The Office of Diversity and Social Justice is the hub for cultural and identity exploration at ODU. Our programming prompts self-examination and intentional reflection that assists students in their pursuit of purpose and discovery of passion.
Three main values guide our programming efforts:
Self-Awareness
We believe that developing cultural empathy requires an in-depth understanding of one’s own culture, biases, assumptions, and worldview (Pope, Reynolds, & Mueller, 2004). Office programming helps student identify these factors and discover how they impact their interactions with others.
Intersectionality
We value intersectionality because it directly supports ODU’s efforts to serve students holistically. The office encourages students to examine their intersecting social and cultural identities (e.g., race, ethnicity, and religion) and how these identities inform their perceptions, expectations, and worldview.
Intercultural Understanding
Our programming is designed to help students develop an understanding of cultural difference in ways that will enable them to interact effectively with others from different racial, ethnic, or social identities.