For many college-educated adults, their alma mater is where they have felt most at home in their lives. It is the place where they discovered lifelong friends, learned lessons to guide their lives, and started their careers. But if a campus does not feel safe to someone for any reason, that sense of pride and love is harder to come by.
McDaniel College is focused on all dimensions of wellness for students, which includes every individual’s right to a sense of safety and security. Whether through efforts in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ), access to mental health support, or the overall safety of the campus and the city just outside of it, the college aims to cultivate a community of care where each student, employee, alum, and friend feels safe and welcome.
Over the course of the 2022-23 academic year, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) hosted or co-hosted nearly 60 events on campus, including community meals, tabling events, guest speakers, and movie and book discussions:
• The ODEI Book Series transitioned into a DEIJ learning community with 40-70 participants each semester.
• The Cultural Speaker Series brought four leaders to campus to share about their cultural backgrounds and identities. Featured topics included Hispanic/Latinx heritage; LGBTQ+ rights, disability justice, and fatphobia; Native American heritage; and autism and neurodiversity.
• The office refocused on support for faith and religious communities throughout the year. Interfaith celebrations featured faith-based clubs and organizations and invited faith leaders from the surrounding community to join.
In March 2023, Felicia Ellzy joined the college as the new director of the ODEI. She comes to McDaniel from Bloomsburg University where she held DEIJ trainings, led the alumni association, and created initiatives to promote inclusivity. At McDaniel, she focuses on supporting the college’s diverse community.