Diversity and inclusion was a main topic at the Undergraduate Student Government meeting Monday night.

Jenai Patrick, junior and Office of Multicultural Affairs ambassador, visited to lead the members through diversity exercises that involved self-reflection and encouraged members to increase their own education and awareness.

The first activity was a personal inventory that allowed participants to analyze their own competence in terms of cultural diversity and inclusion. The survey involved a series of self-reflection questions, and participants ranked their level of participation for each question. Some topics the questions covered included offering inclusive meal options at events, respecting those with limited English proficiency and intervening if members of the University community were found behaving in ways that could be construed as culturally insensitive or biased.  

“It’s definitely a work in progress, especially when you are dealing with diversity and inclusion. It’s a journey; it doesn’t happen overnight,” Patrick said.

After the survey was completed the participants stood up and were instructed to go to different corners of the room depending on their answers to the questions. Patrick then encouraged the USG members to explain why they gave their answers and why they tended to be more active in some inclusivity activities than others.

The participants next filled out personal diversity action plans and wrote down things they will continue to do to be inclusive, things they should stop doing and things they will start doing to promote a diverse and inclusive environment on campus.

Patrick asked members to share one of their pledges. Some common themes throughout the pledges were to not assume gender, to use correct pronouns, to continue diversity education and to step in when seeing bias. Patrick also gave tips on how to help foster inclusivity.

“There’s no right or wrong way to talk about diversity. There are more effective ways and less effective ways; however, if you are doing the work to be as inclusive as possible, then there is no one who can call you out for not trying,” Patrick said.

USG President Hannah Cubberley spoke about the attire guidelines at the Student Recreation Center and why the new policies were put in place. After a policy released earlier this semester received negative reviews among students, representatives from the center worked to create an updated policy that would not appear as biased as many felt that original policy seemed.

“They did take a lot of student feedback. There was a lot of concern with the policy that was rolled out earlier this semester,” Cubberley said.

Cubberley emphasized the main reason the policies were created was to address health concerns.

One of the main concerns is preventing the spread of illnesses that can commonly be found in recreational environments, especially Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, more commonly known as MRSA. New flyers will be in place at the center in the coming weeks that will outline the new policy.

The next general assembly meeting will take place Monday, Nov. 26 in McFall Center.