A Diversity Initiative is a student leadership program offered by the Center For Student Leadership that is open to all Santa Clara University Students. The program is an opportunity for students to learn about issues of diversity and the cultural experiences of different people. In addition to developing students' awareness and understanding of diversity, students learn how to design, facilitate and evaluate diversity workshops. The intent of the program is to provide students a solid understanding of diversity, and teach students the skills to make a difference in their communities, whether this be at home, with friends, in the classroom or at work.
One of the primary goals of the program is to train a group of students to be diversity consultants for the university and the surrounding community. Diversity consultants will be a group of students trained to facilitate various diversity workshops ranging in topics and methods of presentation. Supported by the Center for Student Leadership, diversity consultants will be able to provide outreach to the campus and surrounding community where strong leadership is needed to teach the value of diversity, create awareness, and build relationships. While students are eligible to be diversity consultants upon the completion of the program, participants are not obligated to serve as diversity consultants.
The program is composed of two parts: awareness and skill building
The participants will attend seven sessions in the winter quarter to increase their awareness on topics ranging from: stereotyping and terminology to homophobia and heterosexism to religious tolerance, as well as learn about the cultural experiences of groups such as: Latino/Chicanos, African Americans, Asian Americans, and European Americans.
Participants will also attend seven sessions in the spring quarter to learn facilitation skills and develop presentation techniques such as: co-facilitation, experientical exercises, program design, and client and needs assessment.
Students will benefit by recieving:
A fourteen week diversity training program that is free to all Santa Clara
University students
A weekend retreat to create unity and build intra personal relationships
among the participants
Various learning opportunities: field trips, using the internet, guest
speakers, experiential exercises
Possible career interest and development of transferrable skills (i.e.,
presentation skills, client assessment, etc.)
Students will provide:
individually by....
Being a role model and a challenge to others to respect and value diversity
in all forms
Being a voice that stands against discrimination, racism, and injustice in
all forms
as a diversity consultant by...
Creating a more harmonious and open community at Santa Clara University
Providing a educational service to groups on campus (and possibly off
campus) who cannot afford the cost of hiring "for profit" diversity
consultants and trainers
For more information please contact the Center for Student Leadership at
408-554-4745 or check out their web page at:
http://www.scu.edu/SCU/Centers/StudentLeadership/
The Center for Student Leadership
