10The Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) is making their presence on campus known, aiming to make Capital a cultural epicenter for college students in the Columbus and surrounding areas. ODI is a student organization that centers on creating a safe space for students to gather and foster an appreciation and respect for culture in an inclusive campus environment.
“We [ODI] celebrate our success, identify challenges, and continue to work together to sustain a healthy diverse and inclusive Capital community,” said Almar Walter, Director of ODI.
Walter is excited for the opportunities and advancements that are already being made within the organization.
“There are several goals that the ODI has this year. Actually, some are being achieved as we speak. For example, the [ODI] office staff structure has recently been restructured to more effectively meet the needs expressed by our campus community,” said Walter.
The restructuring taking place is the creation of executive chairs in four designated areas. These areas include Leadership and Development, Community Relationships, Social Media Outreach, and Diversity Programs and Events.
Perhaps the most ambitious of ODI’s goals is a regional conference to be hosted at Capital.
“This semester we plan to begin a conversation on creating a diversity and leadership conference for students here at Capital (and surrounding schools),” Walter said. “We envision that this annual conference will satisfy several objectives, such as providing opportunities for Capital students (and potentially other campuses) to network and explore issues in diversity, to gain valuable leadership skills, and to help create solutions that foster sustainable positive change on campus.”
Walter is hoping to host the inaugural conference sometime during the fall 2016 semester.
In terms of culture and diversity, Capital has been making significant strides in recent years. Nearly 26 percent of the first year class for this 2016-2017 academic school year is students of color.
“I think [the statistic] says a number of things about Capital – it’s clearly a place that can attract this demographic,” Walter said. “I think it also speaks to the phenomenal job that our admissions team does every year, and a special note of appreciation to our multicultural recruiter Mr. Jae Denson, who does a phenomenal job.”
Walter sees this progress as reflective of the progress being made in society.
“I am happy with our growing multicultural population. I think that our campus community should reflect that diversity. Our next step is to increase the diversity represented in our faculty and staff as well as continue our efforts to retain our diverse student populations,” said Walter.
At the end of the month, ODI will be hosting the Celebration of Diversity Series.
“The purpose of the Celebration of Diversity is to recognize and honor each person’s unique history while connecting with others to promote cultural awareness,” said Walter. “Additionally, the aim is to help create a culture of inclusion and fellowship among all students. Events will be held every single day beginning Sunday, September 20 at 5 PM and go all the way until October 2.”
This year’s events have doubled in size from last year’s. However, Walter hopes to continue expanding.
“Ultimately the goal is to expand to an entire month worth of programming that includes organizations from across campus that would like to highlight different aspects of diversity that their organization brings to campus,” Walter said.
Walter invites all students to stop by his office, located in the Student Center next to One Main Café, and join ODI’s mission.
