35 BRAND STORY “There needs to be genuine dialogue. We’re not here to dictate what students need,” Dr. Peters says. “We have to ask them and make opportunities for them to tell us what they need to be successful.” Western’s emphasis on inclusive, informed dialogue extends to its HSI Summits, which allow the broader community to learn from one another, evolve and strengthen Hispanic Serving Institutions. Its second edition invited K-12 leaders, legislators, college representatives, DEI experts and students to collaborate on what it means to be an effective HSI. Due to the success of that meeting, Western plans to continue hosting the multi-disciplinary event. Another arena for dialogue is the campus’s Freedom Center where students, primarily students of color, can gather and inform the university of their needs. Additionally, this year Western will have open dialogue sessions for students with Dr. Peters, Provost Jose Coll, Vice President of Student Affairs Tina Fuchs, and Executive Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Dominique Vargas. Though the Freedom Center is relatively new on campus, it is run by students and is part of learning how to better support them. As Dr. Peters says, “We haven’t gotten it all figured out, but we are committed to constantly learning and doing better for the students of Western.” Western’s ongoing external equity assessment presents yet another opportunity to listen and improve the ways the university supports student success. The four-phase assessment evaluates the university’s climate, as well as student-focused and employeefocused policies and procedures. According to Dr. Peters, the equity assessment is itself an act of vulnerability that changes the narrative of university as authority. “It’s not always a pretty endeavor,” he admits. “A consultant won’t sit around and say you’re doing everything perfectly. But I’m not afraid to tell folks that we’re learning, and let’s figure it out together. The only way we can really start to improve is when we engage with experiences other than our own and respond in genuine ways.” Western organically found its way down the HSI path long ago thanks, Dr. Peters believes, to the faculty and staff’s willingness to show vulnerability and engage as equals. “The people here come to their work in a very open and inclusive way, and I believe that students and their families feel that when they walk on campus. It’s hard to quantify,” he elaborates. “Gone is the gatekeeping approach. Everyone should be here. We’re here to support not exclude, and I think students feel that.” Western’s Executive Director of DEI Dominique Vargas agrees: “Faculty often share some of their experiences as firstgeneration, low-income, the only person of color in their college classrooms, etc., and this sharing encourages trust-building with students.” She adds that this openness often allows students and faculty to build greater connections and create better learning environments.,” Beyond those daily, invaluable interactions, Western maintains dozens of concrete programs and protocols that prioritize diversity. Its Diversity Scholars program, which grew by 86% between 2020 and 2022, provides scholarships to students of all backgrounds who are committed to diversity and opt to take dedicated courses. The school’s Bilingual Teacher-Scholars program supports students planning to become bilingual teachers in Oregon by offering scholarship funds for professional development, a language certificate upon graduation and hiring preferences. The list continues with the arrival of an Ethnic Studies major and minor, and the recruitment of an Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Hispanic Serving Institution Initiatives. “We don’t want the HSI status just to say we have it. We’re trying to get the status by learning how to support students in better ways,” Dr. Peters explains. “Someone told me years ago, ‘You can be numerically diverse, but are you transformationally diverse?’ That stuck with me. We’re in a state of transformation because we’re engaging with difference all the time.” For Western Oregon University, the status of Hispanic Serving Institution is a barometer for the level of support, care and consideration provided to all of its students from all backgrounds. “If we are creating a welcoming and supportive environment to better support one segment of the population, that benefits all students,” he concludes. “Interacting across experiences makes the whole institution stronger, and we are already noticing positive changes in our overall fall enrollment.”n “There needs to be genuine dialogue. We’re not here to dictate what students need. We have to ask them and make opportunities for them to tell us what they need to be successful.” UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT DR. JESSE PETERS
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