Role models and leaders have been given the opportunity to completely change the Longwood campus for the better.
Ever since the reveal of the Student Diversity and Inclusion Council (SDIC) on Sept. 30, 2011 on Brock Commons, Longwood University has flourished with frequent programs and activities celebrating and educating on diversity in order to promote a more inclusive campus.
The SDIC is now accepting citizen leaders who are dedicated to diversity, equality and social justice. Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Friday, April 27.
Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion Dr. Jamie Riley created the SDIC in 2011. "When I first got here, I realized that the office had a lot of programming and a lot of times being spent doing programming, but it wasn't really using the talents of our students to really engage in topics and programs that they thought were interesting and even more so to make sure the students had a voice around diversity issues," said Riley.
"I thought it was important to create a council that would give students some real, direct responsibility with addressing diversity on campus and providing programs and just developing leadership around inclusiveness and diversity," added Riley.
Riley further stated, "I really wanted to give the students the ability to work with others with different identities, different backgrounds and different ideas about diversity. I thought it'd be a good way to develop leadership skills and help to develop programs and some activism of diversity on campus."
Riley also noted that being a part of the SDIC further promotes awareness and knowledge of issues relating to diversity or inclusiveness on campus and in society overall.
"It's just a really unique experience having a whole council totally dedicated to this instead of just being parts of others groups or other responsibilities," said Riley.
He added another benefit is that "students tend to learn more or be more receptive to these concepts when it comes from their peers instead of coming from somebody like me, a faculty/staff member."
Riley said being a part of the SDIC contributes not only to the campus, but also to one's own future. "It will really provide them with a working foundation to work with others when they graduate, which is what we try to provide students with," said Riley.
"I think diversity is a huge component of our society. We live in a diverse society, and I think a lot of the times college students are coming from environments where they have not interacted or developed friendships or engaged with people who think or look different from them," added Riley.
Riley said he hopes to see the SDIC go in the same direction as recognized groups such as Lancer Productions, the Student Government Association (SGA) or Longwood Ambassadors. "We are looking to be a top notch, key organization here on campus in the future," added Riley.
John Berry Jr, a general member of the SDIC, said, "The council has given me greater insight into factors of diversity and inclusiveness in ways that I would have never imagined without the programming we have presented."
"Diversity is sometimes an uncomfortable topic," said Riley. "We want people to feel comfortable with it. We want people to engage in conversation with their peers when they see things that are not right or they hear things that are not inclusive." Applications for the Student Diversity and Inclusion Council are available online at the Office of Diversity and Inclusion website at www.longwood.edu/ diversity.
