Student Diversity Council: What does diversity look like at Furman?

Hi, hello, and welcome back! In this article I will be discussing what diversity at Furman looks like! Admissions receives a ton of questions about how Furman enhances diversity on campus despite us being a small PWI, or predominantly white institution.

One aspect of diversity at Furman is the Center for Inclusive Communities which is run by director Deborah Allen and supported by staff members who have a common goal of increasing diversity and inclusion on campus and around the world. One program used campus-wide is called Dins Dialogue. The main purpose of Dins Dialogue is to use the classroom setting as a space to listen and educate students on the different types of privilege and how to create spaces that include everyone.

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One of the biggest things that comes out of the Center of Inclusive Communities is the Student Diversity Council – which is the umbrella organization for the seven multicultural student organizations: Association of Students Interested in Asia (ASIA), Chinese Student Association (CSA), Furman Pride Alliance (FPA), Furman’s Chapter of NAACP, Hispanic Organization for LatinX Awareness (HOLA), and Student League for Black Culture (SLBC). The prime purpose of these organizations is to create a safe space for students who align with these various cultures and allows the campus to engage in conversation and expand on knowledge about certain cultures. I have been an active member and executive member for Furman’s chapter of NAACP and Student League for Black Culture along holding a position on the council. I try my best to be active in all other diverse student organizations to show my support and educate myself about other cultures.

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The aspect of diversity shown in the photo above is the Mosaic diversity recruitment organization! This organization’s primary goal is to recruit students from multicultural backgrounds. It serves similar roles to Admissions Ambassadors but on a much smaller scale! This organization allows us to create a lot of intimate connections with the students we contact and meet. I have been a part of this organization since I was a freshman and almost every student I have recruited is now a current or incoming student at Furman. 🙂

I love utilizing these spaces because it allows me to unapologetically be myself without judgement and criticism. Diverse spaces also allow me to educate myself on many things that I had no clue about and gives me a forum for me to ask questions!

Sincerely, 
Tityana :)