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Social Justice Initiatives

Commitment to Social Justice & Diversity

University Housing is committed to providing a safe and inclusive experience to all residence hall students and staff.  We value the different backgrounds and perspectives that come about in a diverse community filled with multiple identities and backgrounds.  We strive to make social justice a priority in our daily interactions and challenge students and one another to be open to new experiences, respect one another, and recognize systems of oppression and acts of bias as they occur.  We believe that every voice should be heard and have an equal chance of success.  Our commitment to social justice contributes to a student's academic experience, but, more importantly, aims to teach students to be an engaged and positive community contributor.  We recognize that our commitment to social justice will be challenged and, as professionals and students, we must push ourselves to constantly improve and educate ourselves on social justice best practices.


Guiding Principle: Inclusiveness

We seek to give voice to the diversity of the Appalachian State University community.


Goal

Our student staff and full-time staff will commit to an ongoing development to create a more inclusive and socially just community.


Current initiatives and programs in progress:
  • Bias reporting protocol
  • Social justice trip sponsored by University Housing
  • Multicultural Ambassadors and Hall Council representatives focused on promoting social justice

Ways in which University Housing works to support social justice:
  • A Social Justice committee made up of full-time staff, graduate assistants, and undergraduate students focus on policies and initiatives to improve social justice practices within University Housing
  • Creation of training workshops focused on social justice for full-time staff, graduate assistants, and resident assistants
  • Creation of affinity groups for undergraduate staff focused around issues of race, religion, sex and gender, and sexual orientation
  • Offering students the opportunity to explore social justice issues in Residential Learning Communities
  • Creation of a transgender housing policy
  • Creation of housing policies for students with disabilities, medical issues, and psychological needs
  • Review of departmental documentation, job descriptions, staff manuals, and policies to ensure use of inclusive language and competencies focused on social justice
  • Sending of residence hall staff to various social justice professional development opportunities