Equity & Student Engagement is committed to creating safe and inclusive settings for all students and staff. The Mission of fostering social justice through respect, equity and compassion creates a welcoming environment for all identities, as well as sets the standard for training and programmatic efforts. During the course of the year, Equity & Student Engagement provides challenging training and development opportunities to students, staff, and campus partners. Community efforts include programming within the dorms, working closely with our campus Cultural and Resource Centers, and collaborating with the city of Tucson on service learning opportunities. By focusing largely on the UArizona student body, the Equity & Student Engagement team strives to actively find ways to bridge gaps between the residential and commuter communities, in hopes of creating a more holistic campus.
Equity & Student Engagement, the Dean of Students Office, and Housing & Residential Life acknowledge their presence on Tohono O'odham land. By paying tribute to the 22 Indigenous tribes of the state of Arizona, Equity & Student Engagement commits itself to honoring and respecting the foundations and traditions of said nations.
In these extremely trying and painful times, Housing & Residential Life affirms its commitment to diversity and inclusion. We believe that Black lives matter and acknowledge the ways racial inequities exist in our communities. We are here to support residents and staff as we all take a strong stand against racism and oppression so that we can provide a safe residential experience for all our students, free from hate.
- Housing staff is committed to talking directly with students about their experiences on campus and in the dorms. We will be inviting students to participate in dialogue sessions and surveys during their time living on campus.
- Our residential curriculum prioritizes Cultural Understanding. Now, more than ever, these opportunities to learn about oneself and others is critical.
- In partnership with African American Student Affairs, Housing supports the Building Leaders and Creating Knowledge (B.L.A.C.K.) community in Pima dorm.
- Housing leadership will be critically engaging with UAPD in the context of the ongoing national and local crises centered around policing and marginalized communities.
- Listening to our students, staff, and the Coalition of Black Students and Allies’ (COBA) list of demands, Housing will be creating a new training curriculum this year that specifically addresses unconscious bias, power and privilege, and the ways racial inequities show up on campus and in our department.
Equity & Student Engagement Highlights Include:
This group is for UA students passionate about societal transformation and social change. ACT’s mission is to: educate students on issues of equity and equality, to have pride in the University of Arizona’s diversity, and to take action to make UA a more inclusive place. Talk to your RA or Community Director during move-in to learn more and join this exciting organization.
This large event takes place during welcome week. Highlighting the different student and professional organizations and resource centers available on campus, FCW will introduce you to different communities with information on getting involved. There is also free food, music, performances, community partners, and a raffle!
For over 20 years, Housing & Residential Life has hosted a Hunger Banquet to raise awareness about hunger and food insecurity. Participants are encouraged to fast for 30 hours before the event, which is the average amount of time someone in the UArizona who is food insecure goes between meals. The fast is broken at the event, where you will learn more about different causes of hunger and how to help combat the problem.
Housing & Residential Life is committed to fostering inclusive communities. Open Housing is intended to create a comfortable living environment for transgender and gender non-conforming residents as well as any student who wants to live with someone of a different gender. We also offer some all-gender bathrooms in some dorms. Please see dorm descriptions and floor plans for details.
The student Peer Advisor position is one that is grounded in the multicultural competency framework and allows student staff to gain the awareness, knowledge, and skills necessary to work effectively with students and residents across cultures and identities. Student Peer Advisors will be responsible for instituting monthly programmatic efforts within the residence halls that focus specifically on issues of equity and student engagement– including the educating on the mosaic of diversity, multiculturalism and inclusivity.