Celebrating Diversity

Building a climate of inclusion that fosters awareness and active thinking

» The Hispanic Cultural Center sponsored two highly attended art exhibits from Teacher Discovery Traveling Exhibits — Frida Kahlo during Women’s History Month and Diego Rivera during the HCC graduation recognition ceremony week. Both exhibits were featured in the Jenkins Gallery in the Morgan University Center.

» The Achievers and Scholars African-American male mentoring program had 26 active members and eight mentors during the fall semester. Participants attended the Black Issues Conference at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in the spring. There were four program participants who graduated this year, and 10 participants earned a 3.0 cumulative GPA. The mentoring program is coordinated by the Wilbur N. Daniel African American Cultural Center.

» Brown Bag/Critical Conversations, a collaborative series of programs between Fraternity & Sorority Affairs, African American Studies, Women and Gender Studies and the Wilbur N. Daniel African American Cultural Center, brought students together to have conversations about topics such as “Is it OK to talk about gun violence now?”, “To kneel or not to kneel?” and “#MeToo and sexual assault, harassment and victimization.”

» The Adult & Nontraditional Student Center added “transfer” to its mission, becoming the Adult, Nontraditional & Transfer Student Center in the spring. The center welcomed 2,851 students and visitors during the fall semester and 2,258 in the spring.

» University Recreation hosted a new adaptive recreation initiative, Goal Ball, which is a paraolympic team sport designed for blind athletes where teams of three try to sneak a ball embedded with bells past their opponents into a goal. Team members wear blindfolds and must rely on the sound of the bells to judge position and movement of the ball. Team members do not have to be visually impaired to participate.

» University Recreation received approval to launch the Austin Peay Chapter of Team River Runner (TRR), a volunteer-driven, national nonprofit organization offering healing veterans an opportunity to regain independence with an adventurous, adaptive paddle sports program. The program is funded through a grant from Veterans Affairs and included several thousand dollars to assist the new chapter with start-up. The partnership provided University Recreation with new white-water kayaks and related equipment. The department will offer paddling trips and workshops for veterans and community members at least every other week. The free program is available to assist current military and veterans at APSU and the community. By establishing the Austin Peay chapter, University Recreation was also able to assist the Fort Campbell TRR chapter to begin offering this program for the Warrior Transition Battalion (WTB). The WTB serves as a rehabilitation program for active duty soldiers.

» The Military Student Center offered 29 programs over the year with nearly 1,100 students attending along with nearly 400 guests. Programs covered such topics as career and resume assistance, employment workshops and working with Veterans Affairs and Financial Aid, among others.

» David Sanford, assistive technology coordinator for the Office of Student Disability Resource Center, served as the 2017-18 TN AHEAD Board Communications chair. Tennessee AHEAD is a state affiliate of the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), the professional association committed to full participation of persons with disabilities in postsecondary education.

» VetSuccess on Campus sponsored “Showcasing our Veterans: Art Exhibition & Information Fair,” on Nov. 9. The exhibit featured the creative works of veterans, soldiers and military family members. Visitors also learned about APSU and the University’s military resources. The exhibit was part of several University events during the month in honor of the men and women who have served this country.

» Marcelius Braxton, J.D., director of the Wilbur N. Daniel African American Cultural Center, presented “How Intersections of Identity Within the African American Cultural Center Broke Down Barriors” at the Northern Kentucky University Regional Black Student Symposium in Highland Heights, Kentucky. Braxton also presented at the Tennessee Association for Student Success and Retention Annual Conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

» William Cody, Coast Guard veteran and senior history major, presented the Military Student Center with the Coast Guard seal. The center now has all five branches of the military represented in the department.

» The Hispanic Cultural Center hosted a Day of the Dead Art Exhibit and Alter Display. The program was offered to explain the meaning and purpose of the Mexican tradition.

» At each “Cupcakes and Canvas” program, students painted a canvas to match the theme of the evening. Themes such as Dia de Muertos, Military Appreciation and LGBTQ+ were aimed at increasing awareness. The events were a collaboration between the Adult, Nontraditional & Transfer Center and the Wilbur N. Daniel African American Cultural Center. Participants enjoyed cupcakes while painting and discussing the topics. The first two events were so popular there was a wait list to attend.

» Over 250 students took advantage of the Office of Student Disability Resource Center’ Alternative Format Program, which provides an alternative method to reading and interacting with textbooks such as electronic copies. The program allows students registered with ODS improved access to learning materials.

» The All State student newspaper staff completed both Green Zone and Safe Zone trainings as part of fall staff training week. Students recalled what they learned in both trainings while reporting on topics relating to the LGBTQ and military-affiliated communities. It was the first time the staff completed these training opportunities.

» The Military Student Center facilitated six Green Zone trainings during the fall with 61 participants. Green Zone training is designed to give students a way to recognize staff and faculty who have been trained to be a resource and ally for student veterans and active duty service members.

» Jasmin Linares, coordinator of the Military Student Center, collaborated with Patrick Armstrong, coordinator of Student Publications and Marketing, to create a new marketing logo to promote support of APSU military-affiliated students. The design, “Supporting You,”  earned Armstrong a silver ranking at the Tennessee College Public Relations Association for Best Illustration. This logo is placed in areas across campus and used in email signatures.