The University isn’t the only institution that has made diversity objectives a top priority in recent years.
Oregon State University has started sponsoring diversity development retreats, which offer students the opportunity to explore different cultures as well as their own. This weekend, for the first time, University of Oregon students will also participate in this journey.
About 50 students from both universities will depart at 3 p.m. today from Corvallis and Eugene to stay at Camp Lutherwood in Cheshire, Ore., until Sunday.
Facilitators and group leaders will conduct small discussions, large discussions and activities that focus on issues involving class differences, racism, sexism, power and privilege.
Cessa Heard-Johnson, coordinator of the Oregon State University student involvement office, said the main idea of the retreat is for people to explore their own cultural identities and develop ways to appreciate other cultures.
“The retreat will help all students to build bridges across their differences and figure out ways to build allies between groups,” she said.
At the campground, students will partake in experiential exercises that aim to broaden their perspectives on diversity topics.
Heard-Johnson mentioned one activity that will demonstrate class differences. Facilitators will host a dinner and give 10 percent of the group a full-course meal, 30 percent of the group a “middle-class” meal on paper plates and the rest of the students rice and water. She said these exercises are meant to give students better insight on other groups’ viewpoints and teach them how people’s differences influence relationships.
Linda Liu, advising coordinator at the Office of Multicultural Affairs and a retreat facilitator, said she and some of the retreat leaders have practiced a few of these activities in the last week.
“They have made me see how people perceive me and how differently I perceive myself,” she said. “You have privileges you don’t know you have.”
Oregon State’s first retreat was in January. Heard-Johnson said Oregon State plans to have at least two diversity retreats a year, with plans to organize another in April. She emphasized that the retreat is open to all students regardless of ethnicity, class or sexual orientation.
Heard-Johnson added that the first retreat was successful and many students came back and continued to be involved in diversity efforts. She said almost 75 percent of the participants from the first retreat are returning as facilitators for the second one.
Mark Tracy, assistant dean for diversity programs, said students who go on the retreat have a high potential to return home and apply what they learned to the world they live in.
“The retreat will attempt to empower students to come back and make changes around issues around diversity on their respective campuses,” he said.