College of Arts & Sciences Students,
Happy New Year and welcome back. I hope you had a relaxing and refreshing holiday break and that you are reinvigorated to start a brand-new spring semester. I’ve always loved the spring: it is a great time of renewal and revitalization. This spring we all have an opportunity to dig in and start the semester off very well, both academically and socially. Some of the exciting things that are going on in diversity right at the beginning of the semester are the 2015 Martin Luther King Jr. Observance Events. Please find the poster of events at http://www.k-state.edu/diversity/2015mlkweekposter.pdf (Thank you; Office of Diversity and University partners). I invite you to attend as many events as your schedule allows and encourage your friends to attend, as well. Social justice and social awareness are very important topics that will be addressed, and having an understanding of them will increase your ability to thrive in the world we live in.
I would like to place a special emphasis on the College of Arts & Sciences Teach-In on Wednesday, January 28, 2015 which will address the state of civil rights in the U.S. in response to current events. It will occur at the K-State Student Union Courtyard at 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. If you have additional questions about this event, please contact: Dr. Tanya González, tgonzale@k-state.edu, 785-532-2154. Faculty members from the College of Arts and Sciences will lead table discussions and facilitate meaningful dialogues on the pressing social issues of today. Participants will be free to come and go as they please, as well as to sit in on as many different discussions as they wish. The College’s goal in this event is to promote civil discourse on difficult topics as one way to build cultural competence. Let us all share in the conversation and grow together.
Finally, I encourage you to focus on your goals and to seek mentorship and support as needed. You have the ability to excel and the Deans’ Office is here to support you in that effort.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kimathi Choma
Interim Assistant Dean of Diversity, Recruitment, and Retention
Twitter: @KStateArtSciDPP
785-532-6900