Student views on diversity to be examined

Student perceptions of diversity at UB will be the focus of an “Open Conversation on Campus Diversity” being held June 26 on the North Campus.

Hosted by the Professional Staff Senate’s Inclusion and Diversity Committee, the forum will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. in 210 Student Union, North Campus.

A recent campus survey — a joint project of the Intercultural and Diversity Center, undergraduate Student Association and Graduate Student Association — asked students for their thoughts on diversity and inclusion at UB. The impetus for the survey, explains IDC associate director Terri Budek, was to help determine future priorities and programming efforts. “It was a way to learn what students want and need from our campus, and to help me think through the role of the IDC in general,” she says.

Students were asked if UB was an inclusive institution, their main areas of concern as they relate to diversity and inclusion, and areas they wanted UB to address, Budek says, adding that respondents also had the opportunity to share their thoughts and what they would like to see UB do to increase the feeling of inclusion on campus.

The survey results — more than 500 responses were received — will provide a springboard for a discussion on June 26 “centered around how we, as staff, can help foster a welcoming environment at UB, especially as we move into summer orientation and prepare for the upcoming semester,” says Chris Bragdon, assistant director for residential life and chair of the PSS Inclusion and Diversity Committee.

“We hope to provide an opportunity for staff to gain insights — albeit limited — into student attitudes and needs with regard to issues of inclusion and diversity at UB, to move beyond our limited assumptions and get a snapshot of student attitudes and opinions,” Bragdon says.

The event also will offer an opportunity for networking and story-sharing, and a chance to learn how peers and other offices address inclusive excellence, adapt consistent approaches to fostering inclusive excellence, and share best practices, he adds.