Mission & History

The Center for Student Diversity (CSD) provides advocacy and support for under-represented and marginalized populations and creates welcoming, inclusive campus environments.

History

The CSD was established in 1969. It was first named the Office of Minority Affairs (OMA). President Jim Fisher appointed Dr. Julius Chapman as the first Dean of Minority Affairs. Organizationally, OMA reported to the Provost of Academic Affairs. From its inception, OMA was established to help facilitate the access and integration of Black students into the university and to advocate on their behalf. In the early 1980s, the office was moved to the Division of Student Services under Vice President, Dorothy Siegel.

The office has been through several name changes in its more than 35 years of existence. Today, it is so named because the institution recognizes that diversity is an important resource, thus programs and services are provided for an expanded category of students, faculty and staff of the university community.

Past Names

Office of Minority Affairs
Office of Multicultural Student Life
Office of Diversity Resources
Center for Student Diversity (current name)

Past OMA / ODR Leadership

Julius Chapman, Ph.D. - Dean
Thomas Knox - Dean
Lillian Anthony, Ph.D. - Assistant Vice President
Helen Giles-Gee, Ph.D. - Assistant Vice President
Camille Clay, Ph.D. - Assistant Vice President
Art King, Ph.D. - Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs for Diversity
L. Victor Collins - Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs for Diversity
Santiago Solis, Ed.D. - Associate Vice President of Student Affairs for Diversity
Leah Cox, Ph.D. - Vice President for Inclusion and Institutional Equity
Patrica Bradley, J.D. - Interim-Vice President for Inclusion and Institutional Equity (current)

In the early 1970s, Dean Chapman established the African American Cultural Center (AACC) and hired James Whitaker to direct the center and support the needs of students. During that time, the Center was located in the basement of Van Bokkelen Hall. It was a brightly colored haven for African American students, faculty, and staff. Serving as the programming arm of the Office of Minority Affairs, the AACC provided speakers, concerts, projects, and academic programs and services for students. In addition, the Gospel Choir was formed in 1971. Around that same time, the Black Student Union and the Black Faculty and Administrators Association were established.

Director of Center for Student Diversity

Santiago Solis, Ed.D.
Joel Bolling
Mahnoor Ahmed
Brian Jara
Phillips Thomas Hornbuckle, JD (current)

African American Cultural Center (AACC) / African American Student Development Directors / Associate Directors

James Whitaker
Tony Torain
Mellissia Zanjani
Todd McFadden
Meredith Davis
Yvonne Hardy Phillips
Joan E. Maze
Anee Korme
Keiwana Perryman D.Ed. (current)

Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern and DESI American (APIMEDA) Student Development Associate Directors

Santiago Solis, Ed.D.
Joel Bolling
Mahnoor Ahmed

Coordinator of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Education / Cultural Competency Education Associate Directors

Brian Jara
Angela Wu
Adrian Marston (current)

Latinx Student Development Associate Directors

Santiago Solis, Ed.D.
Joel Bolling
Mario Rodriguez, Jr.
Vanessa Gonzalez-Wright (current)

Coordinator of Sexuality and Gender Diversity / Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Student Development Director / Associate Directors

Samuel Santos
Maren Greathouse
Joel Bolling
Mario Rodriguez, Jr.
Erin Rook
Christa Gloster (current)

Student Success Programs Directors

Raft Woodus
Tammie King-Kelly (current)

Coordinator of Sexuality and Gender Diversity / Women's Center Directors and Women's Resources Directors / Associate Directors

Leah Schofield
Phyllis Freeman, Ph.D.
Marie Lilly
Mahnoor Ahmed
Christa Gloster (current)

In 1993, the Division of Student Services was reorganized and the office was clustered according to similarity of function or concern. The diversity cluster was comprised of OMA, AACC and the Women's Center. The transition from Minority Affairs entailed a broadening of the office's scope from the concerns of African American students to encompass the many facets of diversity presently represented on the campus: ability, age, gender identity, gender expression, race, religion, ethnicity, social class, sexual orientation and national origin. In 2007, the cluster added LGBT and Asian Pacific Islander and Latino Student Development to its portfolio.

Time Line

1955 First Black students admitted to TU
1959 First African American student graduated from TU
1969 Office of Minority Affairs established
1970 Black Student Union; AACC established
1970 Black Faculty and Administrators Association established
1971 Gospel Choir, Women's Center established
1973 First Black Greek Organization - Iota Phi Theta chartered
1975 Delta Sigma Theta chartered
1976 Omega Psi Phi, Alpha Phi Alpha, Phi Beta Sigma, Sigma Gamma Rho chartered
1977 Alpha Kappa Alpha chartered
1980 Leah Schofield named Director of the Women's Center
1982 Kappa Alpha Psi chartered; OMA moved from Academic Affairs to Student Services
1983 First Distinguished Black Women's Awards Program
1986 First Black Leadership Retreat; Community Enhancement and Enrichment Partnership Award established
1987 SAGE established
1987 AACC established; Readers Theater Project (became Kuumba Players)
1991 Alpha Nu Omega Fraternity, Inc.; chartered
1991 Alpha Nu Omega sorority, Inc.; chartered
1992 Native American Student Organization (NASA) established
1993 Alpha Epsilso Phi; chartered
1993 Filipino Cultural Association (FCAT) established
1994 Diversity Team established
1995 First Multidisciplinary Conference on the Scholarship of African Americans
1996 Latin American Student Association (LASO) established; Campus Ethno-violence Survey conducted
1997 South Asian Student Association (SASA) established; Sankofa
1998 Diversity Team disbanded
1999 First Diversity Retreat established; First Black Cross Cultural Retreat
2004 LGBTQQIA Student Group Renamed Queer Student Union (QSU)
2005 Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc.; chartered
2007 LGBTQQIA Summer Leadership Camp conducted
2007 First Senior Director appointed
2007 First LGBT Student Development Director appointed
2007 First Director for Asian and Latino Student Development appointed
2014 First SAGE Residential Life Community established
2014 Black History Month Art Competition established
2017 First Associate Director for Cultural Competency Education appointed
2019 Realignment from the Division of Student Affairs to the Office of Inclusion and Institutional Equity