The Diversity Committee, a group within Undergraduate Student Government, has announced its objectives for the year, including expanding membership, launching a new website to promote ideas of diversity and inclusive excellence and assisting with or planning several events both on and off campus, according to committee members Alejandro Garcia and Jillian Martinez. The committee says these objectives are intended to get people more involved and ensure perspectives are heard around campus during the upcoming school year.
The Committee is the oldest in USG, and serves to “celebrate diversity, promote Inclusive Excellence, and build stronger unity”, according to the group’s Facebook page. It implements initiatives to reach these objectives, and allocates funds to other groups who promote ideas of welcoming and inclusivity.
The committee has begun to and plans to continue increasing participation through the implementation of a more inclusive recruitment process. In the past, committee membership was 12; however, over the years, the number of people involved expanded, and this year the committee includes 45 members.
Interested parties can now apply to the group and get the sit on it for a trial period, during which the existing members determine which students have the appropriate level of dedication for membership.
“Everyone who can put in the work is welcome. Everyone belongs here, everyone has a unique identity and perspective to contribute,” said Alejandro Garcia, a junior from Boulder who chairs the Diversity Committee.
The group also plans or assists with planning, various events on campus, including the Pioneers for Diversity Luncheon, the Diversity Summit and a brand new event called “As You Are.” Each of these events seeks to promote ideas of inclusivity and diversity within the DU community. For example, “As You Are” will be a chance for dialogue amongst students about what social identities they have and what these impact his or her life and how they may impact the lives of others.
“Some social identities may affect you more than others. For example, I identify as fully able and I don’t really think about it. But for those who are visually impaired or have a learning disability, this identity may be one that impacts them more frequently. It’s all about creating discussion about these identities, learning about the views of others as well as more about yourself,” said Garcia.
Additionally, the committee seeks to expand its online presence. The group opened a public Facebook page earlier this year and is planning the development of a new website to be launched next quarter.
The team hopes that this new endeavor will help make issues of social justice,ww diversity and inclusive excellence more palatable to the public, as well as promote the idea that everyone has a unique social identity in a way that is convenient and easily accessible, according to Vice President of the Website Committee Jillian Martinez, a junior from Colorado Springs.
“We feel that issues of social justice are not often represented in other campus publications, and we want to fill that gap and let people know what is going on both in our campus and other campuses regarding these issues,” said Matinez. “This is a website created by students for students, and we hope that this will create an interesting and unique perspective. It’s also not just an event that will last a day or a week – this is something much more sustainable and lasting,”
Overall, the Diversity Committee hopes to create a welcoming atmosphere for all students in which diversity and inclusivity is a part of everyone’s experience, according to Garcia and Martinez.
“Everyone has a social identity and a unique and valuable perspective. When you assign ‘diversity’ to any certain group, you’re setting yourself up for failure. We welcome all students, of any background and social identity,” said Garcia.
Anyone interested in joining the Diversity Committee or becoming a writer for the website in the future can contact Garcia at Alejandro-J-Garcia@hotmail.com or Martinez at j.martinez1628@hotmail.com.
Students are also encouraged to like the Committee’s Facebook page.
