91射区

By Maggie Nicol 鈥�25

Nourishing an inclusive campus culture where everyone feels welcome and accepted is essential to a healthy 91射区 community. This year, the university received the Advancing Campus Pluralism grant from Interfaith America to facilitate more opportunities to bring individuals of different social, cultural, racial, religious, and ideological communities together. 

With this grant funding, Interfaith America wants colleges and universities to help communities to bridge divides and maintain a common life together.  

鈥淏y stepping outside of their usual environments, (91射区) students can discover new perspectives, expand their spiritual horizons, and deepen their sense of empathy and community. I believe this initiative will create a more inclusive and diverse spiritual life on campus, where students feel empowered to explore and express their beliefs, while also respecting the spiritual journeys of others,鈥� said political science major Joshua Goshay 鈥�27. 

During fall semester, 91射区鈥檚 new Pluralism Collaborative invited students to apply to be Pluralism Collaborative fellows. Applicants who are accepted will attend trainings, develop cross-affinity campus events, and work toward cultivating a welcoming campus environment. 

“Every student organization and every student on campus can apply to be fellows. The key is that the fellows must identify with two affinity groups. These could be two student organizations or two different classrooms of students that come together and are learning things from different perspectives. We don鈥檛 know how it鈥檚 going to evolve yet; it鈥檚 going to depend on our student body to define this program,鈥� said Dean of Student Engagement Melissa Gilbert.听听

To help shape the program, the Pluralism Collaborative is working with the Department of Philosophy and Religion to develop educational materials that will inform both students and faculty about the grant鈥檚 potential and its benefits. 

鈥淲e have faculty and staff volunteers in place to help provide education and encouragement,鈥� said Bill Fox, vice president for student affairs.听听

The campus community can expect to see a robust offering of events from the Pluralism Collaborative. 鈥淭he grant will fund four inter-group, student-led, community-building events this year. We will also co-sponsor a series of events called, A Taste of Faith: Exploring Religious Diversity Through Culinary Traditions,鈥� Fox said.

If you are interested in working with the Pluralism Collaborative on this important campus initiative, contact Melissa Gilbert at mgilbert@otterbein.edu.