Cultivating Community Series: Finding ways to use creativity to create inclusive spaces.

On Tuesday, Feb. 7, Chief Diversity Officer Robbie Routenberg and professor of communication Meredith Harrigan hosted the Cultivating Community Series, an opportunity for students to discuss diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) on campus. According to the SUNY Geneseo website students and faculty gathered to discuss “What does equity-centeredness look like, sound like, or feel like to you?” 

Harrigan said in an email, the “Cultivating Community is a dialogue series that seeks to foster connection through talking and listening about topics related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.”

The series wanted to focus on ways for students to visually represent what equity might look like. According to the Geneseo website, “Participants will be challenged to imagine how others’ artistically expressed visions of equity-centeredness can be transformed into climate-bettering practices. Participants who are comfortable and interested in drawing, doodling, dancing, describing, or expressing in some other form their visions of equity-centeredness will be welcome to do so.” 

“This spring we are leaning into the College’s value of creativity and our newly claimed vision as community members to consider what it means to be equity-centered at Geneseo,” said Harrigan. “Our goals are (a) to continue to talk about how we can transform the lessons we learned from the student climate study into actions that will better our community and (b) to think more deeply about what equity-centeredness means to members of the SUNY Geneseo community.”

After the most recent campus-climate survey, which demonstrated a distinct lack of the feeling of belonging on campus, Geneseo has been looking for ways to increase students’ comfort on campus. In an email, routenberg said, “Campus climate refers to the overall experience of safety and belonging for all members of our community.”

“When I think about climate, I think about the social tone of relationships. In other words, how people feel in a social environment” says Harrigan. Creating inclusive spaces where students feel welcome on campus, increases student happiness and success. “I believe that respectful, supportive, and affirming climates support belonging, which, in turn, can contribute to happiness, motivation, success, and well-being.”

routenberg added, “Fostering a positive campus climate relies on all of us doing our part. I encourage everyone to consider ways to identify and unlearn implicit biases, notice and reflect on ways that they make others feel within our community, and consider ways to productively intervene in the presence of microaggressions and other biased behaviors that inhibit a positive campus climate. By all of us engaging thoughtfully in these questions, we can collectively improve our campus climate.”

Students can be proactive about supporting DEI on campus in various ways. Firstly, there will be another Cultivating Community dialogue on Apr. 5, 2:30-3:45 pm in the College Union Ballroom. 

In addition, Harrigan suggests taking classes that focus on DEI or related issues: “Consider taking coursework, which includes DEI content such as XLRN 150 (Foundations of Social Identity), 250 (Intergroup Dialogue), or 350 (Dialogue Facilitation).” These courses are designed to help prepare students to be mindful of identities that have an effect on privilege and oppression, and start dialogues about diversity with an inclusive mindset. 

Students can also become a Diversity and Inclusion Community Educator (DICE), which is a group of students who hold peer-led workshops centered on DEIB. More information about becoming a DICE can be found on the SUNY Geneseo DEI webpage. 

Lastly, students should look out for department-specific events and opportunities such as the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility (IDEA) Committee within the communications department.