Diversity at SUNY Plattsburgh

Diversity at SUNY Plattsburgh

Imagine that moment when you see someone or something different, followed by wanting to experience that difference, by getting to know the difference so that it isn't something fearful.

Think about touching that difference or getting close enough to it to realize that though it is different, it is also somehow familiar. Perhaps it is similar to someone or something that you already know. Now you're connecting to what we mean by diversity.

Read SUNY Plattsburgh's Comprehensive Diversity Plan

We find diversity reflected in the eyes of "the other."

We observe it in the countless songs of the world, in the laughter abounding in different dialects and languages, in professors constructing conversations that empower students to educate one another, in student organizations that break down the walls of difference, in everyone helping their neighbor, in everyone respecting the stranger.

At Plattsburgh, diversity is me, you, everyone!

5 Reasons to Care About Diversity

• Preparation for your future. At Plattsburgh State, we embrace a responsibility to educate all of our students about diversity because it helps prepare them for leadership roles in a global society.
• Understanding the issues increases your chances for success. It's a telling fact that over 50 percent of U.S. businesses and universities have some type of diversity initiative taking place. Not having an understanding of one of the most significant initiatives in businesses and universities can severely inhibit your chances at success.
• It's downright fun. Diversity celebrations at Plattsburgh State will likely be some of the most engaging "intellectual parties" you will ever attend in your college days.
• Do it for the kids. If you are considering children in your future, what do you think their "life reality" will be? Tough to know. Learning about diversity is an invaluable opportunity for you to prepare for the uncertainty of their future and yours.
• Do it for yourself. In the final analysis, diversity is not simply a celebration of the other. Diversity is a celebration of you. Think about it: all of us are "the other" to someone. Constructive conversations about diversity ultimately become personal and professional conversations about ourselves.

The Center for Diversity, Pluralism and Inclusion (CDPI)

Everyone travels through life with baggage from his or her previous experiences. Conceptions and misconceptions, dispositions for or against things, skills learned and the potential to learn new ones - these are a few examples.

College students are no exception.

Their baggage contains essentials that will assist them in college and throughout life, as well as some items which may have served their purpose or probably should never have been put in the bags in the first place. Sorting the wanted from the unwanted is not an easy process.

That's where the Center for Diversity, Pluralism and Inclusion (CDPI) can help.

Contact Information

If you are interested in learning more about promoting diversity at Plattsburgh State, please contact:

J.W. Wiley, Director of Center For Diversity, Pluralism and Inclusion (CDPI)
Office Location: Kehoe 610
Phone: (518) 564-5410
E-mail: diversity@plattsburgh.edu