Initiatives
Founded in July 2020 the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force is charged with identifying areas for growth and determining action steps. The task force represents students, faculty and staff.
DEI Task Force initiatives include diversifying the Oglethorpe Core curriculum, diversity training for the Oglethorpe community, and expanded diversity programming including the continuation of community forums on racial injustice, which launched in summer 2020.
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) named Oglethorpe University as one of the recipients of its third round of inclusive excellence grants Nov. 30, 2022.
As liberal arts practitioners and global citizens, Oglethorpe students are challenged to consider their roles in society. Now, global protests have highlighted racial injustice as a preeminent societal issue. As the next generation of leaders and thinkers, Oglethorpe students can participate in the conversation with the knowledge to make positive change. Oglethorpe is committed to facilitating these conversations through diversifying the Oglethorpe Core.
The Oglethorpe Core is an intentionally designed 4-year sequence of courses, that will challenge how you think about yourself, the world, and everything in it. Along with faculty and classmates from all majors, you will share an intellectual exchange that addresses life’s big questions. You’ll learn about yourself, the global community, the historical perspectives that brought us here, and how all of these come together.
In addition to an ongoing effort to diversify the Core, Oglethorpe introduced two new courses in fall 2020 that explore racial inequality: WGS 290: White Fragility: Anti-Racism Activism and INT 290: Black Resilience and Response.
Other courses offered that explore race include:
- AAS 100: Introduction to African American Studies
- POL 290: Black Feminist Thought
- SOC 306: Race & Ethnicity in the U.S.
- WRI 290: Writing the South
- POL 101: Intro to American Politics
- SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology
- SOC 204: Social Problems
- INT-290: Science & World Religions
- INT-290: Latinx Resilience/Response
Training Subcommittee
The DEI Task Force training subcommittee will work closely with Campus Life to audit current training resources for the upcoming semester and work to bring continuous diversity education to the Oglethorpe Community.
Teaching and Learning Institute for Inclusive Innovation (TALIII)
TALIII supports the learning of Oglethorpe students by providing faculty with tools and resources to improve their teaching. TALIII’s mission is to enable faculty to teach in ways that are equitable, inclusive, innovative, and informed by scholarship on teaching and learning.
Upcoming Events
A range of academic, social, and civic events that address various topics of diversity, equity and inclusion have been planned throughout the academic year. View upcoming events.
Programming Subcommittee
The DEI Task Force Programming Subcommittee will help to plan and coordinate Friday Forums on Racial Injustice, held since early June, and develop new programming focused on topics of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Community Forums on Racial Injustice
These forums aim to foster honest, open and continuous dialogue between all members of the Oglethorpe community.
Oglethorpe University’s Intercultural Center is now open to the campus community. Located on the second floor of the Turner Lynch Campus Center, the student-focused collaboration space will be home to community events with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the year.
The new Intercultural Center is many things all at once: a place to study or relax during the day, an event space, a place to learn or exchange ideas, a resource and a safe space.