Purposeful | Open | Just | Disciplined | Caring | Celebrative | Suggestions
Some interviewees had stories to share regarding the affirmation of individual dignity. Interviewees felt the Division of Student Affairs has in general been committed to justness.
"Collectively and individually, it's so important that we recognize that our community is made up of individuals and that individuals are unique and special. We are compelled to respect where the equality of opportunity is, that all people have access and that there is a sense of affirmation for those individuals having access to all the resources they need to do a job well. One thing that demonstrates justness is the establishment of the Queer Resource Center (QRC). Here we have been supporting and working to develop our cultural centers and here we have a group of students that became more organized and the university supported that... It has created controversy but what I felt was great that when there was a sleepover in the quad for the QRC and an incident occurred, there was a immense amount of support that came back to that group and was followed through with due process."
"Out of the diversity initiative came the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) which has provided people from any walk of life, social group, ethnic group, or position in the organization, an opportunity to step out and take leadership to participate in activities and learning. That's a really powerful step. That's an example of how creative energy in the Compact still exists. People are organizing around meaningful work to create a just environment."
"Student Involvement has vigorously pursued justness in supporting the QRC and cultural centers. We have reached out to groups and acted as a buffer between conflicting student groups by not rejecting student groups. Staff members have made connections with groups even if they didn't agree with them personally."
Some individuals acknowledged that there is still significant room for learning about how to include all individuals when aspiring to create opportunities. In any organization as large as the Division of Student Affairs there are bound to be individuals that feel that their dignity has been compromised. Some people felt that their departments have been less than diligent in pursuing justness.
"Sometimes our dignity is not affirmed. I don't know if it is as vigorously pursued as much as I would like to see. People are not always activists here."
"We need to create feelings of respect for each other and it needs to acted out in a more agency kind of way. Even when things have been negative we have done a good job taking care of students that need our services. We need to do better job of taking care of each other and ourselves."
