The University of Mississippi has announced that it will open the Center for Inclusion and Cross-Cultural Engagement on campus this fall. The center will be temporarily housed in Stewart Hall and will then move to the renovated Ole Miss Student Union. It will provide programs and services that encourage cross-cultural interactions while serving as a “safe space” that is welcoming and nurturing to all students.
In orientation, we tell incoming students that the University of Mississippi is a place with boundless diversity, one where they can experience a global society, and a place where everyone speaks,” said Valeria Ross, associate dean of students. “The center will be one of the major venues on our campus that will facilitate cross-cultural dialogue and intercultural communication for our community.”
The new center will be under the direction of Shawnboda Mead. She was the associate director of diversity and multicultural education at the University of Tennessee. “My desire is to expand the concept of diversity and inclusion within the university community,” Mead said. “As director, I welcome the opportunity to proactively address the challenges that students of color, LGBTQ students and other underrepresented populations face on campus.”
