An Alabama State University staff director served as a panelist at the Alabama Association of Higher Education Diversity Officers Conference recently at The University of South Alabama in Mobile. ASU's Dr. Linwood Whitten, director of Diversity and International Affairs, and the University's Title IX coordinator was the only representative of a historic black college or university serving on the panel at the conference.
"It was important for me to attend this conference as a panelist because ASU was the only HBCU represented on the panel from the entire state of Alabama," Whitten said. "This opportunity allowed ASU a seat at the table to advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion."
Whitten said that diversity education is important to all students because it equips them with the necessary cultural competencies required to thrive in today's diverse multicultural workforce.
"For Alabama State University, this is important because we aim to be a 'communiversity' through our service, partnerships, and promotion of higher education to support diversity on both our domestic and international platforms," Whitten said.
DIVERSITY PROGRAM GOALS @ ASU
A few of the diversity initiatives underway at ASU, according to Whitten, include building more meaningful relationships with local interfaith leaders that serve the Montgomery and ASU community; increasing the international student population through deliberate and strategic admissions efforts to bring the world to ASU, and drawing more awareness to the University's study abroad opportunities.
Whitten said that now is the time for ASU to grow more heritage-related programming and to offer more diverse destinations to its students.
Posted By: Reginald Culpepper
Thursday, November 15th 2018 at 3:34PM
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