Student Diversity and Inclusion

Welcome to Student Diversity & Inclusion

We believe that cultivating curiosity about ourselves, each other, and the world we live in can lead to transformative communities. We believe in the power of creatives as storytellers and change agents. We believe not only that there is joy in our work, but that the celebration of our joy is necessary to achieve our work together. We offer deep gratitude to the work of the many BIPOC and LGBTQ+ theorists, thinkers, and imaginators that created the foundations for our work and express our excitement to be part of the work for our futures together.   We are excited and honored to do this work with our Columbia community.

 

 

Mission

SDI’s mission is to build and foster a Columbia environment that is supportive, affirming, celebratory, and rooted in equity. We aim to: 

• Provide students with the support and guidance needed to successfully pursue their personal, academic, and creative goals. 

• Engage all Columbia students in the exploration of their identities; and in understanding the ways in which identity is uniquely actualized, expressed, and lived. 

• Uplift the voices, experiences, and needs of students from marginalized populations (i.e., students of color, first-generation college students, LGBTQIA+ students) to nurture a greater sense of belonging. 

• Create opportunities to engage the campus community in dialogue around issues of power, privilege, and oppression in order to develop a greater knowledge and understanding of themselves, each other, their communities, and the world. 

 

Vision

We strive towards a campus community that actively and consistently challenges systems of structural oppression and inequity, is accountable and actionable to community needs, and prioritizes the perspectives of those from marginalized identity groups.

 

Learning Outcomes

Students who participate in SDI programs will be able to: 

 Demonstrate the openness, empathy, and critical reflection necessary to respect perspectives, identities, and experiences that differ from their own. 

• Understand diversity and inclusion as an asset and necessary component of innovation, collaboration, and creative practice.  

• Seek out opportunities to remain accountable to engagement in on-going personal learning and critical reflection around social identity. 

 

Land Acknowledgement

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