What is the diversity and inclusion office, and how can it help me?

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Key points

• The diversity and inclusion office offers support, training, and guidance to underrepresented students and their allies.
• Many inclusion offices have one-on-one mentorship programs and internships for underserved students.
• You can also get help finding financial aid, including scholarships and grants, at the diversity office.

The diversity and inclusion office is a safe space for students of color and other underrepresented students to connect, be celebrated, and be among peers.

“Many of the students we serve are first-generation college students or students who graduated from high schools that were under-resourced. Many identify as Black, Latinx, Asian American, or Desi, and LGBTQIA+, among so many other identities,” says Dr. Suchitra V. Gururaj, the assistant vice president for community and economic engagement in the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at The University of Texas at Austin.

Being in a place where students are among peers and allies allows them to fully show up as their true selves. 

“It’s a place where our students know they can come, sit down, have a conversation, and not have to feel stared at or tokenized,” says Hannah Mesouani, director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington. “I’ve had a lot of really heavy conversations with students. They come to be seen by people who truly see them as more than just what they look like, but who see them for what all of that means and everything that they offer.” 

This safe space also provides students with trustworthy allies.  

“Students feel comfortable coming to our office to vent, or to get advice. They know everybody in our office thinks through a diversity and inclusion and equity lens,” says Brett Welsh, director of the Global Diversity and Inclusion Center at Columbus State Community College in Ohio.

It’s also an overlooked resource on campus. In a recent CampusWell survey, only five percent of students said they accessed campus diversity and inclusion services. However, those who had used these services strongly encouraged other students to do the same.

“If you are a person of color going to a university that is predominantly white, your cultural or diversity offices could be your salvation to feeling connected to campus,” says Kim C., a second-year student at Portland State University in Oregon.

With students of color accounting for nearly 50 percent of college enrollments (according to Pew Research Center data), diversity offices have an ever-increasing population they aim to serve.

“The diversity office is great if you are a new student or a student in need of some guidance. Sometimes it’s just nice to talk to someone,” says Chelsey Y., a second-year student at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Beyond events and services, the diversity and inclusion office hosts groups to connect students with each other.

“We put a lot of effort on affinity- or cohort-based groups,” says Welsh. “We have groups specifically for DACA and undocumented students, and another for former foster care youth.”

“There’s so much more to our [students’ identities], so in addition to supporting students of color, we celebrate them by hosting specific graduation ceremonies for different identities, cookouts, and other social gatherings,” says Mesouani. 

“The diversity office hosts a lot of events on campus, and I have been to a few of them. There are also many student-run organizations that support and celebrate students of color,” says Grace F., a recent graduate of University of North Texas in Denton.

“You should be able to go to a diversity office and find something that you’re interested in or that you can belong to. Even from a majority status population, there should be some kind of training or group you can join, some kind of fun event that you can attend, and to think about and consider, ‘Let me at least look into what they offer and how I might be able to get involved and benefit from what they’re doing,’” says Welsh.

“As much as I want our office to be a safe space and a brave space for our marginalized students, I also want it to be a challenging space, both for our students and for the community as a whole,” says Mesouani. 

Many diversity and inclusion offices support students by offering one-on-one programs that foster a connection to the community while challenging and developing their academic and professional acumen.

“Having that mentorship piece is really, really beneficial for a lot of students because they have a one-on-one connection with somebody who can help them,” Welsh says. 

“The summer program for students of color functions as an internship for underserved students. But we also workshop a variety of topics like immigration, social justice, gender identity, racial battle fatigue, and how to help the individuals going through the program practice genuine self-care,” says Mesouani.

The diversity and inclusion office can often help students find financial aid resources when needed, since college tuition increases two to three percent each year. A study published in Research in Higher Education found that an increase in in-state tuition and fees results in a decrease in racial and ethnic diversity at all universities, colleges, and community colleges. It becomes increasingly important for students of color and underrepresented groups to be able to find financial aid when necessary. 

“The diversity office allowed me to [pursue] more scholarship opportunities. I would recommend [it] to first-generation students,” said Patricia C., a third-year student at Chapman University in Orange, California.

“Our Center for Community Engagement houses the Central Texas branch of the national Foundation Center. It offers information to anyone in our area who is looking for a grant or a scholarship. As there are always organizations that want to support excellent students, I always encourage our students to check it out. And, best of all, it’s a free resource,” says Dr. Gururaj.