Fayetteville State University Diversity Council

The Initiative

In the spring of 2007, Mrs. Olivia Chavis, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, organized a Diversity Training Initiative at FSU that would include mandatory training for all Student Affairs staff and administrators. This initiative began with a Needs Assessment - conducted by the National MultiCultural Institute in Washington, DC - to determine the current climate of FSU regarding multicultural awareness. The Needs Assessment was followed by a 4 day "Train the Trainers" program and included 8 staff members from Student Affairs. Since completing the program, six trainers have been providing 1 ½ - 2 day training sessions to staff and administrators within the Division of Student Affairs. Other participants have included instructors from University College and FSU Diversity Council members.

Training Sessions

The last training session was in mid February 2009, and  included staff and/or administrators from Human Resources, University College, Residence Life, and Center for Personal Development.

Seekers Learning Community

Diversity training was also provided over an 8 week period to this year’s incoming freshmen participating in the Seekers Learning Community within University College. This training was part of their overall curriculum for the year.

Long Term Goal

The long-term goal of the Diversity Initiative is to provide opportunities for increasing multicultural awareness for the entire FSU community. The hope is that this Initiative will increase our students’ understanding of diversity and prepare them to interact effectively with individuals who are different from themselves. Ultimately, this will increase our students’ ability to be successful and competitive in an increasingly global marketplace.

Contact Us

For more information on the Diversity Training Initiative, please contact Dr. Sonia Rhodie at 672-1608.