Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

This post is part of “Hard to Hate Up Close: My Journey,” a blog series organized by Penn State World Campus Student Affairs. The goal of blog posts like this is to provide a platform for the Penn State World Campus community of students, faculty, and staff to see one another, appreciate our differences, and discover common ground.

You can now listen to the latest episode of “Conversations with Student Affairs,” the podcast managed by the Student Affairs team at Penn State World Campus in collaboration with our many colleagues and partners across the University’s Student Affairs teams.

Enter your submission now for this new series We invite Penn State students to participate in the new blog series, “Hard to Hate Up Close: My Journey,” which we hope will serve as a platform for us to better see one another and discover common ground. We encourage you to offer a glimpse into who…

People commonly commit microaggressions without even realizing it. If you have been called out for committing a microaggression, that doesn’t mean you are a horrible person. But it does mean you should take the opportunity to reflect on your actions and consider how your words (and the thinking behind them) affect — and may hurt…

I wanted to start this post by saying something like, “I’ve always been confident in who I am and very opinionated.” But in reality, that’s not true. It wasn’t until my senior year of college that I really started to understand who I was and be able to express it. Coming out did that for…

As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, I want to share an idea: challenge yourself to discover at least three new things about this rich, beautiful, complex culture. Whether you’re already familiar with these topics or learning about them for the first time, you are sure to broaden your perspective and find inspiration beyond what you…

Penn State World Campus students now have an opportunity to connect with peers who share common identity-related experiences, backgrounds, and concerns.
On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday. Juneteenth refers to June 19, 1865, the date that Major General Gordon Granger, who fought for the Union, informed slaves in Galveston, Texas, that they had been freed. This is despite many history books leading us to believe all slaves…

As I reflect on Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, I’d like to share an experience that enriched not only my college experience, but my life in general. My first year at the Penn State University Park campus was a bit nerve-wracking in many ways, one of which was adjusting from life as an only child…

Denita Wright Watson recently joined the Penn State World Campus Student Affairs team. Hear from this lifelong Penn Stater about her previous experiences, her dedication to her work, and more. What was your background before you took on this role? Prior to taking on my new role, I had 25 years of experience in education…