The OU Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion released its monthly Diversity on Campus newsletter Wednesday, honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and announcing changes to DEI, including a new DEI program aimed at supporting neurodivergent students.
The report comes just weeks after Gov. Kevin Stitt signed his December executive order targeting DEI programs in universities. The order, among other stipulations, prohibits state agencies and institutions for higher education from using state funds, property or resources to grant or support DEI positions, departments and programs "to the extent that they grant preferential treatment based on one person's race, color, sex, ethnicity or national origin over another's."
Last week, OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. told the Vice President's Advisory Council, a group of student leaders, that no staff would be terminated as a result of Stitt's executive order but that the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, as well as other DEI offices and roles, will change their names.
Harroz and Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students David Surratt also confirmed that OU is reviewing its DEI offices, programs, trainings, activities and other related departments. The order requires universities and state agencies to be in compliance with the executive order by May 31.
"We are at a crossroads. Some see this as a season of doom and gloom, while others see this as a time of challenge and opportunity," Belinda Higgs Hyppolite, vice president for Diversity and Inclusion and chief diversity officer at OU, wrote in the newsletter.
"I hope we will continue to create paths for our community to stand together united and that we will continue to listen to each other and create intentional spaces for being together. We must find a way to manage our differences without discarding people and encourage each other to persevere even when the path is uncharted or seems riddled with pitfalls," Higgs Hyppolite wrote.
ADRC
In the newsletter, the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center, or ADRC, announced a new program geared toward supporting neurodivergent students at OU. The program, Support Program for Individuals identifying as Neurodivergent or SPIN @ OU, offers check-in meetings to work on student-identified goals for academic and life skills development and provides hands-on academic support.
Additionally, the program helps students connect to other campus support programs, tutoring services and accommodations support.
SPIN @ OU is free for the 2023-24 academic year. To enroll, students must submit documentation that has been written or compiled by a qualified provider. If a student has documentation on file with the ADRC, this documentation may already meet this requirement for enrollment. Registration with the ADRC is not required for enrollment in SPIN @ OU.
The ADRC also introduced its new Assistant Director of Student Support Diana C. Awuor. As assistant director of student support, Awuor will assist in supporting the day-to-day operations of the ADRC, serving students with disabilities with needs for academic access, testing and housing accommodations.
Honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the Price College of Business Gary Jones honored the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in this month's Diversity on Campus newsletter following Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 15.
Jones described the day King gave his renowned "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington in 1963, pointing to the moment's spontaneity as King — following the advice of Mahalia Jackson, who on stage whispered to King, "Tell them about the dream!" — broke away from his prepared manuscript to recite a portion of the speech that had been omitted.
"The reality is that what would become known as one of the greatest speeches ever given, in any corner of humanity, was the result of King going off script," Jones wrote.
"As we celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I want to encourage you to have the courage to "go off script" if you need to. Have the courage to stand when others won’t. Have the courage to be spontaneous when life presents you with the opportunity to do so for a greater purpose. Have the willingness to trust that you are doing what’s right, even when it’s not what’s popular. May you find ways today to serve others, love everyone and advocate for the voiceless," Jones wrote.
Higgs Hyppolite also honored King in her letter, quoting a line from one of King's sermons in his book Strength to Love: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
"Each generation is presented with choices and opportunities to leave its mark on history. I know that OU’s story is still being written," Higgs Hyppolite wrote in the letter. "Let’s work together to lay a strong foundation for today and for future generations."
Other announcements
Applications are open for the OU McNair Scholars Program, which offers graduate school preparation, including a mentor-guided research experience, conference presentation opportunities, scholarly networks and graduate application guidance.
The OU Community Health Alliance announced this year's keynote speaker for the Bridges to Access: Health Care and Policy Conference will be Cindy Nguyen, the policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union Oklahoma. The conference, which will showcase leaders in medicine, health care policy stewardship and the surrounding community, will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 10 in the Nicholson Tower at the OU Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City.
The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion released its July 2022-June 2023 annual report, which recaps workshops, outreach and engagement efforts, highlights statistics from the TRIO Center and ADRC Center, and notes ways the division pushed for DEI in the past year.
This story was edited by Peggy Dodd and Anusha Fathepure. Kylie Caldwell and Grace Rhodes copy edited this story.
