Students from Ohio University's regional campuses will join with students from the main campus to explore the aspects of diversity at OU's first ever Diversity Conference.
The goal is to expose students to the many aspects of diversity and for them to understand these aspects
said Winsome Chunnu, assistant director of the Multicultural Center.
At the conference, Building Community through Diversity Initiatives students will have the opportunity to go to panels about the various areas of diversity related to race, gender, sexuality and culture. Students will also be able to meet students from the OU regional campuses.
Attendees can listen to keynote speaker Rebecca Wanzo, an associate professor of English and Women's Studies at Ohio State University, give a presentation, Dying from Difference: Understanding Life and Death at the Margins.
It is good to put a face on the regional students and to hear some of the exciting work happening in diversity studies said Susanne Dietzel, director of the Women's Center.
Although diversity events often focus on sex or race, the idea of this conference is to explore those topics in addition to other aspects of diversity, said Keeshna Levy, a graduate assistant in the Office of the Vice Provost of Diversity, Access and Equity.
Diversity is a broader scope than race and gender. It also is geographic differences
and socioeconomic differences
Levy said.
Students will be encouraged to relate the conference information to OU, Dietzel said.
Students will be able to look at some papers about the diversity climate on campus and (see) a panel about diversity in the Appalachia area. All of these presentations bring diversity home
Dietzel said.
The conference is funded by the 1804 Grant, which covers the cost of rooms for the regional students, transportation, advertising, securing rooms for the panels and the keynote speaker.
Organizers hope to continue this conference in the years to come, said Brian Bridges, vice provost for Diversity, Access and Equity.
The goal is for this conference to continue and to become a bigger and better event. And we hope to build community amongst the regional campus students and the main campus
Bridges said.
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Culture
Elizabeth Dickson
