The Office of Diversity Programs (ODP) is a home away from home for students of all identities. The main goals of the office are support, education, and celebration.
Kayla Page, Senior Director of Inclusive Learner Engagement, discussed the basis of the office.
“There’s a lot of things that are essential in ODP. We spend a lot of time thinking about ways in which race, ethnicity, country of origin, and socioeconomic status are part of who you are and how you experience college,” said Page.
Page added that members of the office consider how different backgrounds, such as sexual orientation and identity, also play into the college experience.
“[The goal is] to help students feel seen and find a community that is relevant to whatever their labels might be,” said Page.
Page also went into detail about the functions of the office and how it relies on identity.
“Our job here at ODP is to try to make sure that students can learn about new things that might be a little different from their own culture,” said Page, “and also make sure that students that do identify a little bit differently can find other people [like them] and don’t feel isolated.”
SNHU and ODP offer affinity groups, which are gatherings of people who have a common identity. Examples of these affinity groups include Men’s group, Sisters of the Yams, and STEMinist. These groups are student-led and tie back to the main function and goals of the office.
“It’s not just a party for people who identify a certain way, but a scaffolded process of support,” said Page. “They’re a culmination of all of these things coming together. They’re pretty great.”
The ODP office holds various events. On February 9, they worked with the Inter-Greek Council to host a Black History Month Jeopardy. ODP will also be working with the Multicultural Student Union to host the Sole Food Dinner in the Upper Dining Hall on February 26.
The Office of Diversity Programs is located in The Green Center, room 105. Students looking for more information can follow their Instagram, @snhu_officeofdiversityprograms. Additionally, students can email inquiries to inclusion@snhu.edu.
