Role of Student Affairs in supporting Diversity

Student affairs professionals play a key role in creating a warm and welcoming climate
on campus. They are in closest proximity to students. These professionals engage with students
with different social identities and from diverse backgrounds. As a result, these professionals are
well-positioned to help orient students around campus and help them make meaning of their
experiences. They have an option to encourage and support those who feel that they lack power.
It is recommended that all student affairs professionals have knowledge of diversity so that they
can be in a position to offer holistic support to all students. Through listening and learning,
student affairs professionals can explore and learn about communities with which they are less
familiar (Schuh et al., 2017). They can learn about the experiences of marginalized communities
by interacting with students from such backgrounds on a personal level. Student affairs
professionals can facilitate engagement across diverse student populations around campus. They
can do this to ensure that students are open towards diversity and that they appreciate multiple
perspectives. Even though some students and student affairs professionals may be reluctant to
take part in such discussions for fear of being attacked, conflicting with others, or feeling
vulnerable.
Discussion question
What strategies can student affairs professionals implement to ensure that engagement across
diverse student communities are successful and that all parties feel appreciated and valued?

References

Schuh, J. H., Jones, S. R., & Torres, V. (Eds.) (2017). Student services: A handbookfor the
profession (6th ed.). Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com