Identity Programs & Retreats

The Students of Color Retreat is for students who identify as students of color or non white identify students. This is a space to explore cultural conditioning around race, validate experiences pertaining to race and other intersecting identities and cultivate community.

This fall it will be on-campus Friday, September 15th, and off-campus at Frontier Park on Saturday, September 16th.

Sista* Circle strives to be a safe space for womxn, nonbinary, femme, and trans people of color to encourage one another to THRIVE. Overall, this space provides opportunities to discuss self-love, family life, self-care, growth, and the challenges and joys of being us.

*In this space, we use sista instead of sister because too often sister means cis-ter. We are a space committed to inclusion and celebration of the diverging experiences of those who identify as womxn, trans, femme, or non-binary. #SisnotCis

Sista* Circle will be hosted the second Monday of each month from 6-7:30pm. There will be other events throughout the academic calendar as well.

This is an opportunity for students of color to hang out and meet others students (or staff and faculty) of color.

SOC Snack Pop Ups will be hosted twice a semester in a different location each time.

Fall Semester:
Morken: October 27th from 10:30am-12:30pm
Ingram: November 27th from 11am-1pm

Transitions to PLU (PLUS 100) – SOC are courses designed to be an exclusive space for incoming students of color to establish goals and develop a plan for success during their first year at PLU. This course is designed to identify and overcome unforeseen barriers in adjusting to college academic and social life. You will build community connections, academic support and personal wellness skills within the context of PLU values of diversity, justice and sustainability. There are two courses available this fall being instructed by Karmen Baldwin, Assistant Director in the Center for DJS.

Ordal Hall for Diversity, Justice, and Sustainability hosts a Students of Color Wing for students who would like to live in a community alongside other students of color.

Learn more about the Students of Color Wing

PLU’s active student led clubs that center racial/ethnic identities:

Asian Pacific Islander Association

Black Student Union

Latinx Unidos

Native Indigenous Student Association

Na Hoaloha O Hawai`i

Learn more about DJS Clubs

The Queer Student Retreat is a gathering for PLU students who identify as LGBTQ2A+. Students attending the Queer Student Retreat will make connections, build community, engage in meaningful conversations, explore issues of identity, celebrate the energies and initiatives of the LGBTQ2A+ community at PLU and have an all around good time.

Queer Student Retreats are hosted annual in the fall and spring.

This is our initial LGBTQIA+ community event as we start the school year! Join us for good conversation, community building and learn more about how to get involved! Queer Connections is open to all students, staff, and faculty who identify as LGBTQIA+. We have some awesome queer/rainbow Lute swag to give out to all our people to attend!

This one credit course is designed to be an exclusive space for incoming LGBTQIA+ students to establish goals, develop a plan for success, and identify and overcome unforeseen barriers during their first year at PLU. You will build community connections, academic support, and personal wellness skills within the context of PLU’s values of diversity, justice, and sustainability. Your instructor for this course is Alanna Rathkopf, who works as PLU’s Assistant Director for the Center for Military Support. Alanna is a PLU alum.

Campus Life hosts a variety of living learning options for those who identify as LGBTQIA+:

• Lavender Community (Ordal Hall for Diversity, Justice, & Sustainability)
• Gender Inclusive Housing (Various Halls)

Prism is a group dedicated to creating a safe and educational space for all queer, trans, and gender non-conforming students at Pacific Lutheran University. We encourage active discussion and fierce advocacy about the joys and issues that arise in the LGBTQ+ community. Our aim is to work in collaboration with the Diversity Center, Center for Gender Equity, other special interest groups, and any LGBTQ+ identified students.

Connect:

Email: prismclub@plu.edu

Inside OUT is a queer, healthy relationships workshop series. The series offers practical skills and creative strategies to support equitable relationships.

Inside OUT is hosted annually during spring semester.

This one credit course is designed to be an exclusive space for incoming first in the family college students to establish goals, develop a plan for success, and identify and overcome unforeseen barriers during their first year at PLU. You will build community connections, academic support, and personal wellness skills within the context of PLU’s values of diversity, justice, and sustainability. Your instructor for this course is Magdalena Stickel, who works as a Coordinator and Confidential Advocate in the Center for Gender Equity. Magdalena is a PLU alumna and is passionate about helping students survive and thrive amid capitalism and higher education institutions.

Ordal Hall for Diversity, Justice, and Sustainability hosts a First in Family Wing for students who would like to live in a community alongside other students of color.

Created by undocumented students, for undocumented students, our group and our meetings provide a space to connect with community members, share on and off-campus resources, and learn about opportunities for engagement, advocacy, leadership and more.  For general questions about the group or information to join, please contact us at undocu@plu.edu.