in civil discourse.
The University Diversity Committee continues to serve as the central body that monitors, reviews and assists in the development of diversity initiatives. The committee works with vice presidents in the various areas in order to promote diversity throughout the university. Recent institutional accomplishments in developing a more diverse range of students and employees include a review of the recruiting of students of color initiative, a redesign of the student involvement and leadership staff position for diverse populations, and work with Human Resources and the Provost’s Office in the hiring of staff. |
