As a recipient of the annual HEED Award – a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to academic excellence, belonging and community-building across all levels of campus life – CSUSM will be featured along with 61 other recipients in the October issue of Insight Into Academia magazine.  

This marks the 12th consecutive year that CSUSM has received the HEED Award, placing the university among those with the longest-running streaks of recognition nationwide.

“I am deeply honored that Cal State San Marcos has received the HEED Award for the 12th consecutive year,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “This recognition affirms our steadfast commitment to inclusive excellence – where access to a high-quality education and opportunity for talented students from all backgrounds are central to our mission.”

CSUSM is one of just four CSU schools to win the HEED Award this year. 

"CSUSM is proud to be recognized as a leader in inclusive higher education,” said Aswad Allen, CSUSM’s chief diversity officer. “I want to congratulate our faculty, front-line staff, our deans, directors and department heads. Their dedication is what makes this award of excellence and distinction possible.”

For more information about the 2025 HEED Award, visit insightintoacademia.com. For more information about diversity and inclusion at CSUSM, visit the Office of Inclusive Excellence at www.csusm.edu/equity or email diversity@csusm.edu. 

This year marks the first year that INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine has presented the LEAD Award, which honors academic libraries’ programs and initiatives that encourage and support DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) across their campus. These include, but are not limited to, research, technology, accessibility, exhibitions and community outreach.  

The CSUSM library will be featured, along with 55 other recipients, in the March 2024 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. 

“We are so grateful for this honor that recognizes the work we do each day for the benefit of our students and in alignment with our campus values,” said Jennifer Fabbi, dean of the CSUSM library. “While we know that diversity work never ends, we are proud to be placed with such an access- and justice-minded group of libraries.” 

Insight Into Diversity magazine selected the CSUSM library because of its many diversity initiatives, including the infusion of DEI in its recently completed strategic plan; hiring a bilingual (Spanish and English) librarian to work with student families and the larger community; its support of underrepresented authors and researchers; art installations with DEI themes; and mandatory and valued DEI work in the librarian tenure process. 

“We know that many academic libraries are not always recognized for their dedication to diversity, inclusion and access” said Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We are proud to honor these college and university libraries as role models for other institutions of higher education.” 

A call for nominations for this award was announced in October. 

INSIGHT Into Diversity also annually hands out the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, which recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. CSUSM last fall received the HEED Award for the 10^th consecutive year.  

For more information about the 2024 LEAD Award, visit insightintodiversity.com. 

As a recipient of the annual HEED Award — a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — CSUSM will be featured along with 108 other recipients in the November/December 2023 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.  

This marks the 10^th consecutive year that CSUSM has been named a HEED Award recipient. The university is one of only 21 schools that have won the award, which was instituted in 2012, at least 10 years in a row.

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected CSUSM based on the institution’s exemplary diversity and inclusion initiatives, and ability to support a broad definition of diversity on campus, including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as all others.  

“I am so proud that CSUSM has been recognized for the 10th consecutive year,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “This recognition truly speaks to the real understanding that each of us plays in making this university the best that it can be. I am so grateful to our students, faculty and staff who are so dedicated to creating a university of true belonging, and we will continue to work each day to maintain our focus on diversity, educational equity and social justice.”  

CSUSM is one of just four CSU schools to win the HEED Award this year. The others are Cal State Los Angeles, Fresno State and San Diego State.  

"A decade of dedication acknowledged at the national level is an accomplishment we can all be proud of," said Aswad Allen, CSUSM's chief diversity officer. "The many initiatives to create a healthy learning and working environment are a testament to our faculty and staff across campus."

For more information about the 2023 HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com. For more information about diversity and inclusion at CSUSM, visit the Office of Inclusive Excellence at www.csusm.edu/equity or email diversity@csusm.edu. 

As a recipient of the annual HEED Award — a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — CSUSM will be featured along with 102 other recipients in the November 2022 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.  

This is the ninth straight year that CSUSM has been named a HEED Award recipient.  

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected CSUSM based on the institution’s exemplary diversity and inclusion initiatives, and ability to support a broad definition of diversity on campus, including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as all others.  

“I am so proud that CSUSM has been recognized for the ninth consecutive year,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “This recognition truly speaks to the real understanding that each of us plays in making this university the best that it can be. I am so grateful to our students, faculty and staff who are so dedicated to creating a university of true belonging, and we will continue to work each day to maintain our focus on diversity, educational equity and social justice.”  

CSUSM is one of only three CSU schools to win the HEED Award this year. The others are Fresno and Los Angeles.  

“The HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees – and best practices for both – continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.”  

For more information about the 2022 HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com. For more information about diversity and inclusion at CSUSM, visit the Office of Inclusive Excellence at www.csusm.edu/equity or email diversity@csusm.edu. 

The event will be virtual on Tuesday, March 15 and in the USU Ballroom from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16. Free registration is available online.

The symposium provides an opportunity to increase social consciousness levels and skills by offering critical dialogues focusing on cultural, economic and political national climate issues. Conference participants will explore and challenge personal perceptions and social norms through experiential activities, individual reflections and group dialogues.

The symposium is hosted by the Cross-Cultural Center in collaboration with the Student Life Centers for Identity, Inclusion and Empowerment; the Office of Inclusive Excellence; and ASI.

What: Social Justice Symposium, a two-day hybrid event for CSUSM students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members to participate in workshops and roundtable discussions surrounding social justice topics

When: March 15-16

Where: Virtual on March 15; USU Ballroom on March 16

Cost: Free

Information: Visit the Social Justice Symposium webpage

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Ujamaa.  

It might not roll off the tongue, but that word has served as Rawlins’ guiding light for most of his adult life. It’s a term from the East African language of Kiswahili and one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Literally, it translates to “familyhood.” To Rawlins, it means the process of working together as an extended family to build and maintain a cohesive community.  

He was first exposed to the word in college; it was the name of the residence hall where he lived at Cornell University. It grew to be part of his DNA during his second year when he became a resident adviser, a role he held for the rest of his time at Cornell.  

“In that residence hall, it was about how we use the best of who we are to support one another and to foster this community,” Rawlins said. “That’s something that has always stuck with me, and it’s a lot of what I put into my work as I think about building community.” 

The spirit of Ujamaa has infused Rawlins’ work during his 15 years as a student affairs professional, and he has made it a core piece of his philosophy at CSUSM since being hired to direct the Black Student Center in July 2019. Later this month, the center will celebrate its five-year anniversary, and Rawlins will have been in charge for more than half of its existence.  

The dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic less than a year into his tenure delayed some of the initiatives he planned to institute through the BSC, but he has strived to make up for lost time. He and his staff started the Brotherhood Alliance for male Black students and the Circle of Sisters for female Black students. Fast on their heels came the Association of Black Athletes, the Black Psychology Student Association and the Melanated Art Collective, the last of which is an organization focused on art and creativity in the Black experience.    

“We keep growing, and it’s exciting to see,” Rawlins said. “We’ve always had a strong Black Student Union, but these groups are giving students the opportunity to say, ‘I want more out of my education that is attached to my identity.’ And even though these are things that I’ve developed, they’re really student-driven initiatives. We’ve put them in the hands of the students to be leaders.” 

Rawlins has proven to be just the BSC director that Dr. Gail Cole-Avent sought when the associate vice president of Student Life hired him from his position as director for leadership development and training at Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the first intercollegiate Greek fraternity established for African American men. But in a sign of his capability, his duties have only expanded in the 2½ years since. 

For almost a year, he served as interim director of the Gender Equity Center, and in September 2020, President Ellen Neufeldt appointed him special assistant to the chief diversity officer (now Dr. Aswad Allen), tasking him with engaging students in CSUSM’s efforts around diversity and inclusion. He’s also vice president of the Black Faculty and Staff Association.  

“Since his arrival, his impact has far surpassed my vision and expectations,” Cole-Avent said. “Within his time here, he has not only elevated the collegiate experience for Black students, but he also has demonstrated his commitment to the larger population.  

“His work is vital and will continue to create pathways for our students that include understanding the multiple ways that they can take full advantage of their CSUSM experience, whether it is within the classroom, through leadership roles, engagement in the community (internal and external), and ultimately as alumni who will mentor the next generation.” 

When Rawlins, 37, accepted the CSUSM job, it marked his first time even visiting California since he was about 12 years old. He grew up in Washington, D.C., in a family that strongly emphasized education and faith. His mother attended Norfolk State, a historically Black university, and Ivy League schools were never on his radar, in part because he didn’t even know which schools compose the Ivy League. But he received a full tuition scholarship from Cornell and earned a master's from Johns Hopkins. Building on this legacy, his sister went to Dartmouth on scholarship and attained a master's from Columbia.  

It was at Cornell that Rawlins first began to grasp the ways in which education can broaden experiences and open doors. As a sophomore, he and some friends got together to create the Men of Color Conference, a series of workshops, seminars and speakers focused on character and professional development among minority men. The conference still takes place almost two decades later (now under the name Men of Color Council).  

As a human development major, Rawlins thought he wanted to become a high school teacher. Soon after he graduated, however, he was working for a summer program at Cornell when his supervisor suggested that he apply for a temporary job as interim director for multicultural affairs at Ithaca College, which is less than a mile away from Cornell in central New York. That 10-month appointment turned into eight years at Ithaca as he fell in love with the field of student affairs, especially for marginalized communities. 

“It helped me to see the importance of the work that we do, which is why I'm still in it today,” he said. “I'm always an advocate for, how do we make these voices heard? How do we make these communities visible? Not just from a marketing standpoint, but how do we infuse these specific cultures into the larger culture of the campus? I've had fun doing that for these many years.” 

The Rawlins family’s emphasis on education manifested itself in the academic and career path John has followed. Its emphasis on faith manifested itself in the other great passion of his life: gospel music. He sang in a church choir almost from the day he could walk, and he played in school bands and orchestras throughout his K-12 years. At Cornell, he didn’t truly feel comfortable on campus until he joined the university choir. When he moved to the San Diego area, one of the first things he did was find a church where he could sing in the choir (he’s now directing it).  

“Music has always been my safe place,” he said.  

Music also has opened doors. Through a childhood friend, Rawlins was invited in 2013 to be part of a choir that toured nationally with jazz legend Wynton Marsalis, and that same opportunity presented itself several other times in the ensuing decade. One of the conditions of him taking the CSUSM job in 2019 was that he be allowed to travel to New York City that November to perform some dates with Marsalis.  

In recent years, he has branched out to recording his own music, and his songs can be found on Spotify and all other major streaming services.  

“I used to keep my music separate from my career, but now I don't care anymore,” Rawlins said. “When I came for a campus visit after I accepted the position, one of my now-colleagues said they Googled me and listened to my music and loved it. That was a connecting point when I first got here that was nice to have.” 

A connecting point that’s another example of Ujamaa in practice.  

“Some of our students are still getting used to using the term itself. They’re still learning to be able to say it over and over,” he said. “But they know the principle in action. They know that this is how we do things in this community to bring out the best of who we are and help each other grow and succeed.” 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

It meant that he should seek knowledge and the understanding that goes with it.

It’s a phrase that still resonates with Allen. He watched his parents play central roles in the civil rights movement, learning more as an active participant than he ever would have by watching events unfold on TV.

“It's part of my DNA,” Allen said. “From that experience, I looked at the world through a lens of fairness and equity and justice and righteousness. I've always had that as my reference point for what is healthy and what is good engagement.”

Allen has brought that perspective to Cal State San Marcos as the university’s chief diversity officer, a position he assumed in July.

“Dr. Allen has been great to work with,” said Ariel Stevenson, director of programs and initiatives for the Office of Inclusive Excellence. “He recognizes the institution's efforts to this point, and I can see he is committed to evaluating and facilitating institutional and organizational change. I've personally learned so much from him just in the very short time he's been here. I am excited about the work we will all do together as a campus committed to inclusive excellence.”

In addition to overseeing the Office of Inclusive Excellence, Allen serves on the President’s Administrative Team, where he joins others in providing leadership and advising President Ellen Neufeldt on key decisions affecting the campus community.

“I’m enjoying learning about the passion and the commitment that our faculty and staff have around supporting students and getting students across the finish line and into their desired pathways,” Allen said. “I see so many different established and percolating activities that prove that to be true. There’s no question we have challenges in different areas, but with those challenges, I see a willingness for tackling them.”

Allen knows about overcoming challenges. Most of his early years were spent bouncing around the country. He moved from his home state of Colorado to Georgia to North Carolina and back to Georgia before finally returning to Denver for middle school and high school. He switched elementary schools so many times that he’s not even sure how many he attended.

“All of that moving really made my upbringing very dysfunctional,” he said.

Allen attended an all-boys Catholic high school and had to work to help pay for tuition. The dysfunctional upbringing that Allen references came to a head when he was 16 and left home. He spent more than a year couch surfing before eventually landing at his grandparents’ house. He credits his grandparents for being instrumental in his personal growth and sparking his desire to participate in education.

Allen has eight siblings, but he added what he considers a ninth as a teenager when someone he met became like another brother to him. During their sophomore year, the friend said he was going to be a physician.

“I hadn't experienced a Black doctor before, so it was hard for me to imagine,” Allen said. “I wanted to imagine it, but I couldn't. So I thought he was joking. Well, he's a physician today and owns his own practice. He's one of the inspirations that helped me. He got his M.D. and he inspired me to get my Ph.D.

“You’ve got to find people along your path who are walking the same direction. Iron does sharpen iron; it's very real. And that's what we did for each other.”

A low-income, first-generation college student, Allen attended the University of Colorado Boulder where he participated in the Educational Opportunity Program, which provides access, retention support services and lifelong skill development for underrepresented students. Allen earned bachelor’s degrees in sociology and psychology at the University of Colorado Boulder before attending Colorado State for his master's in student affairs in higher education administration and doctorate in educational leadership and human resources.

Allen eventually returned to the University of Colorado system, rising to assistant dean of diversity and inclusion at the University of Colorado Denver before becoming the chief diversity officer at Emporia State University in Kansas in 2019.

“My lived experiences inform my service spirit and desire to help people and community," Allen said. "Everything that I have done has been around service – service to people or service to the community. I try to look at things in a very big-picture way. But I also understand how parts of systems function and how people are really what makes it go. People are the difference in anything that we do. So I look for strategic, sustainable and systemic ways to empower people and to position people to be the best that they can be.

“And that's all we're talking about when we talk about diversity, equity and inclusion. We get really confused around this whole agenda because it's become so politicized. But all we're really talking about is meeting people where they are and giving them the equipment to be the best that they can be with what it is that they're interested in doing. And if you do that well, then you're going to be successful.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The Cal State San Marcos sociology student and volleyball player was in her hometown of Portland at the time, having completed her sophomore year at CSUSM. Several times that summer, she ventured downtown to join in some of the largest and most visible protests in the nation, with thousands of people making their voices heard and sometimes encountering police who deployed tear gas and riot gear against them.

“I felt like I had to do something,” Ridgeway said. “I knew that there were people standing up for what's right down the street from my house. I was like, ‘I have to go out there; I have to take a stand, physically take a stand, for all the injustice that's happening.’ I think that experience really empowered me to speak up for what's right.”

Her feeling of empowerment was no summer dalliance. Over the ensuing weeks, she spoke multiple times with her coach, Andrea Leonard, and teammates about how to translate her newfound activist voice into action. When she returned to San Marcos that August, she seized on the momentum within the athletic department and pushed for progress toward increased diversity and inclusion.

As a result of her efforts over the past year, Ridgeway was selected this month as one of two winners of the President’s Student Champion Award for Inclusive Excellence and Diversity. She received the award, along with co-winner Ashley Gallardo, at CSUSM’s All Peoples Luncheon on Oct. 12.

“It's not ever something that I thought I would get any recognition for. That was never my aim,” Ridgeway said. “I think it's really special that the school has an award like this to recognize student effort to make this campus more equitable and enhance the student experience. I'm really grateful that it exists and that I was chosen.”

When Ridgeway came back from Portland in the summer of 2020, Leonard connected her with Jennifer Milo, director of athletics, who was receptive to hearing Ridgeway’s ideas about how to help effect change in the department. Milo appointed Ridgeway as one of several athletes on the newly formed Cougars Against Racial inEquality (CARE) Squad, designed to ensure an inclusive, safe and diverse atmosphere for student-athletes.

Ridgeway also was chosen to serve as the diversity and inclusion contact on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, through which she organized the athletic department’s statement of solidarity with the Black community after Floyd’s death. And she’s the only athlete from CSUSM, and one of only two in the 12-school California Collegiate Athletic Association, to be a member of the CCAA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

Through her involvement with the latter group, Ridgeway developed a keen interest in diversity hiring practices that she brought back to the CARE Squad, working with the team to advocate for hiring committees with diversity as a major priority. With that focus in mind, the athletic department hired several assistant coaches last summer as competition was set to resume after a year lost to the pandemic, and Ridgeway is pleased with the outcome.

“I think Jen Milo took those points into consideration of really making sure that we don't just look locally, we look nationwide for people to come to a university that prides itself on diversity and protecting it,” she said. “It's making an impact where people are being intentional about that now – not just trying to show face, but really trying to take the time to look at how diversity can enhance an institution.”

Ridgeway imported other ideas to the CARE Squad, such as creating an open forum for student-athletes and department staff to discuss social justice and cultural diversity, and improving the collaboration between athletics and Student Life. To that end, she organized a wellness and equity resource fair that was held outside The Sports Center in late August. The fair featured student-athletes from every sports team mixing with representatives from all five Student Life Centers for Identity, Inclusion and Empowerment; Student Health and Counseling Services; and many other student organizations.  

Ridgeway was inspired to lay the groundwork for the event by her experience upon transferring to CSUSM in 2019 from Long Island University, which had moved to cut the volleyball program the previous year. She had been part of the Black Student Union at LIU and hoped to recreate that experience at her new school. But it proved to be harder than she expected. 

“I went in to the Black Student Center, and I was super intimidated,” Ridgeway said. “Not that I felt uncomfortable, but it was really hard for me to try to introduce myself and get myself acclimated in that space. My goal with the resource fair was to remove that intimidation factor, and I think it was really successful in making that connection between student-athletes and everything this campus has to offer.” 

Leonard, who nominated Ridgeway for the Student Champion Award, was struck by the drive that Ridgeway carried back from her summer of protest in Portland. 

“What impressed me was her commitment and her sense of urgency to act,” Leonard said. “She was involved and suggested things, created dialogue and established connections immediately without being guided. Kiora has the ability to bridge gaps, create understanding and provide unity in times of uncertainty.” 

Ridgeway credits that ability in part to her family and her hometown. The daughter of a Black father and a Filipino mother, she was exposed to a wealth of cultural diversity as a child. She attended a Catholic grade school and high school that drew from a wide range of races and ethnicities.  

“I got all ends of the spectrum growing up,” she said. “Coming here, I wanted to bring that along, experience as many different people as I could. Portland has definitely influenced me in that way.” 

Ridgeway had been aiming to complete her degree in May, but she’s enjoying her return to collegiate volleyball so much that she’s leaning toward playing one more season next fall and graduating that December. A Spanish minor, she afterward plans to pursue a Spanish immersion program in Central America. Her career ambition is to work as a community outreach coordinator for a sports team.  

“The work I’m doing now has helped me realize that I want to help people in the community,” Ridgeway said. “I would love to be a bridge between professional athletes and them working in the communities around them. I want to highlight marginalized people and help them get more opportunities while being around sports.” 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Seven new professors are on campus this fall as CSUSM has joined the ranks of universities across the country that are instituting cluster hire initiatives. Cluster hiring is the process of adding new faculty in groups rather than individually, with a goal of building up the research interests and pedagogical concerns particular to people of color.  

“When a single person who’s interested in diversity issues gets hired, they’re often the lone voice,” said Andrew Spieldenner, a communication professor at CSUSM. “So the idea is to build up a cohort that has a stronger voice together, and that these cohorts also would be able to share best teaching practices, publish together, do things to enrich the campus life.” 

In addition to his teaching role, Spieldenner is a faculty fellow in the Office of Inclusive Excellence, which is directing the cluster hire initiative, a recommendation from the Faculty of Color workgroup. A couple of years ago, Spieldenner and Ranjeeta Basu -- then the interim provost and later the interim chief diversity officer -- began the push to diversify the faculty in this manner, but the effort  accelerated when Carl Kemnitz started his tenure as provost in the summer of 2020.  

Kemnitz was a big advocate of cluster hires, having managed them at his previous job at San Jose State, and was eager to see the initial one implemented at CSUSM. With the blessing of President Ellen Neufeldt, he threw resources behind the initiative, and it all came together this year.  

The seven new faculty members represent two of the four colleges on campus and six different departments (see bios below). Their areas of expertise range from ethnic studies to biological sciences.  

“Sometimes the cluster is in one discipline, and other times it’s in a variety of disciplines. In our case, it's a variety of disciplines,” said Aswad Allen, CSUSM’s chief diversity officer. “And it does improve the interdisciplinary collaboration across campus.” 

After helping to shepherd the cluster hire initiative into existence, Spieldenner is on sabbatical this semester. Taking over day-to-day management of the program is sociology professor Lori Walkington, who began over the summer by planning events designed specifically for the cohort through the New Faculty Institute, an orientation organized by the Faculty Center at the start of each school year. Walkington also will be meeting with the cluster hires monthly for their first year on campus.  

“We do a good job of recruiting people of color, and not such a great job of retaining people of color in multiple positions,” Walkington said. “I’m welcoming this cluster into the village that we are hoping to set up for them so they can plant roots and we can keep them here for our students. We need to have faculty who remain.” 

A unique aspect of the program is an interdisciplinary research project that the new professors design, collaborate on and gather grant funding for.  

“I’ve been hearing some really promising and creative ideas for how to implement ethnic studies in STEM courses from this cluster hire already,” Walkington said. “To have these diverse disciplinary offerings in the same space, doing critical approaches to this work and feeding off each other is already sparking types of knowledge that I don't think would be possible from a group of new faculty if they weren't part of a cluster like this.” 

Both Walkington and Spieldenner praised campus leadership for taking concrete action that lives up to the diversity pledges in CSUSM’s mission statement.  

“More has been done toward that mission statement since 2019 than I have ever seen,” said Walkington, who earned a bachelor’s degree from CSUSM in 2005 and a master's in 2011 before returning to the university as an assistant professor three years ago. “I think that the new administration is a big part of that. Something is different, and I’m here for it.” 

Allen, who has been in the chief diversity officer position since July, said the knowledge that the cluster hire initiative was in the works helped reinforce to him that he made the right decision in deciding to join the university.  

“What we're doing with this initiative is transforming the institution to move in the direction of and fulfill the promises that we have committed to,” he said. “It's as simple as that. It doesn't happen unless the faculty lead the way, and that's what's happening right here.” 

Cluster hire cohort 

Marcelo Garzo Montalvo, ethnic studies 

Garzo Montalvo (he/they) is a musician, dancer and ethnic studies scholar-activist. He is a first-generation Chilean-Canadian-American of Mapuche and Spanish descent. They hold a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. in comparative ethnic studies from UC Berkeley, and were a community college transfer student from MiraCosta, Cabrillo and San Diego City colleges. Their teaching and research focus on comparative and critical approaches to Black, Indigenous, Latinx and Xicanx studies as well as dance and performance studies. Before coming to CSUSM, Garzo Montalvo served as visiting assistant professor of Latinx studies in Harvard University’s Committee on Ethnicity, Migration, Rights (EMR), and as the coordinator of Indigenous technologies at the Berkeley Center for New Media.  

Lisa Graves, psychology 

Graves earned a Ph.D. in 2019 from the SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, with a major area of study in neuropsychology. She is a licensed psychologist in the state of California, and has extensive experience in neuropsychological assessment of adults with known or suspected neurological dysfunction, including mild cognitive impairment and dementia within the context of neurodegenerative disease, cerebrovascular disease and traumatic brain injury. Her current research program includes examining influences of risk and protective factors on cognitive, functional and biomarker trajectories, particularly among culturally diverse and historically underrepresented populations.  

Mikee Inton-Campbell, women’s, gender and sexuality studies 

Inton-Campbell is a trans academic and activist from the Philippines. She earned her Ph.D. in cultural studies at Lingnan University as a Hong Kong Ph.D. fellow. Her work centers on representations of queerness in Philippine and Asian cinema and media. She has extensive teaching experience, having taught courses on media studies, gender studies and film studies at the University of the Philippines Diliman, the University of Hong Kong and De La Salle University Manila. She is also an advocate for trans rights; she serves as a board member of the Society of Trans Women of the Philippines, the oldest trans-oriented support and advocacy group in the Philippines.  

Allison Monterrosa, ethnic studies 

Monterrosa’s areas of specialization address racialized gender-based violence, the criminal-legal system, state violence and the health implications of racism. As a community-based scholar who centers the experiences of racial-ethnic marginalized communities, her research and teaching pedagogy emphasizes structural and cultural competence and intersects with community and service work to promote social justice and health equity. Her work has been published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Feminist Criminology, and Rutgers Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books. 

Mallory Rice, biological sciences 

Rice’s research program investigates the nature of teaching and learning science in university and K-12 settings, with a specific focus on making science more inclusive for all students. She is interested in understanding student and faculty perceptions and experiences in university science classrooms, the influence of peer learning assistants in STEM courses, and how mentorship of K-12 students may influence their trajectory into STEM disciplines.  

Marisa D. Salinas, sociology 

Salinas received her Ph.D. in sociology at UC Santa Barbara with a race, ethnicity and nation concentration and Black studies emphasis. Connecting the experiences of formerly incarcerated Latinas to Latina professors with Ph.D.s from carceral communities, her research seeks to disrupt the exceptionality and disposability continuum by interrogating how neoliberal institutions utilize mechanisms of social control to socially reproduce inequality for Latinas. Salinas received bachelor’s degrees in sociology and Chicana/o studies from UC Santa Barbara and a master’s in sociology from San Diego State.  

Eric S. Trevan, American Indian studies 

Trevan recently completed a one-year tenure as a visiting scholar of innovation, business and economic policy for tribal nations in the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center at CSUSM. He also was a tenure-track faculty member for the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash. He is an economist who specializes in local and tribal economies and economic policy. He earned a Ph.D. in local and tribal economies from Arizona State University, a master's in public administration from Central Michigan University and a bachelor's in public administration/economics from Western Michigan University. He is a tribal citizen of the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, Gun Lake Tribe.  

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

As a recipient of the annual HEED Award — a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — CSUSM will be featured along with 100 other recipients in the November 2021 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.  

This is the eighth straight year that CSUSM has been named a HEED Award recipient.  

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected CSUSM based on the institution’s exemplary diversity and inclusion initiatives, and ability to support a broad definition of diversity on campus, including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, as well as all others.  

In May, CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt named Dr. Aswad Allen as the university’s chief diversity officer, and Allen started in July. He leads the Office of Inclusive Excellence, which includes three professional staff, several faculty associates and student assistants.  

“The principles of inclusive excellence have defined my career in my commitment to student social mobility, and I am proud to lead a campus community where these principles are at the forefront of everything we do,” Neufeldt said. “Receiving the HEED Award for an eighth straight year is validation for the hard work our university has committed to inclusive excellence, and we will continue to work each day to maintain our focus on diversity, educational equity and social justice.”  

CSUSM is one of only three CSU schools to win the HEED Award this year. The others are Fresno and Fullerton.  

“The HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees – and best practices for both – continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.”  

For more information about the 2021 HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com. For more information about diversity and inclusion at CSUSM, visit the Office of Inclusive Excellence at www.csusm.edu/equity or email diversity@csusm.edu.  

Allen currently serves as the inaugural chief diversity officer at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kan. Reporting directly to the president, he serves as the university’s chief diversity and inclusion adviser and strategist, and works collaboratively with internal and external campus communities to develop an open, diverse, inclusive and supportive learning and working environment, with a specific focus on underrepresented and marginalized populations.

“Dr. Allen brings with him an excellent reputation as a higher education thought leader on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion,” Neufeldt said. “At this historic moment, as we begin to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and the many interrelated crises, I have great confidence that Dr. Allen’s background, skills and vision are exactly what we need at CSUSM to strengthen our efforts to create a more caring, inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our community.”

The chief diversity officer reports directly to President Neufeldt and is a member of the President’s Administrative Team. Operating within an environment of shared responsibility, the CDO works collaboratively with internal and external campus stakeholders to advance and be an advocate for inclusive excellence and equity. Leading the Office of Inclusive Excellence, the CDO provides direct leadership to three professional staff, several faculty associates and student assistants.

“I am both excited and honored to join the Cal State San Marcos family in creating an inclusive culture dedicated to our students and their success,” Allen said. “I extend acknowledgements, gratitude and homage to the many laborers who preceded me, offering recognition to those who were toiling the soil of institutional change long before we considered the value and richness of the traditionally marginalized voices in the process. In the immediate months ahead, I look forward to listening, learning and partnering with as many members of the CSUSM community as possible to accomplish the goal of creating an inclusive and healthy working and learning environment that promotes social mobility and student success for all.”

“I have appreciated greatly Dr. Allen’s ability to listen to differing voices during forums and meetings, then quietly synthesize the messages we discussed and help guide us to next steps,” Emporia State President Allison D. Garrett said. “We have learned much from him during his time at Emporia State University and will continue his work here as he shares his professional expertise and personal experiences with the CSUSM community.”

Allen earned a doctorate in educational leadership and human resources and a master’s degree in student affairs in higher education administration from Colorado State University. He has bachelor’s degrees in sociology and psychology from the University of Colorado Boulder.

And every afternoon, she had the same vision, terrifying for a young girl: her waiting outside the school to be picked up, and him never showing up in his familiar gray pickup truck. More specifically, and alarmingly, him never showing up because he had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents. 

“That never happened, thankfully,” Guzman said. “But that’s the image that was instilled in my head.” 

Guzman is from a mixed-status family. She and her two sisters are U.S. citizens because they were born in California. Her parents, both natives of Mexico who immigrated to America as teenagers, were undocumented until a couple of years ago, when they became permanent residents.  

Seeking to insulate their daughters from fear and uncertainty, Guzman’s parents never told them that they were undocumented. But they didn’t really need to. It was obvious to Gladys at least. When she wanted to visit relatives in Mexico, her parents couldn’t come with her. The family never took vacations outside the country.  

Growing up in such an environment had a profound influence on Guzman. It made her want to take advantage of her privilege as a citizen and attend college. Once at Cal State San Marcos, it prompted her to get involved on campus and work as an ally of the undocumented community. And it has helped her choose a career path of pursuing immigration law.  

All of the experiences and emotions of living in a mixed-status family came to a head last month, when Guzman was recognized as one of two recipients of the President’s Student Champion Award for Inclusive Excellence and Diversity during the All Peoples Luncheon. She shared the honor with teaching credential student Nancy Meza. 

Guzman delivered her award speech from her bedroom, where she has been attending school during the coronavirus pandemic, while her parents watched the virtual ceremony down the hall. Guzman knew she couldn’t speak from the same room as her parents without breaking down in tears. When she had finished, she walked to the living room, sat down next to her mother and father, and they all shared a poignant moment together.  

“It was a beautiful experience,” said Guzman, who will graduate in May with a double major in sociology and criminology and justice studies. “They’re my inspiration. I feel like my work at CSUSM is one of the ways that I am an ally not only to my community, but for them. And it’s my way of showing them that the sacrifices they made for my sisters and me are not in vain.” 

Guzman’s father, Maximino, works in landscaping. Her mother, Angelica, is an independent distributor for Herbalife Nutrition. Her older sister, Mireya, has attended college but is taking a break, which means that Gladys will be the first in her family to earn a four-year degree. She wants to set just that example for the “baby” of the family, Jazmin, 13.  

Because of her father’s occupational background, Guzman was eligible for the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), which helps students from migrant and seasonal farm worker backgrounds succeed in college. Thanks to CAMP, she was able to get a head start at CSUSM in the summer of 2017, and the program continued to support her with resources and a sense of community throughout her first year on campus.  

It was through CAMP that Guzman discovered the Office of Academic Advising, and by spring 2018, she had become a peer adviser, a position she still holds almost three years later. In that role, she and her colleagues are the first line of contact for students who come to the office seeking direction, which means that she has had to educate herself about many different departments across the university. 

Around the time that Guzman began working as an adviser, her parents attained their green cards with the assistance of an immigration attorney whose impact on her family’s lives inspired Guzman. Perhaps she could provide to other families the peace of mind that this lawyer had given hers.  

So last fall, she started volunteering for the DREAMer Resource Office, which offers a variety of services to undocumented and mixed-status students and their loved ones. Initially the lead volunteer, she since has been hired as a student assistant. She describes her work as “a little bit of everything,” including leading presentations for UndocuAlly training, meeting with students to assist them in understanding and completing complex documents related to tuition and residency, and generally learning all she can about the ins and outs of immigration policy.  

Maria Chiem, the former coordinator of the DRO, said Guzman had a direct role in helping about 40 incoming students correctly fill out forms crucial to receiving financial aid, meeting with some of them in multiple hour-long sessions.  

“Gladys is a selfless, compassionate and visionary student, woman and person who stands for equity, diversity and inclusion,” Chiem said. “She brings love, care and passion to her conversations at CSUSM, to the classroom and to her volunteer work at the DREAMer Resource Office.” 

Hoping to extend her contributions at the DRO, Guzman has formed a new student club that will officially launch next semester. It’s called HUMAN (Highlighting the humanity of our Undocumented and Minority communities through Allyship and coNversation), and her goal is to create a space where students can amplify their voices and shine a light on campus issues they think are receiving insufficient attention.  

After graduation in the spring, Guzman plans to take a year off to make sure that immigration law is indeed her preferred career route while she applies to law school at UCLA. Her parents’ reaction to that news? 

“My mom was like, ‘You’re gonna leave us?’ ” Guzman said with a laugh. “But they’re really excited. My mom always says, ‘Every time you talk about what you do on campus or people ask me about you, I feel like a peacock because I’m so proud.’ No matter what I decide to do with my future, they just want me to be happy and they’re going to support me 100%.” 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

But seeing how elders in her church shunned a teenager who had been the victim of sexual assault led Benjamin to look for another outlet for her faith.

Now, many years later, Benjamin is sharing how faith impacts her as part of Cal State San Marcos’ new Beyond the Stereotype campaign, which was unveiled during the All Peoples Luncheon on Oct. 29.

“I hope that people have the opportunity to try to explore different backgrounds and different religious faiths and try to understand where another person is coming from,” said Benjamin, a psychology major. “I want people to know that just because you're brought into a faith by your parents, it is OK for you to explore different things. I've explored Buddhism, and now I'm just more a spiritual base. I have no particular religious ties, but I'm always open to getting to understand and learn about other people's religion.”

The Office of Inclusive Excellence sponsors the Beyond the Stereotype campaign to help educate about the impact of microaggressions and stereotypes on marginalized communities. The first campaign, “There is History,” was launched in 2015 and focused on race/ethnicity and cultural appropriation. It was followed in 2017 by “There is Pride,” which focused on sexual orientation and gender diversity. The new campaign, “There is Belief,” challenges stereotypes around religions, faith, spirituality and/or life practices within a social justice framework.

The campaign launched during the All Peoples Luncheon with the unveiling of five posters, each featuring a student, staff or faculty member holding a board with a message combating a stereotype about their respective beliefs.

For Benjamin, that meant holding a board with the message, “My Faith Is Not Evil.”

Benjamin found her way to Southern California from South Carolina through her service in the Army National Guard, which she joined in 2012. She transferred to CSUSM after two years at Palomar College.

“Once I had the opportunity to tour campus and see that it’s very diverse and they try to include everyone, I thought, ‘I want to join in and be a part of this campus community,’ ” she said. “I've been searching for a sense of belonging since I came to California because I have no family here and all my friends are from my military branch, and Cal State has definitely made me feel at home.”

Benjamin has been active in myriad programs at CSUSM, including the Educational Opportunity Program, the Student Veterans Organization and the Tukwut Leadership Circle, in which she serves as a member of the Peer Leadership Team.

Benjamin still remembers the impact that seeing posters from a previous Beyond the Stereotype campaign had on her, and she hopes the new posters have a similar impact on others.

“I'm hoping that people will take an opportunity to look at the posters with an open mind and just be able to be more inclusive in their practices every day,” she said.

Ariel Stevenson, the OIE’s assistant director of programs and initiatives and director of the campaign, stressed that the release of the five posters signifies the beginning of the campaign.

“Each of the five posters represent the many diverse perspective of our CSUSM community,” Stevenson said, “but they do not represent all of our perspectives. The campaign launch showed a representation, but the campaign is open, and we welcome more participants.

“I think some people were hesitant to participate because they could not envision how religion or belief would be displayed on the posters. Now they have an opportunity to see how it’s beautifully represented.”

Stevenson praised the work of Marcus Torres, visual communications specialist in University Communications, for his efforts in designing the posters and Alan Brown, multimedia productions specialist, for his work creating an accompanying campaign video.

“I’m grateful to all of the participants who modeled and shared their beliefs with us,” Stevenson said. “And I really want to encourage others to participate as we continue to challenge and investigate the stereotypes surrounding belief, religion, spirituality, faith and life practices.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Painted in subdued yet boldly contrasting earth tones with teal accent, the mural depicts six students and alumni, each evoking an expression of fearlessness that commands attention.

“We live in a moment in which human rights are being challenged, and the idea of a classroom without walls implies to me a sense of creativity and not being bound or constrained by a traditional or typical way of building knowledge,” said Char Booth, associate dean of the library, who led the three-year effort to bring the mural to life.

The public art piece was created by first-generation Colombian-American muralist Jessica Sabogal, who after earning her degree in political science turned to art as a medium to promote social change, action and empowerment. Sabogal’s work is seen worldwide, many several stories tall on the side of urban buildings. In 2011, she was the first female artist commissioned to paint murals at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park.

The theme of Sabogal’s mural materialized after she read an article about a teacher, who in witnessing the political rhetoric becoming more polarized wrote on the chalkboard, “In this classroom, there are no walls. You belong here. You are loved.” That message resonated with Sabogal, as both the daughter of immigrants and as a queer artist.

“It was a message of warmth and of community, and it got me thinking about spaces and inclusivity,” she said.

“When I envisioned this mural, well before I ever met the students who would be featured, I didn’t want to portray joy – even though it may evoke joy, validation or visibility for others – I wanted the mural to evoke a fearlessness in the subjects, who were stoic and serious about being a united front regardless of their identities and standing behind the message.”

The mural, which covers 760 square feet, took five weeks to paint and involved multi-tiered scaffolding that temporarily closed the top floors of Kellogg Library during winter intersession. Artist Shanna Straus and CSUSM students Danni Flowers and Erin Atkins assisted Sabogal in painting the mural.

“The mural is a statement about the importance of creating a campus without borders, and of celebrating it with open hearts and minds,” said Booth, during remarks at the unveiling on Feb. 11. “Here, we welcome a spectrum of identities and backgrounds, and so everyone, even the most marginalized, can thrive in an environment of uncompromising support.”

The dynamics of the mural change as viewers climb up and down the stairwell and experience different perspectives, sometimes coming face to face with the mural’s subjects.

“The images are powerful and reassuring,” said David Avalos, professor emeritus of art and member of the Campus Public Arts Advisory Group, which helped bring the abstract idea of inclusivity to life. “The subjects are calm, confident and self-assured human beings, and their presence will continue to speak to students, librarians, faculty, staff, coaches, administrators and visitors for generations to come.”

“Coming into college, I came with this intention that I wanted to get involved and I wanted to do something that left a lasting impression,” said Mars Waddy, one of the six subjects featured in the art piece. “I didn’t expect to be recommended for a mural.”

The first of three images, ascending the staircase between the second and third floors of the library, are Jeff Mata, Martin Leyva and Nesune Madrigal. Mata, set to graduate with his business degree in May, became blind in his early 20s as a result of a boxing injury. After overcoming bouts of depression and addiction, Mata is a three-time world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, competing against sighted athletes, and a motivational speaker for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

To his right is Leyva, who spent two decades in and out of jail and prison. While completing a master’s degree in sociological practice at CSUSM, Levya established Transitions Collective to support fomerly incarcerated students and their allies. Madrigal, an American Indian nursing student, will graduate this spring and looks forward to bringing her new skills back to her tribal community to improve Indian health care.

On the stairwell above them, leading to the fourth floor, are Waddy, Louis Adamsel and Lisa Flora. Waddy, who is studying psychology, is a passionate activist for intersectionality and works as peer educator in the LGBTQA Pride Center. Last year, he was honored with the Tukwut Leadership Circle’s Freshman of the Year Award. In the center is Adamsel, the second alumnus featured in the mural. An Army reservist and former foster youth, Adamsel served as ASI president in 2017-2018 and helped establish the Black Student Center and the ASI Food Pantry, among other initiatives. Flora, a standout cross country student-athlete, overcame a severe knee injury after high school and went on to compete in the NCAA Division II national championship, in addition to being a two-time All-West Region honoree. After she graduates this spring, she hopes to become a police detective.

“The six students we chose represent the incredible diversity of this campus,” Booth said. “When we commissioned this mural, we wanted something that you can’t ignore in this building – and that’s what we got.”

The unveiling of the mural serendipitously coincided with the 15-year anniversary of Kellogg Library, which opened in 2004, shortly after President Karen Haynes’ arrived. Since that day, more than a million people have walked through the library’s doors.

“For me to be here for a few years and be coming through the stairwell and go to a study room or find a book, then suddenly I know that I’m here and I’ve left a mark, I think that’s incredible,” Flora said.

“I’m proud that our library not only aids the intellectual pursuits of our students, faculty, staff and community, but also works to ensure inclusiveness, celebrates diversity and fosters social justice,” Haynes said during the unveiling ceremony.

“The Kelloggs believed strongly in the power of education and the importance of access to students of all backgrounds. Much like the Kelloggs’ philanthropy, this mural serves as an important example of all of the ways that we come together in that spirit each day.”

The mural is available for viewing during University Library hours.

Media Contact

Christine Vaughan, Creative Communications Officer
cvaughan@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-4409

The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. The University celebrates pride and advocates for queer and allied communities with events that range from social, to supportive, to educational, beginning with the annual Pride Walk on Tuesday, April 3 at noon. This month also marks the 10th anniversary of the LGBTQA Pride Center at CSUSM which will be marked by a special celebration.

Schedule of Events

More information can be found at: http://www.csusm.edu/asi/pride/gaypril.html

Posters for Pride
April 2, 2018 | 11:00am | USU 3100

Come by the Pride Center and make a poster that shows your pride. Don’t forget to show-off your poster at our gAyPRIL kick-off – Pride Walk the next day!

Pride Walk
April 3, 2018 | U-Hour | USU Arcade – around campus

Kick off Pride Month at CSUSM with a stroll around campus. Waive your flag and show your pride, or be an ally and show your love. Meet by the USU Arcade.

GaySL
April 4, 2018 | 5:30pm | USU 3100

This highly interactive, variable, and hilarious workshop teaches its participants LGBTQ-related American Sign Language signs while fostering a group discussion about Deaf culture, intersectionality, accessibility and more.

Alcohol, Stress, and the LGBTQ Community
April 5, 2018 | U-Hour | USU 3100

Learn about the latest research on alcohol use among LGBTQ students and how stress may be an important factor. The Scripps Research Institute Alcohol Research Center will be presenting and sharing their research findings.

TranForum
April 5, 2018 | 3:30pm | USU 3100

Safe and supportive discussion group for trans folks and allies.

Queer Women Brunch
April 6, 2018 | 10:00am | USU 3200

Join the GEC in celebrating queer women and femmes. Light brunch will be provided.

Mindfulness Monday
April 9, 2018 | 3:30pm | USU 3100

Take a moment for mindfulness with the Pride Center. We will have guided meditation, crystal bowl sound healing and more.

Yoga with Pride and the Latin@ Center
April 10 | U-Hour | USU 3100

The LGBTQA Pride Center and Latin@ Center would like to invite you to take a break. Come by for a U-Hour yoga break with a wonderful view.

Tunnels of Oppression
April 10 | 6:00pm | USU Ballroom

Tunnel of Oppression is a nationally recognized campus program that helps students become more conscious of their own fortunes and oppression

gAyPRIL Excursion: Love, Simon
April 11 | Edwards Cinema

Have you watched Love, Simon yet? Join our excursion to watch Love, Simon at the San Marcos Edwards Cinema. Limited tickets available, sign up at the Gender Equity Center front desk.

Walk a Mile in Their Shoes
April 12 | 11:00am | Forum Plaza

This interactive program will give participants a better understanding of some of the experiences of survivors of sexual assault and gendered violence.

Tye Dye Party
April 13 | 3:00 pm | USU 3100

Get ready for Pride Fest and Tye Dye with USU Live and the Pride Center! We will have canvass bags, but you are welcome to bring your shirts, socks, bandannas, or anything else you want to Tye Dye!

Viva Selena
April 16 | 7:00pm | USU Rooftop

Celebrate Selena’s birthday with a sing-a-long screening of her biopic, along with a game of Joteria, a bustier bejeweling station, and more!

Spill the LGBTea
April 17 | U-Hour | USU 3100

Come to the Pride Center for some Tea (with a capital “T”)! Enjoy some refreshments while spilling the truth in a safe and brave space.

Queerflix and Chill
April 18 | 6:00pm | USU 3100

It’s movie night at the GEC. Come watch a queer flick and chill with your Pride Center fam.

Beyond the Stereotype Panel
April 19 | 2:30pm | USU 3100

Behind the Stereotype Panel featuring some of the participants. In this event, panelists are going to talk about what does this campaign and behind the stereotype means to them.

Take Back the Night
April 19 | 6:00pm | Forum Plaza

Take Back the Night is a rally and march designed to bring awareness to ending violence against women. This event is a collaborative effort to support and uplift the voices of survivors.

LGBTQA Pride Center Diamond Celebration
April 20 | Ticketed Event

The LGBTQA Pride Center is celebrating 10 years of service at CSUSM. This is a ticketed event - all funds raised will benefit the LGBTQ+ Student Scholarship. For more information, e-mail: pride@csusm.edu

Pride Fest Pre-Fest
April 23 | 3:00pm |USU 3100

Start the last week of gAyPRIL with a Pride-Fest Pre-Party at the Pride Center Speakeasy featuring a DJ and Mocktails.

Pride Fest
April 24 | U-Hour | Forum Plaza

Take part of CSUSM’s annual Pride Festival! Join us for food, music, and fun while celebrating and learning about the LGBTQA Community!

Safe Zone
April 25 | 11:00am | USU 3700

The SafeZone Community at California State University San Marcos creates a visible support network for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, and questioning individuals at the University and within North San Diego County. SafeZone’s educational opportunities are designed to value and reflect the diversity within LGBTQ communities, fostering an environment that is affirming, inclusive, and safe. By nurturing open communication and increasing awareness and knowledge, SafeZone empower community members to serve as allies, resources, and advocates for LGBTQ individuals.

Dining Out For Life
April 26 | Participating Restaurants

Grab your family and friends and make plans to dine out for breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, cocktails (and more!) on Thursday, April 26th, 2018 and 25-100% of sales will benefit HIV/AIDS services and prevention efforts at the San Diego LGBT Community Center. For a list of participating restaurants go to: https://www.diningoutforlife.com/sandiego/restaurants/

Rainbow Recognition Registration
May 7 | McMahan House

Participate in our annual recognition of LGBTQA graduates. Grads will receive a rainbow stole to show their pride at commencement. Register at: http://bit.ly/rainbowrec2018

Media Contact

Katie Chappell, Sr. Digital Media Strategist

kchappell@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

As a recipient of the HEED Award — a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — CSUSM will be featured along with 79 other recipients in INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine’s November 2017 issue.

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected CSUSM based on the institution’s exemplary diversity and inclusion initiatives, and ability to support a broad definition of diversity on campus, including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, as well as all others.

“At Cal State San Marcos we are a diverse group of individuals — diverse in culture, religious belief, political perspective, gender and sexual orientation, nationality, age, career path, talents and abilities,” CSUSM President Karen Haynes said. “As a microcosm of society, it’s important that we continue to model the values of civility and diversity that this campus was founded on. It is our collective responsibility to tend to our campus climate every day, ensuring that our values match the everyday experiences of our students. Receiving this award for a fourth straight year is validation for the hard work we have committed to inclusive excellence.”

The HEED Award process measures an institution’s commitment to diversity and inclusion through a comprehensive and rigorous application relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees, and best practices for both.

For more information about the 2017 HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.

About California State University San Marcos

Building on an innovative 27-year history, California State University San Marcos is a forward-focused institution, dedicated to preparing future leaders, building great communities and solving critical issues. Located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the City of San Marcos, it is the only public four-year comprehensive university serving North San Diego, Southwest Riverside and South Orange Counties.

The University enrolls nearly 17,000 students. With approximately 2,000 employees, the institution is a Great College to Work For® (The Chronicle of Higher Education). As a recipient of the annual HEED Award since 2014—a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—CSUSM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment.

There is no place else he’d rather be.

“The culture here has developed to where there is a real desire to be a leader in educational equity,” said McManus, who is energized by the level of collaborative engagement and the efforts to further promote mindfulness and civility. “President Haynes is deeply committed, and I see a great deal of genuine support across the campus community, at every level.”

In his new post, McManus is responsible for working with colleagues and partners across the University to implement the CSUSM Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan. It is a job he has been training for all his life.

“Dr. McManus is an incredibly thoughtful leader whose understanding of equity and inclusion is both deep and broad,” said Michael Benitez, Chief Diversity Officer and Dean of Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Puget Sound. “He is well aware of the importance and value for diversity in higher education, and possesses the expertise and experience necessary to navigate the challenges that come with addressing diversity on college campuses. Dr. McManus is a strategic thinker familiar with organizational change, and understands well the work that is transforming structures. Cal State San Marcos is fortunate to add such an incredible diversity leader to their campus community.”

McManus most recently served as the Vice President for Diversity & Inclusion with the Kingston Bay Group, a coaching, consulting and search firm specializing in diversity, equity and inclusion issues for public schools, colleges and universities. While with the Kingston Bay Group, McManus also worked part-time as a faculty member and consultant with Urban Outreach Initiatives at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education. In addition, he serves on the board of directors of Rootstrong, a nonprofit committed to multicultural leadership education and development, and for the past 11 years, he has been a board member of the Diversity Collegium, a cross-sector think tank of diversity practitioners.

He grew up in the town of Carver, Mass., the son of an Irish Catholic father and Jewish mother. Joe-Joe was one of three boys. A brother, Kacey, was adopted and African-American.

“My brother, and the family in general, endured a lot of racism and bigotry when I was growing up,” McManus said. “My folks ran what we call in Massachusetts, a ‘packie’ and we had an apartment in the back. We were seen as very poor, and from a very early age I was forced to deal with issues of race, class and religion.”

A gifted athlete, McManus found a refuge in basketball, was recruited to play at a Washington, D.C., hoops prep powerhouse, and was looking forward to a college scholarship to a Division I school. Those plans changed when Kacey became a victim of suicide at just 17 years old.

“I didn’t want to play basketball anymore,” he said. “I didn’t want to go to college anymore.”

His parents refused to give up, pushing him to become the first in the family to secure a college degree. At Florida Institute of Technology, McManus studied Space Sciences, was setting out to become an astronaut, and had drawn the attention of leaders in the field. After his sophomore year, he became the first American employee of what would become the Russian Academy of Sciences.

An activist back home, his career track took its final turn when he spoke about diversity issues while discussing American holidays to an audience in the former Soviet Union.

“I talked about the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Juneteenth,” McManus said. “Nobody even knew what Juneteenth was, and they hadn’t heard the perspectives I was presenting about race and ethnicity connected to the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving. I offered them a different perspective about American holidays, and I asked if they had similar experiences in Russia. It became a rather lively discussion. I soon learned that race was an issue in other places, religion was an issue in other places. The entire episode was enlightening for me.”

When he returned to the United States, he switched his major to psychology and began his journey toward becoming an educator focusing on issues of diversity and social justice. He earned his master’s degree in multicultural education from Alliant International University, and his Ph.D. in educational leadership from Florida A&M University (FAMU), where he became known as “Dr. Joe-Joe.” That coincided with his four years as a faculty member at FAMU, which was followed by a visiting professorship at Chancellor College at the University of Malawi in Zomba, Malawi.

Other professional stops included Curriculum Development Coordinator at Dartmouth College’s Tucker Foundation; and as founding Executive Director of the Ernesto Malave Leadership Academy at the City University of New York (CUNY).

“Joe-Joe possesses a passion for educating students of all walks of life and building leadership prowess in even the most marginalized people he encounters,” said Dr. Sidalia G. Reel, Director, Staff Diversity Initiatives, Equity and Inclusion Division, at UC Berkeley. “The intersectionality of his astrophysicist mind, Boston upbringing and deep roots in living in multicultural settings here and abroad, blend in ways that make him a brave social justice educator.”

McManus lives with his wife, Kecia, and their young daughter, Makaila, just a few blocks from campus. His priorities include completing and implementing the Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan and working with faculty, staff and students to continue to build on the foundation of excellence in educational equity, inclusion and social justice at Cal State San Marcos.

“It’s also important that we continue to grow and develop this office so we can continue to support and provide the highest levels of educational experience regarding equity and inclusion for students, faculty and staff,” he said.

Now in her third year at Cal State San Marcos, Brandy was close to joining the military before her mom stepped in and encouraged her to try school first.

Looking at a list of Brandy’s accomplishments at CSUSM, it’s difficult to imagine her not being part of the Cougar family.

From Alpha Lambda Delta to the Social Justice Summit to the Black Student Union, Brandy has participated in countless clubs and activities.

“I love a lot of things and I like trying things,” said Brandy, who is a sociology major.

Social justice issues are of particular interest to Brandy, and her activism led to her being awarded the President’s Student Champion Award for Inclusive Excellence and Diversity during the All People’s Luncheon on Oct. 25.

“Brandy understands the importance of her peers breaking down the barriers that keep them from working together and learning from each other,” said Robert Aiello-Hauser, CSUSM’s director of Student Engagement and Inclusion.

Brandy was among a group of CSUSM students who advocated for the creation of the Black Student Center on campus, work that will come to fruition with the grand opening of a dedicated space later this academic year.

Brandy’s interest in trying and participating in a variety of activities stems from her experience moving frequently while growing up. Even an A-frame on campus doesn’t escape her eyes, often leading to an impromptu visit to a lecture or event. That’s how she happened upon a lecture featuring a mother talking about her child living with autism.

“I stayed because I didn’t know anything about autism,” Brandy said. “I cried. It was so beautiful and so inspirational.”

Brandy has overcome many challenges of her own growing up, from financial difficulties to contending with learning disabilities. She learned at an early age the importance of asking for help in order to succeed.

“It’s not hard for me to admit, ‘OK, this is hard and I need help,’ ” she said.

Brandy credits her mother for getting her prepared for college, often taking action that Brandy didn’t learn about until years later. Her mom insisted that Brandy receive an Individualized Education Program and worked with Brandy’s teachers to ensure she received any necessary help to deal with her learning disabilities.

“My mom is the reason why I’m here,” Brandy said.

Brandy chose to attend CSUSM sight unseen. While she had no concerns about attending a school she hadn’t visited, she was a bit surprised the first time she arrived on campus with her mom for orientation.

“We were like, ‘What is up with all the stairs?’ ” she said.

But even the stairs are a positive in her mind as she notes that they provide a good workout when needed. And, despite not seeing the campus before she committed to attend CSUSM, she never had any concerns about whether it would be the right fit.

“I’ve always had an optimistic outlook,” she said. “If it’s bad, it’s going to be good eventually. If you see this place as dark and hollow, then it’s going to be dark and hollow. If you see it as light and full, then it’s going to be light and full.

“We got here and it was beautiful. The stairs were insane, but it was beautiful.”

Brandy quickly built a village of people at CSUSM who could provide support and advice. And, of course, she dived right in when it came to getting involved.

Brandy doesn’t want to limit herself when it comes to finding a post-college career. However, she said she will always be a voice for groups that are being oppressed and she wants to have a role in education.

“I want to be that one teacher where kids look back and say, ‘If it had not been for Ms. Williams …’ I want to be the professor that kids say, ‘She believed in me.’ ”

Stevenson had the opportunity to tour the new National Museum of African American History and Culture, visit embassies and embrace enriching experiences through a variety of panels offered during the Sept. 30-Oct. 2 conference.

And there was also the matter of accepting Cal State San Marcos’ Minority Access Award.

“Cal State San Marcos is committed to diversity, and this office works hard to ensure that we are doing our part as faculty and staff for students to make sure this is a welcoming, inclusive environment,” said Stevenson, the diversity coordinator in CSUSM’s Office of Diversity, Educational Equity and Inclusion.

CSUSM was one of 38 colleges and universities throughout the country honored with a Minority Access Award and one of just three in California.

The award recognizes schools for their commitment to diversity and expanding opportunities for underrepresented groups. Schools were required to submit descriptions of their diversity initiatives and the results of those initiatives as part of the application process.

Minority Access, Inc., is a nonprofit that was founded in 1995 to improve the higher educational, professional and managerial utilization of minorities. The organization assists individuals, academic institutions, federal and local governments, private agencies and corporations in diversifying their campuses and work sites.

Accepting the award on behalf of CSUSM highlighted a whirlwind of activities for Stevenson, who arrived in Washington on a Thursday and was back on campus by Monday.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture, in particular, left an indelible mark.

The museum is devoted exclusively to the documentation of African-American life, history and culture. It opened to great acclaim on Sept. 24, and Stevenson was able to visit during her trip because Minority Access, Inc., secured passes for attendees of the National Role Models Conference.

“It was amazing,” Stevenson said. “You think you know history. But when you go to this museum, it’s living history. It’s a whole new world.”

Stevenson spent nearly five hours in the museum and still didn’t see everything. Two exhibits particularly resonated – one about slavery and another about Emmett Till.

“We hear about slavery, we study slavery, we study what happened to the men, what happened to the women, but we don’t necessarily think about babies,” Stevenson said. “And when I saw little baby shackles, I lost it. It got very real and emotional. We don’t think about hurting children in that way.”

Till, a 14-year-old African-American, was murdered in Mississippi in 1955 for allegedly flirting with a white woman. His murder became a rallying point in the civil rights movement. The museum includes a display of Till’s casket and tells his story through his mother’s words.

“It’s like reliving that moment of the funeral,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson said there was a spirit of togetherness evident at the museum. Similarly, the spirit of togetherness at CSUSM is exemplified by the Minority Access Award, which joins other recent honors recognizing the University’s dedication to educational equity.

“It’s nice to get recognized nationally for our commitment to diversity and to be at the forefront,” Stevenson said.

The families of some victims would do everything in their power to make sure someone like Hicks is never released from prison.

Not Khamisa’s father and sister. They are doing everything they can to ensure that Hicks gains his freedom when he is eligible for parole for the first time in October 2018.

The tragedy that brought Hicks and the Khamisa family together nearly 22 years ago has become a story about the power of forgiveness and an ongoing effort to end youth violence.

Tasreen Khamisa, Tariq’s sister, and Ples Felix, Hicks’ grandfather, will be the keynote speakers and share their story at Cal State San Marcos’ All People’s Luncheon on Oct. 25. Both are part of the Tariq Khamisa Foundation (TKF), an organization founded nine months after Tariq’s death by his father, Azim, to stop youth violence through education, mentorship and community service programs.

“My dad really saw victims at both ends of the gun,” said Tasreen, who is the executive director of TKF.

On Jan. 21, 1995, Hicks and three other teens plotted to steal pizzas from a deliveryman. A call was made to a local pizza place and a fake address was given. Tariq was the pizza deliveryman. When he arrived, he couldn’t find the address and put the pizzas back in his car. As he did, Hicks and one of the other teens approached. Hicks, brandishing a gun, demanded the pizzas.

Tariq refused. He got into his car, started to back it up and was rolling up the window when Hicks shot and killed him.

Tariq was a 20-year-old San Diego State student with a passion for writing and photography and a dream of one day working for National Geographic.

It all ended in an instant.

Three weeks earlier, a new state law had gone into effect, lowering the age at which somebody could be tried as an adult from 16 to 14. Hicks was the first 14-year-old charged as an adult in California. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years to life.

Azim has described learning of his son’s death as an out-of-body experience. The Khamisas are Shia Ismaili Muslims and Tasreen says her father is very spiritual.

“He met with a spiritual advisor who told him, ‘It’s OK to grieve for 40 days, but after 40 days you’re going to impede that soul’s journey’ because we believe in the afterlife,” Tasreen said. “But you can do good deeds in the name of that person. My dad founding TKF was doing good deeds for his son.”

Azim reached out to Felix, who had been raising Hicks, as part of his healing process. They have been on a mission to instill forgiveness, peace and hope through TKF ever since.

Tasreen said TKF has reached about 500,000 children throughout San Diego County over the past two decades, implementing programs rooted in empathy, forgiveness, compassion and making positive choices.

While Azim found forgiveness for Hicks quickly, Tasreen had a more difficult time.

“I was caught between feeling empathy for Tony and being really angry,” she said. “And being really angry kind of led me for three years. I struggled a lot after my brother was killed.

“My father always said he knew he had to forgive in order to live a productive life. He didn’t want to hold on to anger and resentment and be a victim. He wanted to honor my brother and make sure his death wasn’t in vain. He wanted to be able to feel joy and happiness again, and he knew that forgiveness was a key to that. I understand that very much so now, not just in the journey I went through with forgiving Tony, but the journey I go through every day with forgiveness in my own personal life.”

Tasreen served as TKF’s executive director from 1998-2003 before stepping down to focus on raising her family and help her then-husband start a business. She returned to the executive director’s role in January 2015, and one of her goals is to help Hicks gain parole when he is first eligible in two years.

Unlike her father, Tasreen has never met Hicks. However, she recently began corresponding with him and said he has a job waiting for him at TKF.

“I think he still feels unworthy of our forgiveness and our love,” Tasreen said. “He really wants to be able to earn that from us upon his release.”

Tasreen said most inmates are not released at first-time parole hearings for two reasons – lack of preparation by the inmate and lack of support from the victim’s family. But Tasreen said Hicks will have both of those factors working in his favor.

Tasreen said the last step of restorative justice is bringing the perpetrator back to community healed and whole. She wants to help Hicks engage back into community and ensure that he receives the support he needs to thrive outside prison.

Her own healing has come over time. There are still many difficult days, including Tariq’s birthday and the anniversary of his death.

“You never get over losing someone you love,” Tasreen said. “You learn to live with it and it becomes a little easier to live with. But doing this work has made life bearable without Tariq.

“He always told me he wanted to leave his mark in this world. Gandhi was his hero and Tariq always said he wanted to leave this world a better place. And he did. And we’ll continue to make sure we fulfill that legacy for him.”

“We lived in this incredibly impoverished barrio of Caracas, and my whole world was turned upside down,” she said. “I grew up in a single-parent household, and things were kind of sparse at home, but I had never seen anything like this. I thought I had to do something more meaningful with my life, so any thought of working in the theater ended right there.”

Good thing. Since June 1, Chávez Metoyer has been the Interim Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Vice President of the Office of Diversity, Educational Equity & Inclusion at Cal State San Marcos, a university with a growing reputation as one of the more inclusive campuses in California. Her new job has her overseeing the university's diversity and educational equity initiatives, including CSUSM’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan.

“It’s an incredible responsibility,” said Chávez Metoyer. “We want to make sure we build on the work we’ve done over the years and continue to move the needle on inclusive excellence and creating an inclusive working and learning environment on campus.”

Chávez Metoyer earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Foreign Languages and Latin American Studies at New Mexico State University before moving on to Northern Arizona University for her master’s degree and Ph.D. in Political Science and History. She came to CSUSM in 1994 as a faculty member of political science and was hired to develop the Latin American studies curriculum. She has taught courses in Latin American politics, comparative politics, gender and development, and senior seminar, and she has also served as the Faculty Director for the Office of Internships.

“Cal State San Marcos was the only college I applied to in California,” Chávez Metoyer said. “It was a new institution where the focus was on race, class and gender, and that really resonated with me. They were trying to build the kind of place where I wanted to build my career.”

Just one year after she arrived, Chávez Metoyer served as the President of the Latino Association of Faculty and Staff and was a leader in the project to honor the legacy of César E. Chávez with a statue and plaza naming (she is currently leading a campus project to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the statue installation next spring). In 2009-2010, Chávez Metoyer led Phase III of the Hispanic Serving Institution task force, which completed the steps necessary for CSUSM to apply for and secure Hispanic Serving Institute designation from the U.S. Department of Education.

“Cynthia brings a wealth of experience as a faculty member in Political Science whose work is grounded in equity and inclusion issues,” said Patricia Prado-Olmos, CSUSM’s vice president of community engagement. “Cynthia’s career as a teacher-scholar reflects her commitment, knowledge base and skill set in diversity and inclusion issues. She ran a robust internship program that supported all students in access to high quality internship experiences which are a high-impact practice shown to support academic success and job skill development.

“Cynthia was appointed the first Faculty Director for the Office of Internships in Community Engagement and built the office from the ground up in collaboration with one staff member. Their work is grounded in equity principles that are geared to create broad accessibility to internship placements and experiences. Besides her abundant qualifications, Cynthia is well-respected as a thoughtful and critical thinker who listens carefully and makes reasoned decisions. She is collaborative, approachable and hard-working. I’m pleased she agreed to step into the role as AVP though we miss her in the Office of Internships.”

Chávez Metoyer’s teaching interests include Latin American politics, international relations, and gender and development. Her research addresses political and economic development in Nicaragua, and she has published two books, Women and the State in Post Sandinista Nicaragua (2000) and Women Legislators in Central American Politics, Democracy, and Policy (2008), in addition to journal articles, book chapters and book review essays. She also served as an international observer for Nicaragua’s presidential elections of 1996, 2001 and 2006, and she took part in a humanitarian relief project following Hurricane Mitch in 1998, the deadliest Atlantic hurricane in more than 200 years.

During her recent sabbatical in 2015, Chávez Metoyer volunteered in Nicaragua with a nonprofit medical organization committed to delivering sustainable healthcare services in underserved communities in developing countries.

Besides leading the effort to celebrate the anniversary of the César E. Chávez statue, Chávez Metoyer’s immediate goals are centered on the planning of activities for Diversity Awareness Month in October and a special event featuring Dr. Cornel West the evening of Nov. 4 at the USU Ballroom.

“Cynthia is so dedicated to this university,” said Carmen Nava, a professor of history and department chair. “She cares, she shows up and she rolls up her sleeves.”

As a recipient of the annual HEED Award — a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — CSUSM will be featured along with 82 other recipients in INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine’s November 2016 issue.

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected CSUSM based on the institution’s exemplary diversity and inclusion initiatives, and ability to support a broad definition of diversity on campus, including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, as well as all others. Notably, faculty have embraced the incorporation of diversity themes into classroom teachings, with over a quarter of the University’s undergraduate curriculum infused with diversity-related content.

“At Cal State San Marcos we are a diverse group of individuals — diverse in culture, religious belief, political perspective, gender and sexual orientation, nationality, age, career path, talents and abilities,” CSUSM President Karen Haynes said. “As a microcosm of society, it’s important that we continue to model the values of civility and diversity that this campus was founded on. It’s our collective responsibility to tend to our campus climate every day, ensuring that our values match the everyday experiences of our students. Receiving this award for a third straight year is validation for the hard work we have committed to diversity and inclusion.”

CSUSM will celebrate the ribbon-cutting for the University’s new Black Student Resource Center this year, the newest member in a family of centers — including The Latino@ Center, The LGBTQ Pride Center, The Cross-Cultural Center, The Gender Equity Center, The Veterans Center and The ACE Scholars Services Center — that foster a campus environment of inclusion and academic success for 15,000 students.

The HEED Award process measures an institution’s commitment to diversity and inclusion through a comprehensive and rigorous application relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees, and best practices for both.

For more information about the 2016 HEED Award, visit www.insightintodiversity.com.

Diverse’s “Top 100 Undergraduate & Graduate Degree Producers” issue was released today. Of the more than 4,000 colleges and universities in the country, CSUSM ranks within the top 100 for graduating minorities with various degrees in the following disciplines:

• All Disciplines Combined
• Business Administration, Management and Operations
• Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
• Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
• Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
• History
• Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
• Parks, Recreation, Leisure, and Fitness Studies
• Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
• Social Sciences

In May, CSUSM conferred nearly 3,200 degrees and credentials, and 35 percent were from historically underrepresented backgrounds and 55 percent were first in their family to earn a four-year degree. Both were the highest percentages in CSUSM’s history.

CSUSM received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine in 2014 and 2015. The University has a number of on-campus social justice centers that continue to provide safe spaces for dialogue and community building, including: the Latino/Latina Center, the LGBTQ Pride Center, the Cross-Cultural Center, the Gender Equity Center, the Veterans Center and the ACE Scholars Services Center. Additionally, CSUSM will open its Black Student Center during the 2016-17 academic year.

Diverse magazine serves as a source of news, information and commentary on the full range of issues concerning diversity in American higher education. With more than 30 years of experience covering education, Diverse is the only news magazine focusing solely on matters of access and opportunity for all in higher education.

Visit www.diverseeducation.com for more information about the Diverse: Issues In Higher Education “Top 100 Undergraduate & Graduate Degree Producers” issue.

About California State University San Marcos

Building on an innovative 26-year history, California State University San Marcos is a forward-focused institution, dedicated to preparing future leaders, building great communities and solving critical issues. Located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the City of San Marcos, it is the only public four-year comprehensive university serving North San Diego, Southwest Riverside and South Orange Counties.

The University enrolls over 14,000 students. With approximately 2,000 employees, the institution is a Great College to Work For® (The Chronicle of Higher Education). As a recipient of the annual HEED Award since 2014—a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—CSUSM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment.

However, an award-winning research team, led by Dr. Wesley Schultz, Cal State San Marcos dean of Graduate Studies, with Drs. Anna Woodcock of Cal State San Marcos, Mica Estrada of the University of California San Francisco, and Paul Hernandez of West Virginia University, has shown that National Institute of Health (NIH)-funded training programs, such as CSUSM’s Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) and Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) programs, are effective at sustaining undergraduate minority students through graduation in science.

“Science not only needs diversity but people from all backgrounds also need access to a full range of career opportunities,” said Woodcock. “Careers in the sciences can be very rewarding and, in some instances, high paying and prestigious—the thought that certain groups of people should be excluded from these opportunities is egregious.”

For the study, data were collected from over 1,400 undergraduate and graduate students at 50 universities nationwide over 10 years. Comparing underrepresented students who were involved in NIH programs against similarly motivated underrepresented students who were not, the researchers examined undergraduate graduation rates as well as acceptance, enrollment and graduation rates in graduate and doctoral programs.

“Students go in with a strong interest in pursuing scientific research and careers, but what happens over time is that many underrepresented students lose interest or get pulled away,” Schultz said. “What we found is that these NIH training programs sustain that interest and motivation among underrepresented students over time.”

Rising to the Challenge

Both the RISE and MARC programs were created to prepare talented and motivated minority students majoring in the sciences to enter and succeed in doctoral studies. Students work in a research laboratory, attend seminars and scientific meetings to present research, participate in a training program and are mentored by faculty. In return, the students not only garner hands-on research experience but receive a small stipend, the reimbursement of travel expenses and, in the case of the MARC program, partial support for tuition.

Schultz said the programs are successful because they help underrepresented students create identities as scientists.

“These programs create access to science, but underrepresented students have a special burden because they have to reconcile their identity and see themselves as scientists in a society that often doesn’t provide exemplars of their racial group in science,” Shultz said. “Being involved in meaningful research experiences as an undergraduate along with access to a faculty mentor—these two things drive successful outcomes.”

Ivan Hernandez, a first-generation psychology major, is a CSUSM MARC program success story. He took first place at the California State University Statewide Research Competition in April for his project titled, “The Influence of Minority Training Programs on Individuals’ Social Mobility Mindset.”

“I never thought a Ph.D. was possible for me,” Ivan said. “When I started doing undergraduate research I wasn’t confident. I didn’t know what I wanted to do and I didn’t identify as a scientist. The MARC program is like a family of people with the same interest, mindset and goals—they mentor you to write and present, encourage you to travel to conferences, and coach you on how to be a better candidate for grad school. Now I’m seeing my peers get accepted into graduate programs all over the country and I can see that for me in my future, too.”

Prepared for Success

The research team found that after 10 years, nearly half of all the participating RISE and MARC students went on to a doctoral program compared to only a quarter of similarly motivated underrepresented students who did not have access to the programs. In addition, during the same timeframe, about 35 percent of RISE and MARC students had earned a Ph.D. compared to 14 percent of similarly motivated students without the program.

“Not only do these programs make a big difference, but our research is helping us understand why they are making a difference so that we can generalize the results to students beyond those that are in these special training programs,” Schultz said.

In recognition of their outstanding research contributions, Schultz and his research team were awarded the Adolphus Toliver Award for Outstanding Research at the Understanding Interventions that Broaden Participation in Science Careers Conference in April.

Anna Woodcock, professor of psychology at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM), and Diana Bairaktarova, professor of engineering education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, have been researching women and engineering since 2010. Together the two have teamed up to study the impact of gender differences in first-year engineering students’ self-evaluations of their engineering ability.

“We wanted to see how female and male students performed on an engineering task and how accurately they estimated their own performance,” said Woodcock. “We asked large group of male and female first-year engineering students to create an assembly procedure for a model solar powered boat. At the completion of the task we asked the students to evaluate how well they thought they performed and then we sent the students’ assembly procedures to a panel of practicing engineers to provide objective evaluations of the quality of the work.”

Their findings concluded that a large gender gap exists in first-year engineering students’ confidence in their engineering ability; female students grossly underestimated their performance despite no objective gender differences in ability according to the ratings of professional engineers.

“We were dismayed but not surprised at the female engineering students’ deficit in self-evaluations of their engineering ability,” said Woodcock. “But we were surprised to find that altering the difficulty of the task had an impact on performance, but did not change gender-biases in self-evaluations. Female engineering students significantly underestimated their engineering performance regardless of the difficulty of the task at hand.”

According to the results, male students slightly overestimated their ability compared with the objective assessment, but their self-evaluations of ability were better calibrated with their actual ability than the female students. This pattern held regardless of students’ mechanical aptitude or familiarity with solar power.

Positive self-evaluations of performance are important for academic success. Self-evaluations can influence students’ self-efficacy, which in turn influences their motivation and persistence. Positive self-evaluations of performance also serve to increase self-efficacy and sustain motivation within a class or major, whereas negative self-evaluations can erode self-efficacy and cause students to seek a different pursuit.

“Research consistently indicates that the barriers for women in traditionally masculine domains such as engineering may have very little to do with aptitude, skill and preparation,” said Woodcock. “In fact, many psychological factors have been implicated as significant barriers. For example, the prevalence of negative gender stereotypes, low self-efficacy, difficulty developing and maintaining an identity and sense of belonging, and perceptions that a career in these fields may not afford opportunities to fulfill communal or helping goals.”

To broaden the participation of women in engineering, it will be critical to take these contextual factors into consideration.

“Diversity of opinion, viewpoint and background, are critical for identifying and solving society’s grand challenges,” said Woodcock. “It is imperative that we draw talent from across our diverse population to work on these problems and to train the next generation of scholars and professionals. Careers in the STEM workforce can offer opportunities to have a significant positive impact on society, so it is important for individuals from all segments of our society to have the chance to participate.”

This line of research is timely for the CSUSM community as the University prepares for a new engineering program. Woodcock hopes that conclusions drawn from the research will be taken into consideration when program instructors begin to develop strategies and classroom environments to support the self-efficacy and success of all of our students.

“Our campus has a strong commitment to fostering a diverse student body, so the persistent gender gap in undergraduate engineering programs will be a pertinent issue,” said Woodcock. “A greater understanding of the reasons underlying the chronic underrepresentation of women in engineering can help our program foster an environment where all students can excel and participate in the engineering workforce.”

For a full schedule of events, visit their website.

-----------------------------------------------Schedule of Events----------------------------------------------

Tuesday Talks: Queer People of Color

Tuesday, April 5 from 6 to 8 p.m.

University Student Union, 3100

A Tuesday conversation will discuss the experiences of lesser-known sub communities in the LGBTQ+ spectrum and explore the identities that mainstream queer culture doesn't often recognize.

Queer Discussion: Sex vs. Gender

Wednesday, April 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

University Student Union, 3100

Learn about all sexual orientations and clear up any misconceptions in regard to gender identities during a discussion led by LGBTQA+ Pride Center peer educator Estella Hoang.

The Pride Project

Wednesday, April 6 from 1 to 5 p.m.

University Student Union, 3100

The Pride Center will host a “no hate” style photo campaign, encouraging students to be proud of their identities and share in others’.

Paint Me Rainbow

Monday, April 11 through Friday, April 15 during normal business hours

University Student Union, 3100

Collaborate in an on-campus art project and paint a tile that will fit into a mural that will hang above the LGBTQA Pride Center.

What I Be

Monday, April 11 through Wednesday, April 13

Time and Location To Be Determined

A life changing and intimate event with Steve Rosenfield, photographer of the What I Be Project, will provide individuals the opportunity to face their insecurities. Often times people make up stories about their lives not revealing their true image. Participants will be able to tell their story through his creative photography. Learn more about the photographer and the project by visiting his website.

Posters 4 Pride

Monday, April 18 through Friday, April 22 during normal business hours

University Student Union, 3100

Create posters to carry during CSUSM’s Pride Walk on Thursday, April 28 during U-hour. The Pride Center will provide supplies.

Queerjama

Tuesday, April 12 from 6 to 10 p.m

University Student Union, 3100

The Pride Center will host a pajama party filled with jeopardy, movies, bonding and free food.

Tuesday Talk: Femme/Masculine Space

Tuesday, April 19 from 6 to 8 p.m.

University Student Union, 3100

Discuss the experiences of lesser-known sub communities in the LGBTQ+ spectrum and explore the identities that mainstream queer culture doesn't often recognize.

North County Health Services on Queer Health

Wednesday, April 20 from 12 to 1 p.m.

University Student Union, 3100

North County Health Services' representatives will speak about the different services they offer such as HIV case management, behavioral health, volunteer opportunities and more.

Film Screening and Q&A: The Danish Girl

Thursday, April 21 from 5:15 to 7:45 p.m.

Location TBD

The film tells the story of Lili Elbe, one of the first individuals to undergo gender confirmation surgery, and her long struggle for self-discovery as a transgender woman.

Workshop and Q&A with Cadence Valentine

Friday, April 22 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Location TBD

Featuring trans educator, activist and CSU Northridge student Cadence Valentine, this workshop will help students, faculty, staff and the community become educated on and about inclusivity for transgender and gender non-conforming people. In addition, those in attendance will learn about representation, access and support for transgender and gender non-conforming students.

 (Re)Negotiating Space: A Lecture by Preston Witchell

Monday, April 25 from 4 to 5 p.m.

University Student Union, 3100

PRISM President and CSUSM student Preston Witchell will present his research and thesis on spatial politics and navigating difference within communities.

NOT GAY: Sex Between Straight White Males

Tuesday, April 26

Time and Location To Be Determined

A lecture by Jane Ward, associate professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies at University of California Riverside, will discuss how sex between straight white men allows them to leverage whiteness and masculinity to authenticate their heterosexuality in the context of sex with men. By understanding their same-sex sexual practice as meaningless, accidental, or even necessary, straight white men can perform homosexual contact in heterosexual ways. Daring, insightful, and brimming with wit, Not Gay is a fascinating new take on the complexities of heterosexuality in the modern era.

PrideFest & The Queery Spring Launch

Thursday, April 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

University Student Union Terrace

Experience Pride Fest during U-hour at CSUSM. A pride walk through the campus will conclude with a festival at the University Student Union Forum Plaza.

Since 2012, Weber has represented California’s 79^th Assembly District, which includes the cities of Chula Vista, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, National City and San Diego. She chairs the Assembly Committee on Budget, Assembly Select Committee on Higher Education in San Diego County and the Assembly Select Committee on Campus Climate. She also serves on the Assembly committees on Education, Higher Education and Appropriations. Her keynote remarks will focus on the importance of social justice in higher education.

WHO: The Honorable Shirley Weber, assembly member of California’s 79^th District.

WHAT: Keynote address at the annual CSUSM All People’s Luncheon, an annual celebration of the University’s commitment to diversity and social justice.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 14, 2015, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Weber’s remarks will take place at approximately 12:15 p.m.

WHERE: CSUSM, University Student Union, Ballroom - 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd., San Marcos.

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected Cal State San Marcos based on the institution’s exemplary diversity and inclusion initiatives, and ability to support a broad definition of diversity on our campus, including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, as well as all others . Notably, faculty have embraced the incorporation of diversity themes into classroom teachings, with over a quarter of the University’s undergraduate curriculum infused with diversity-related content. In addition, the 2015 Beyond the Stereotype poster campaign, aimed at ending cultural appropriation, received nation-wide attention for its work to inspire and educate the campus community.

“We are a university that champions diversity, inclusion and social justice -- and this award reflects those efforts,” said CSUSM President Karen Haynes. “We have the highest-ever enrollment of Latino students in our history, at nearly 40 percent, and we have the highest per-capita numbers, within the CSU system, of Native American Students and veterans. And we serve more former foster youth per capita than any other institution of higher learning in the United States. Later this week we will celebrate the ribbon-cutting for our new Latino@ Center, the newest member in a family of centers—including The LGBTQ Pride Center, The Cross-Cultural Center, The Gender Equity Center, The Veterans Center, and The ACE Scholars Services Center—which fosters a campus environment of inclusion and academic success for our over 14,000 students.”

“The HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees — and best practices for both — continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion. We take a holistic approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being accomplished every day across a campus,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

For more information about the 2015 HEED award, visit www.insightintodiversity.com.

WHO: Dr. Karen Haynes, President, CSUSM; Dr. Lorena Meza, Vice President of Student Affairs, CSUSM; Maria Mendoza-Bautista, Latin@ Center Associate Director, CSUSM; Enrique Morones, founder of Border Angels, a San Diego-based non-profit that advocates for human rights, humane immigration reform and social justice; and Quetzal, the Grammy-award-winning Chicano rock band, will perform at the event. Other guests include elected officials, regional leadership, and student, faculty and staff.

WHEN: Thursday, September 17 at noon - remarks begin at approximately at 12:20 p.m.

WHERE: California State University San Marcos, 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd., San Marcos.

Remarks will be in the University Student Union amphitheater followed by the official ribbon-cutting at the Center, located in the University Student Union, room 3300A.

Recommended media parking is in Parking Structure I, located near the intersection of Campus Way and Campus View Dr.

WHY: According to the The State of Higher Education in California – Latino Report, published in April 2015, in California Latinos are underrepresented in every segment of higher education and have lower levels of college degree attainment than other racial/ethnic groups. On average, 31 percent of Californians have a bachelor’s degree while only 12 percent of Latinos in the state do. The CSUSM Latin@ Center will serve the nearly 40 percent of CSUSM students who self-identify as Hispanic/Latino by helping these students set goals, gain leadership abilities and develop skills that will help them succeed academically, professionally and personally. A welcoming place for all students, the Center is an inclusive environment that will enhance CSUSM’s mission to be a diverse and welcoming university, reflecting and serving the region.

The CSUSM California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center and Dr. Joely Proudfit are the co-creators of the Beyond the Stereotype poster campaign, which were the product of a yearlong collaboration between various University entities and student organizations, including the Office of Diversity, Student Life & Leadership, the Civility Campaign, the Public Relations Club, the American Indian Student Alliance, several interdisciplinary classes and student research projects.

The aim of the project is to educate the public and campus community about cultural appropriation, often defined as the adoption of elements, such as traditional clothing, of one culture by members of a different culture, particularly when the source culture is a minority group that has been oppressed or exploited. Because cultural appropriation often enlists the use of stereotypes, part of the aim of the project is to also understand stereotypes and the harm they cause.

“It’s also our goal to inspire and educate students to assume leadership roles in their workplaces and communities after graduation,” said Associate Vice President for Educational Equity and Inclusion Arturo Ocampo. “Our 21^st century world is highly diverse and requires individuals who are open to diverse perspectives, have the skills and cultural proficiency to deal with difference and the ability to communicate cross-culturally.”

A total of eight posters will be on display featuring different cultural/racial groups. The exhibit will also have an interactive component in which participants may share personal stories of cultural appropriation that they have experienced, watch a rotating loop of related video clips and sign an optional pledge.

“As a female Native American I’ve been called Pocahontas and I’ve frequently seen women dressing up like Indian princesses for Halloween—these representations are not historically accurate or respectful to our culture,” said senior psychology major Maya Goodblanket, a member of CSUSM’s American Indian Student Alliance.

As one of the models in the poster campaign, Maya said that ripping the image of a woman dressed in a sexualized American Indian costume was empowering.

“Bringing awareness to cultural appropriation and stereotypes is very important to me. As a descendent of Chief Black Kettle, I’m proud of my culture—I’m proud of what we stand for, who we are and what we have overcome.”

“Diversity matters at Cal State San Marcos,” said CSUSM President Karen Haynes. “Our commitment to diversity is reflected in our University vision and strategic priorities, and we’re proud that, today, our student population mirrors the demographic richness of our region. This engaging poster campaign—the work of so many—serves to foster conversations and reflections on diversity, power and privilege in our society.”

An opening reception, free and open to the public, will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 3 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Kellogg Library Reading Room. Please RSVP to librsvp@csusm.edu. Complimentary parking for the opening reception is available on the sixth floor of the parking structure.

The exhibit will run through Friday, May 22, 2015 and is open during all Library hours.

To assemble its list of the best colleges for Hispanic students, BestColleges.com examined each school's academics, student engagement, HACU (Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities) membership status, percent of Hispanic enrollees and cultural impact. School rankings were compiled using the latest information from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and College Navigator databases, both of which are maintained by the National Center for Education Statistics.

According to the site, CSUSM is “known as an active research school,” and “is the host of the National Latino Research Center, an organization that seeks to promote an understanding of the American Latino/a population through applied research and information exchange.”

Recently the University received the 2014 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award from INSIGHT into Diversity magazine. Since 2010, CSUSM has been recognized as an Hispanic Serving Institution, a designation awarded to institutions having at least a 25 percent Hispanic student population. Today, CSUSM’s enrollment of Hispanic/Latinos is at nearly 40 percent.

“We are proud that this recognition reflects our commitment to fostering a diverse and welcoming campus for everyone,” said CSUSM President Karen Haynes. “At Cal State San Marcos, we know that with greater diversity comes greater knowledge. We learn from each other. We change each other. We challenge each other to look at the world in new ways. And we do so in a manner that is respectful and reflects our shared values and vision.”

For a complete list of the “Top 50 Colleges for Hispanic Students” for 2014, visit www.bestcolleges.com/features/top-50-colleges-for-hispanic-students.

American Indian Heritage Month Kick-Off: Celebration of Song and Dance

Tuesday, Nov. 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the University Student Union

Enjoy a performance by bird singers, drummers and dancers and wear your green Civility T-shirt or learn how to earn your own!

Open House at the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center

Friday, Nov. 7 from noon to 1 p.m. in SBSB 1118

The California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center (CICSC) is a welcoming place for students, faculty, staff and members of all tribal communities. Come out and meet the students and staff of the center, the first of its kind in the state of California, focused on serving the unique needs of American Indian students by conducting original research and preserving the cultural heritage and languages of tribal communities.

American Indian Myth Busters: Ask an American Indian Day

Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center - SBSB 118

Second Annual San Diego American Indian Film Festival

Thursday, Nov. 20 – Saturday, Nov. 22

The San Diego American Indian Film Festival (SDAIFF) is offering audiences in San Diego County the finest work in American Indian film and media on an annual basis. The SDAIFF will highlight the best of current films from American Indian filmmakers, producers, directors, and actors working through Indian Country.

Watch the SDAIFF's promotion reel below and then visit the official website or Facebook page, for more information and tickets. 

"Diversity Awareness Month was established to create greater awareness and understanding of diverse and underrepresented communities, and to develop an appreciation for the diversity that enriches our campus," said Arturo Ocampo, associate vice president for diversity, educational equity and inclusion.

Ocampo adds that while diversity should not be relegated to just one month, focusing on the subject for a targeted period of time allows the university community to refresh its commitment to its values of diversity, educational equity, inclusiveness and social justice.

Diversity Awareness Month will officially kick off on Tuesday, October 7 with a presentation by President of the Morning Star Institute and award-winning Columnist Suzan Shown Harjo, titled “Clasping Hands Across Cultures for Unity and Strength – a Discussion on Cultural Appropriation.” A reception will be held at 5:30 p.m. followed by a lecture at 6:30 p.m. in the University Student Union. The event is free and open to the public. 

For a complete listing of events, visit the CSUSM Diversity Month website: Diversity Awareness Month.

“For the last decade, CSUSM has worked tirelessly to create a diverse and inclusive environment,” said Cal State San Marcos President Karen Haynes. “Half of our student body self-identifies as being from an underrepresented student population. We have been successful at closing the achievement gap because our diversity initiatives help ensure student success and prepare them for a diverse working and civic environment. Diversity doesn’t just happen at CSUSM, diversity happens because we develop strategies, craft initiatives and develop partnerships that ensure diversity is part of everything we do.”

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected Cal State San Marcos based on the institution’s exemplary diversity and inclusion initiatives, and ability to embrace a broad definition of diversity on our campus, including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, as well as all others. Specifically, through CSUSM's Strategic Diversity Plan, the University has institutionalized its strategic priorities for diversity and educational equity. CSUSM is committed to fostering a diverse and open campus environment and has a strategic priority focused on diversity and educational equity.

“We hope the HEED award serves as a way to honor those institutions of higher education that recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion as part of their everyday campus culture,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

For more information about the 2014 HEED award, visit www.insightintodiversity.com. 

About INSIGHT Into Diversity

INSIGHT Into Diversity, celebrating its 40^th year in 2014, is the largest and oldest diversity publication in higher education today. Known for its annual Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, this is the only award recognizing colleges and universities for outstanding diversity and inclusion efforts across campuses. In addition to its online job board, INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine presents timely, thought-provoking news and articles on matters of diversity and inclusion across higher education and beyond. Feature stories include interviews with innovators and experts, and profiles of best practices and model programs. Readers also find career opportunities that connect job seekers with institutions and businesses embracing a diverse and inclusive workforce. Current, archived and digital issues of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine are available online at www.insightintodiversity.com.

Later in the evening, the Communication Department will also present a conversation with scholars titled “Color-Blindness and the Post-Racism Era: The Continuing (In)significance of Race,” from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the Arts Building, room 240. 

“The Whiteness Forum and conversation with scholars are opportunities for us to look critically at ideology and everyday practices of whiteness as a way of understanding racism in the United States,” said Moon.

Both events are free and open to the public.

About the Whiteness Forum

During the event students will present tabletop posters in groups related to some aspect of whiteness and its effects on American society. This year, some of the student forum topics will poke holes in the myth that race has an impact on athletic achievement, analyze how the U.S. criminal justice system has a bias against non-whites, and question how private schools drain resources from public schools.

Attendees are welcome to walk from booth to booth to examine the presentations, many of which will include multi-media elements, and speak directly to the students about their work and their class experience.

About the Conversation with Scholars, “Color-Blindness and the Post-Racism Era: The Continuing (In)significance of Race”

In celebration of the Whiteness Forum’s tenth anniversary, the communication department will also host a special conversation with CSUSM and visiting scholars: Thomas K. Nakayama (Northeastern University), Lisa A. Flores (University of Colorado), Sharon Elise (CSUSM), Vincent Pham (CSUSM) and Dreama Moon (CSUSM).

Facts

Who: CSUSM “Communication 454: Communicating Whiteness” students, Thomas K. Nakayama (Northeastern University), Lisa A. Flores (University of Colorado), Sharon Elise (CSUSM), Vincent Pham (CSUSM) and Dreama Moon (CSUSM)

What: CSUSM’s 10^th Annual Whiteness Forum and Conversation with Scholars

When: The Whiteness Forum will take place on Thursday, Dec. 5 from noon to 2:30 p.m. in the Commons Building, room 206, with the Conversation with Scholars taking place later that evening from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the Arts Building, room 240.

Where: California State University San Marcos, 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd., San Marcos

For more information on parking and directions, visit www.csusm.edu/guide.

Why: The Whiteness Forum is the culminating project of the CSUSM class, “Communication 454: Communicating Whiteness” and seeks to explore race, power and privilege in America.

And in 2009 The Journal of Labor Economics reported that the race of a hiring manager may affect the racial composition of new hires. In other words, Asian, white and Hispanic managers hire more whites and fewer blacks than black managers do. This racial inequity in the U.S. labor market is just one example of the concept of “white privilege,” the unseen and unearned advantages society bestows on those who appear to be of European descent.

At California State University San Marcos, a unique communication course  is empowering students to not only engage in reflections and conversations about enduring racial inequalities such as those found in the job market, but consider how they can be part of a positive culture shift that unravels racism. 

The course known as Communicating Whiteness—now in its 11th year—is taught by Professor Dreama Moon.

“Whiteness studies is an auxiliary to studies of race,” she explained. “But it comes from a different direction, exploring how systems of racial preferences get created and maintained.”

Over the course of the 16-week semester, Moon peels back the layers of white privilege and encourages students to share personal experiences.

“Most students begin this class with no idea of the racial system of inequality that has been crafted in our country from the very beginning,” she said. “It’s earthshaking for a lot of them.”

One student, Nicole Castro, said she went into the first day of class expecting to see whites demonized, but discovered that the course was not about placing blame.

“We are learning about how social power operates in our culture and how each person plays a role whether they realize it or not,” she reflected.

In the class Moon’s objective is to take students on a journey to understand whiteness as a historical, social, political and ideological invention with a long trajectory within the United States. 

Learning about Race and Racism through Personal Experience and Storytelling

“What’s great about this class is that it’s very involved,” said student Dammond Moore. “We hear different stories, views and outlooks from everybody.”

Moon calls week eight “Reflection Week,” and each student is required to think back about a time when they experienced or witnessed racism, analyze what happened and talk about it in front of the class.

“It’s emotionally draining,” said student Fausto Velasquez, “but in a good way.”

Moon acknowledges that class conversations bring a certain level of discomfort to participants depending on how comfortable they are speaking about their own feelings of privilege or power, or how new the ideas are to them.

In the class syllabus, Moon writes, “There is absolutely no way to have a critical discussion of race and whiteness without discomfort. There is absolutely no way to discuss racial realities objectively or without feeling and emotion.” She encourages her students to help each other out and embrace the uneasiness and tension that may bubble to the surface.

Tommy Devers and Lucia Gordon, CSUSM alumni who both have bachelor degrees in communication and master’s degrees in sociological practice, took the course in 2008. They say it was a bonding experience that left an indelible mark on their consciousness.

“I was one of the students that came in a bit more closed-minded,” said Devers. “I didn’t know much about the course going into it, but about halfway through I started opening up. Dr. Moon holds everyone to very high standards. She gets to know every student and she pushes us to examine and then reexamine our beliefs.”

“What is unique about this class is that you are prompted to examine racism not just from a historical perspective but in the current time as well,” reflected Gordon.  “We study how race is ideologically embedded in our daily values and what role we personally play in perpetuating the current system of racism whether we realize it or not. And maybe the hardest part is that the question, ‘What do we do now?’ is asked but never really answered. It’s on each of us to answer that question every day.”

A New Perspective, a New Self-Awareness

Gordon, now a mother to two young children, says that five years after she’s taken the class, she still carries Moon’s lessons with her and tries to impart her new perspectives to family and friends.

“I think about that class every day,” she said. “The energy of that class affects you—it changes you. And when you have a life-changing experience people take notice. It’s impossible to leave what you learn in the classroom—it turns your world upside down and makes you responsible for having this new knowledge. You are forced you to do something with it. I want to raise my children with this new awareness and help make a drastic change in our society.”

“This class really did change me on a personal level,” said Devers, who now works as the tribal youth coordinator for the Pauma Band of Mission Indians. He says he carries the lessons with him in his interactions with students on the reservation. 

“Every fall semester for the last decade, 40 students have taken this class and come out of it with new perspectives and new self-awareness that they are empowered to pass on,” he reflected. “I think that’s pretty cool.”Tenth Annual Whiteness Open Forum and Conversation with Scholars, Dec. 5

Moon’s course culminates in the Whiteness Forum, held this year on Thursday, Dec. 5 from noon to 2:30 p.m. in Commons 206. During the event, students present tabletop posters in groups related to some aspect of whiteness and its effects on American society. The forum is free and open to the public. 

This year student forum topics will poke holes in the myth that race has an impact on athletic achievement, question a possible bias against non-whites in the U.S. criminal justice system, and ask if private schools drain resources from public schools in low-income communities.

In celebration of the Whiteness Forum’s 10th anniversary, the Communication Department will also welcome two visiting scholars, Thomas K. Nakayama from Northeastern University and Lisa A. Flores from the University of Colorado, to campus after the forum for a conversatio titled, “Color-Blindness and the Post-Racism Era: the Continuing (In)significance of Race” at 5:30 p.m. in the Arts Building, room 240. CSUSM professors Sharon Elise (sociology) and Vincent Pham (communication) will also participate.

For more information on the 10th Annual Whiteness Forum, contact Debbie Andrews, 760-750-8048.