The Student Center for Inclusion and Culture contributes to the mission of the University by providing leadership and support in the University’s commitment to diversity. We provide academic, cultural, and personal support to students of color (ALANA students African, Latino, Asian, and Native Americans), LGBTQQIAA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Ally) students and other underrepresented students on campus while helping them develop intellectual, social and leadership skills. It is important to collaborate with other college departments as well as the local community to educate the entire student body. We believe in the importance of intercultural communication and effective community building.  The main focus of our office is looking at our multi-identities and bringing everyone to the table for that dialogue.>

The Student Center for Inclusion and Culture helps to lead Drexel students in creating both a multicultural and intercultural community.  We believe in the inherent dignity of each person. We seek to embrace the inherent differences in everyone.

Throughout the years, the Student Center for Inclusion and Culture, in collaboration with student groups and academic departments, sponsors programs that celebrate diversity at Drexel, in our community, and in our world. We do this by recognizing identity heritage months, weeks, and days, including Latino Heritage Month, Black History Month, Women’s Herstory Month, Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and Pride Month.

INCLUSION MATTERS

The Student Center for Inclusion and Culture strives to facilitate a culture of inclusion on Drexel’s campus through work that prioritizes education to promote understanding, individual identity clarification to achieve pride, advocacy to prevent marginalization and civility to encourage dignity amongst all. These goals support campus-wide efforts to be a welcoming, inclusive, respectful and engaging University.

Individual Identity Clarification:

The Student Center for Inclusion and Culture staff provides students with opportunities for individual growth and deeper understanding, personal development and greater self-confidence through facilitated experiences that encourage dialogue.

Civility:

The Student Center for Inclusion and Culture staff teaches and model methods that promote respectful and open communication and provide students with opportunities to engage in civil discourse to shape an environment positioned for social justice work.

Advocacy:

The Student Center for Inclusion and Culture staff provides advocacy for those who are marginalized, educates to the importance of collective responsibility and civility in order to heighten awareness and enact social justice for all.

Education:

The Student Center for Inclusion and Culture staff provides opportunities for students to expand their understanding of other cultures and identities to help them develop multicultural competencies to prepare them for richer work, life and learning experiences.

Drexel Faces of Inclusion

Drexel University is built and sustained by thousands of individuals with diverse backgrounds, personal characteristics, opinions, interests, and outlooks. Together, they constitute the Drexel Difference, the essential quality that every Identity Matters at Drexel.

This webpage provides links to statements by individual members of the University community. These statements do not necessarily represent the official views or approach of the University, but more of the unique individual.

Our Words Defined:

Diversity:

1. the state or fact of being diverse; difference; unlikeness.
2. variety; multiformity.
3. a point of difference.

Multiculturalism:

1. the state or condition of being multicultural.
2. the preservation of different cultures or cultural identities within a unified society, as a state or nation.

The Student Center for Inclusion and Culture defines multiculturalism as including, but not limited to, race; color; ethnicity; geographic origin; language; socioeconomic class background; sex; gender; gender identity; sexual orientation; physical, developmental, or psychological ability/disability; traditionally marginalized and underrepresented communities; religious or spiritual affiliation; creed; age; generation; physical appearance; environmental concern; marital status; family configuration; employment status; political affiliation; and multifaceted identities. My role as a multicultural educator is to develop programs that create awareness, create a safe and respectful space so students will be part of the process and dialoguing can be productive, we can challenge opinions, teach and learn from faculty, staff, and student so we can be educators and advocates for each other.

Social justice:

Adams, Bell and Griffin (1997) define social justice as both a process and a goal. "The goal of social justice education is full and equal participation of all groups in a society that is mutually shaped to meet their needs. Social justice includes a vision of society that is equitable and all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure." This is my goal that someday we will get to live and grow in this kind of equitable society.