Students from various groups across campus came together Monday to discuss diversity and the next steps for multicultural life at Kansas State.
Adrian Rodriguez, associate vice president of student life for diversity and multicultural student affairs, led the Multicultural Student Organization Leadership Council meeting and pushed for student feedback and engagement.
“We want to be student-centered in all that we do,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said the Office of Student Life is currently seeking to fill the positions of director of intercultural learning and director of diversity and multicultural student life in order to better champion different efforts to draw in multicultural students and enhance intercultural learning.
Existing dollars within the Office of Student Life will be allocated to fill the two new positions, requiring no outside money, he said.
“There have been major gifts contributed to the project,” Pat Bosco, vice president for student life and dean of students, said. “The donors have not been acknowledged publicly yet.”
Bosco said being able to incorporate students into the selection process is important to him, and that he believes that it drives K-State.
Welcoming multicultural students to campus, while providing an intercultural education, is a way that Rodriguez said he wants to show support to individuals on a daily basis.
“We value diversity and inclusion efforts,” Rodriguez said. “We value intercultural learning.”
Jordan Kiehl, Student Governing Association chief of staff and senior in industrial engineering, said because orientation and enrollment is the first time students are in a room all together, it is an excellent opportunity to expand on diversity and inclusion.
“Out of every opportunity we have to talk to students and get that idea in their minds, the more we can introduce the topic and have those conversations,” Kiehl said.
If students get that immediate attention, naturally in three to four years, a large amount of the K-State community would have received that impact, Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said students play an “exceptional” role in the big plans he has for the future of his branch of the Office of Student Life. Additionally, Rodriguez said he believes a multitude of groups across campus help shape the K-State experience to be the best that it can be for each and every student.
The representatives from the Multicultural Student Organization Leadership Council will begin meeting weekly for an undetermined period of time to begin working on the creation of a more diverse and inclusive campus. Rodriguez said he is looking forward to providing immediate and greater support to further intercultural learning.
