September 24, 2008

New Name, Same Great Services and Programming
Office of Minority Student Affairs becomes Office of Multicultural Student Affairs

Terree Stevenson

Photo by Amy Allan

The name change, effective at the start of the new academic year, was prompted by discussions at the Great Lakes Colleges Association Diversity Summit and a recommendation from the President’s Commission on Racial and Cultural Diversity here at Ohio Wesleyan. Students may not notice the change as the office’s initials, MSA, remain the same as does its mission—to serve the student body with a focus on ethnicity and culture.

Stevenson, who has an extensive background in student activities and programming, served as interim director of Minority Student Affairs during the 2007-08 academic year before being appointed director of the new office this year. Her hope is to help students better utilize the office.

“I don’t want students who are not black, Asian, or Latino to think they can’t use the office,” Stevenson says. “All students are encouraged to participate. Cross programming is beneficial to everyone.”

Stevenson already has started a new brown bag speaker series called S.T.R.I.D.E.—which stands for Standing Together to Reduce Intolerance and Develop Equality. The series focuses on topics of race, ethnicity, culture, age, oppression, and religion along with other issues of concern.

Right now, Stevenson’s office also is ramping up for Multicultural Student Affairs Week from September 29 to October 4 and Hispanic Heritage Month in October.

“Challenge yourself; utilize the office,” she concludes. “There are lots of great things coming out of here for all students. I encourage people to reach outside their comfort zone and attend an activity or event that they normally wouldn’t attend.”

For more information, contact Stevenson at tlsteven@owu.edu, 368-3151, or stop by 206 Ham-Wil.

– Andrea Strle ’99