DIGITAL GCU Today AUG issue

GCU MAGAZ I NE • 1 9 they have an area of concern, a comment or a thought or just need a place to hang out and have a conversation,” Mack said. “It provides a physical space and a phone number. It connects students with the resources that already exist or creates resources that need to exist.” Numerous programs already existed. “We had a history. There was this component to the student experience that addressed and celebrated and affirmed the minority groups across the campus. From my vantage point, it was a wonderful thing to see unfold,” said Dr. Tim Griffin, Pastor and Dean of Students. “But it’s OK to think through and take a step back and say, ‘Can we add some components to make this better?’ I think that theme has been played out in the development of the Diversity Office.” One of the activities organized by the Diversity Office last spring was a speaker series with top-level, career-oriented topics, such as “Turning Your Vision into a Business,” “Pathways to Medical School” and “Pathways to Law School.” Diverse members from the Phoenix area were brought in to share their stories and give students a glimpse of what that option might look like. ASGCU staged Human Library, where a wide variety of students shared details of their backgrounds and broke down the walls of stereotypes, and Diversity Speaks, a series of talks about important topics related to the subject. There was a full week of diversity activities, with each day devoted to a different ethnic group, as well as a one-day Cultural Fest that featured various types of dance. “After this I looked, and there beforemewas a great multitude that no one could count, fromevery nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” – Revelation 7:9 B ut perhaps there is no better example of how diversity plays out on campus than the African Student Association, which meets every other week. When it was formed two years ago, advisor Ruth Nsubaga stressed to the students that she wanted it to be more than a social club – she wanted them to gain new knowledge, learn new skills. They eagerly agreed. For the first semester, that means bringing in outside speakers. The students become the speakers in the spring semester, sharing about their cultures. “The cool thing about our club is that it’s not generally just African students – they can bring their friends,” she said. “All these different people are learning about all these different cultures. They’ve learned a lot of basic concepts about how to engage with each other and how to engage in conversation because there will be disagreements.” And when they don’t see eye-to-eye, Nsubaga reins them in by reminding them of their Christian worldview and by practicing the Stephen Covey principles she espouses. “I need everyone to live out biblical principles and then the ‘Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ and I think we’ll be fine,” she tells them. None of this would be possible without a student population that is on board with the importance of listening. “Our students have embraced the diversity,” Mueller said. “We have all socio-economic classes represented and so many different racial and ethnic groups are represented, and yet when people walk through our campus, the most frequent comment we get from families is the students are kind, they’re considerate, they’re respectful, people seem happy here, we want our son or daughter involved in this kind of environment. “Not only is it diverse; diversity has happened organically, which means it’s sustainable but is producing a very healthy culture.” Students will get a taste of that culture right from the start of WelcomeWeek. ASGCU President NoahWolfe is determined to see to that. “We want people to know that the minute they drive onto this campus and get out of their car, that they are part of the family, that we care about them and that they are valued regardless of who they are,” he said. “We’re going to give them incredible Lope treatment.” That’s the kind of treatment Farmer- Thompson was talking about when she referenced the foundational piece for GCU’s diversity efforts. Her final thoughts on the matter delved even deeper: “When I think about spirituality and the conversations we have had around diversity, for GCU these are inextricably linked. Dating back decades, we have always been mission minded and mission driven, which has resulted in a very diverse campus and team of people working here. Being united and being diverse is who we are. “Many people miss the obvious: We have lived out our Christian beliefs and values through efforts that have truly transformed the lives of our students, staff, faculty and community. That is the truest and most effective way an organization can demonstrate diversity.” Tim Jones Ruth Nsubaga