On Monday, April 20th 2015 the UFO brought together faculty and students to discuss diversity at San José State University and the opportunities and challenges that our campus faces as it approaches a common goal within our community to best serve our diverse student population.

The event was open to faculty and students and featured a panel discussion lead by Dr. Luis Felipe Gómez (Assistant Professor of Communication Studies) on fostering positive diversity experiences.

The panel included Mark Fruin (Professor of Strategy in the College of Business), Leslee Parr (Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, Program Director of  SJSU MARC), Margarita Rangel (President’s Scholar and Major in Biological Sciences), Katherine Wilkinson (Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences) and Kafilat Yusufu (Vice President of Mentorship, SHRM and Business Major with a concentration in HRM).

The panelists shared their experiences, resources, stories and insights with regards to this topic. They also engaged with the attendees in meaningful conversation that explored ways to improve our diverse students’ learning experiences and outcomes.