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Student Led Conference Continues to Create Change

For students in the Creating Inclusive Community (CIC) initiative, creating change on campus is the main goal. This year, for the fourth time, a group of students is planning a campus wide conference with the goal of impacting change at all levels. Open to students, staff and faculty, the planning committee has put together a day long program, comprised of workshops, activities and caucuses to encourage learning on topics such as student activism, food inequality, anti-racism, sustainability and more.  

Jeremy Hill, a senior, Computer Engineering major, has worked with the CIC Conference for several years, and is co-leading the student planning committee. As the co-lead he helps give vision for the day, and guides the group in coordinating the conference, centered on a shared learning space. “To me, the CIC Conference is the one place where community is most authentic at UD. The work CIC is doing is what community should look like”, he shared, referencing the examples of challenging one another’s ideas, and respecting the dialogue around different experiences.

“I hope the conference starts discussions that we first think are too hard to talk about. Students don’t always have to do it correctly, in the same way as an expert would, but you can’t navigate a conversation unless you start it. We have to be willing and open to beginning the dialogue. We all [students, staff and faculty] have a role to play in learning from one another.”

The conference is just one component of the CIC campus wide initiative. Originally started by a small group of faculty, staff and students, the initiative aimed at examining privilege and learning to take action, at all levels. Opened to the entire campus, the initiative offers several opportunities to engage in efforts that focus on dialogue and respecting each other’s experiences. A spring mini course, workshops, dialogue groups, book reads and speakers are just a few examples of the efforts offered in the past years. CIC creates a space on campus for students, staff and faculty to come to the table as learners, regardless of experience and expertise.

The 2018 CIC Conference will be held on Saturday, November 10 beginning at 9:00am. The conference is free and opened to the UD and Dayton community, and all are encouraged to participate. The keynote speaker for the conference, Maz Jobrani, is offered in conjunction with the Fall 2018 Speaker Series. Jobrani is an Iranian-American comedian, and will join campus on Wednesday, November 14 at 7:00pm to share about his experiences which pull from his background as an Iran-born immigrant raised in Northern California.

Learn more about the CIC Conference and register to attend at go.udayton.edu/cic.


CIC is sponsored and supported by the Office of the Provost, Division of Student Development, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Office of Multicultural Affairs, Center for International Program, Fitz Center for Leadership in Community and many others.

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