A Safe Haven for Underrepresented Students at Texas State

By Edgardo Hernandez, Jr.
Blog Content Contributor

Universities offer various amounts of programs and organizations available for students to participate in, which is what many students seek in order to get the full college experience. Integrating into a community is fun and exciting, though it can also be very intimidating. Fortunately at Texas State, students seeking to integrate into their community can find a safe space for social interaction at the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion(SDI) .

Established in 1983 as the Minority Affairs Program, the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion is now an on-campus site at Texas State. SDI focuses on supporting, developing, and preparing underrepresented students for their coming role in society, according to SDI’s website.

Since their startup, SDI has emphasized their support for multiple communities, such as: Hispanics, African-Americans, Veterans, LBGTQIA and many more present on-campus. As a way to provide easy interaction within the communities, SDI has established specific programs and organizations to promote interaction within the communities.

Top Scholar Coordinator Karina Ogunlana provided more details about SDI and the resources available for all students during a press conference held Thursday afternoon.

“The office aims to help all students feel included in their diverse and different identities and make it more well-known across different higher education programs…that we need diversity inclusion,” Ogunlana said.

Programs put on by SDI include ones like Graduation Celebrations for Veterans, LGBTQIA and Multi-Cultural communities; a side ceremony for students to celebrate amongst their family and friends. Another program is Diversity Connections which is a mentor program that allows for all students to set up connections for their future at Texas State.

For students seeking organization opportunities, SDI has a council known as the Underrepresented Student Advisory Council (USAC). Under USAC multiple cultural organizations exist, such as: Hombres Unidos, Latinas Unidas, Black Students United, Bobcat PRIDE, Veteran Alliance of Texas State and many more student interest organizations.

With the help of other departments across campus, SDI is able to provide these resources for various communities at Texas State. Being able to assist these students transitioning into college, and helping them become a part of their own community, is what keeps SDI moving forward towards their goal.

“Knowing the impact we’re having on students and being there at this moment…and then seeing how much they’re enjoying it, as they are only first-year students, is really rewarding,” Ogunlana said.

For more information regarding programs and organizations available, you can visit the SDI website or the office located at the LBJ Student Center, Suite 5-2.1. SDI can also be contacted via phone at (512) 245-2278 or email at osdi@txstate.edu

Featured image by Edgardo Hernandez Jr.