Ebony Smith, the director of multicultural affairs for ASPSU, led the first phase of the Diversity Symposium on Wednesday. The symposium focused on integrating diversity awareness into various aspects of student and academic life at Portland State.
Smith was pleased with the event overall.
“We had a great turnout, students came out really engaged and ready for discussion,” she said.
The second phase will address solutions to some of the issues under diversity, and Smith looks forward to continued campus involvement.
The Diversity Action Committee already provides diversity training and discussion sessions for interested faculty, but leaders say that this alone is not enough.
Dalton Miller-Jones, chair of the black studies department, emphasized the importance of faculty involvement in pushing an agenda aimed at embracing diversity on campus.
“We need students to engage in friendly discussion with their professors, and for faculty to engage as well,” Miller-Jones said.
Miller-Jones said that diversity transcends ethnic background, and includes the appreciation of the unique experiences of all students.
“There are profound issues nested under the term diversity,” Miller-Jones said, “and they start at equity, with correcting historical injustices, leveling the playing field.”
Overall, Miller-Jones and the Oregon Board of Higher Education aim at “increasing student participation and completion.” Miller-Jones called the number of Oregon high school graduates attending and completing college “devastating.”
“Only 20–30 percent of high school graduates go to university directly from high school. After that, another 20 percent begin taking at least a class or two at a community college,” Miller-Jones said.
The Diversity Symposium looked to create a dialogue addressing this lack of university attendance and ways to create a welcoming environment to encourage high school graduates to seek degrees.
“It takes the will to be a welcoming environment, not just the financial resources,” Miller-Jones said.
Tanja Miljevic, vice chair of the Student Fee Committee, talked about ASPSU’s commitment to diversity.
“Diversity goes beyond the word itself, and we’re actually being proactive about it,” she said.
Some solutions were mulled around by the group.
“We need to create more equal opportunities, and have an inclusive agenda that involves equity, righting historical wrongs, ceasing discriminatory practices that have been institutionalized,” Miller-Jones said.
Attendees also included ASPSU President Hannah Fisher and SFC member Anela Puljic. Kelly Lawrence of the Diversity Action Committee and Phil Rodgers, director of financial aid, spoke alongside Miller-Jones.