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Workshop Explores Issues of Race
Special to The Truth
The Lourdes University Office of Diversity and Multicultural
Services is offering a workshop about diversity and
inclusion on Monday, April 27, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. in
St. Joseph Hall Room 110 at 6832 Convent Blvd., in Sylvania.
The workshop, “Let’s Talk: Exploring Issues of Race and
Other Differences at Lourdes University,” is open to
students, faculty and staff. Facilitator of the workshop is
Dionardo Pizaña, diversity and personnel specialist
for Michigan State University Extension.
Dionardo Pizaña has over 25 years of experience developing,
teaching, and facilitating diversity education programs
through Michigan State University Extension, Adrian College,
and Siena Heights University. He is a nationally-recognized,
multicultural consultant, speaker and trainer. His work as
an activist and educator is grounded in his conviction that
deep and lasting institutional change requires an equally
strong commitment to “working on oneself” while nurturing
authentic relationships across the difference.
“The Lourdes workshop explores issues of power, oppression,
privilege and change at four levels - personal,
interpersonal, institutional and cultural. Issues of race
and other differences are daily occurrences in our lives and
on college campuses. Turning on the nightly news, reading
the daily newspaper or interacting with other social media
provides us with vivid examples of discrimination,
prejudice, harassment and other forms of fear or hatred
based on differences related to race, gender, sexual
orientation, disabilities, and other differences,” says
Tonya Colbert, coordinator of the Lourdes University
Office of Diversity and Multicultural Services.
“It is important to offer these types of educational
opportunities and to learn across our differences and
realities. Seldom are there opportunities to dialogue, in a
constructive manner, on ways that these issues are impacting
all of us and what we might be able to do at the personal,
interpersonal, institutional or cultural levels,” adds
Monica Smith, multicultural assistant for student life.
The Lourdes University Office of Diversity and Multicultural
Services fosters an understanding of cultural and human
differences so all members of the Lourdes community feel
honored, valued and respected within their unique cultural
frameworks. Committed to justice and social change, the
goals of the office are to enhance students’ understanding
of their own culture, heritage and identities as well as
those of others; and to provide opportunities for
interactions, exchange of ideas and reflection.
The workshop is made possible by an Ohio Foundation of
Independent Colleges grant by Libbey Inc. that was awarded
to the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Services. The
Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges solicits financial
support from corporations, foundations and other donors and
distributes those funds to member colleges and universities
for educational programs, scholarships and collaborative
efforts.
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