Advising Commons Diversity Statement
Advising Commons at Montana State University strives to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for students, staff, faculty, and community members as a part of Montana State University’s land-grant mission. We are dedicated to supporting students from underserved and underrepresented groups and we believe that every person deserves a safe working, learning, and living environment. At the heart of our commitment to creating a vibrant and welcoming culture, we expect and respect diversity. Through active listening we commit to recognizing and understanding students intersecting identities and positionality to better support students’ unique and diverse individual needs. We believe this is an ongoing and evolving process to continue to better serve our students and prepare them to be successful in a diverse world. We intentionally continue to engage in ongoing dialogue so that we are prepared to thoughtfully respond to the evolving needs of our students.
Advising Commons would like to share the following resources as a starting point to support MSU community members on their own journey in learning, self-reflection, discussion, and processing related to diversity.
Trainings
Diversity Development Certificate Program – The Diversity Development Certificate offers a series of training courses to students, staff, and faculty to expand their awareness, knowledge, and skills related to diversity and inclusion.
https://www.montana.edu/diversity/resources/training/training.html
Indian Education for All in Montana for One MUS – This course is one part of an overall effort to ensure that every member of our MUS team is engaged in conversations around the Montana Constitutional mandate that “every Montanan, whether Indian, or non-Indian, be encouraged to learn about the distinct and unique heritage of American Indians in a culturally responsive manner.”
Safe Zone Trainings – The Safe Zone Program is a joint effort between the Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons and Counseling and Psychological Services to deliver educational trainings and increase awareness of LGBTQ+ identity and allyship.
https://www.montana.edu/safezone/
Crucial Conversations – Professional Development and Training at MSU provides a 10-lesson in-person training course title Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue
https://www.montana.edu/hr/development/crucialconversations/
Support and Resources on Campus
Diversity and Inclusion at MSU – A variety of resources for students, staff, and faculty provided by the Office Diversity and Inclusion at MSU.
https://www.montana.edu/diversity/resources/
Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons (DISC) - The Diversity and Inclusion Student commons is a physical and intellectual space on campus that promotes cultural and community convergence.
https://www.montana.edu/studentdiversity/
MSU TRIO Student Support Services (TRIO SSS) - The MSU TRIO SSS program is committed to supporting low income, first generation, and/or disabled students at MSU through a collection of innovative programs and services to personalize academic success and career planning.
https://www.montana.edu/triosss/
Office of Institutional Equity – The Office of Institutional Equity is committed to supporting, promoting, and building an inclusive and culturally diverse campus environment to serve faculty, staff, and students by supporting Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action.