Essay #10
Diversity at VCSU: Our Differences Are Our Strengths
Over the past few years, Valley City State University has taken pride in its strides
in diversity. From the addition of new diverse classes to the recruitment of students and
faculty from all over the world, in many aspects we see how much our school values
diversity. In the pluralistic world we live in today, a diverse learning community is an
essential part of the VCSU experience.
When we bring together groups of people from all spectrums of race, ethnicity,
culture, economic status, and all forms of diversity, we find our presumptions of the
world greatly challenged. The word ‘challenge’ may hold a negative or intimidating
connotation, but understanding the need to be challenged is crucial to any university as it
prepares students for the world. At VCSU, staff aims to prepare students for the utmost
success. As students enter our many programs, their professors provide them with the
skillset to survive and to give back to the world. In order to make strides in humanity, we
need to exchange our differences and challenge our beliefs. The earlier we can integrate
diversity, the further we strive in understanding how we can improve our world.
A diverse learning community at VCSU is important so that all students can feel
welcomed and safe. Learning takes place in a safe environment, when students feel a
sense of belonging, they can communicate with others and exchange ideas. William
Glasser, American psychiatrist, brings forth his Choice Theory with the five basic needs
every individual is born with: survival, love/belonging, power, freedom, and fun. When
these needs are met, people are willing to open up and express their diversity. Fostering a
positive and welcoming community is essential for VCSU to promote diversity.
Science tells us our brain functions by the transfer and interaction of neurons; in
order to remember things, our brains must be exposed to information multiple times.
Essentially, learning about and from others benefits us on a worldly scale, but the more
new knowledge we retain and the more connections built between exploring differences
and similarities, the overall smarter we become. Though diversity refers to our
differences, it also reveals our similarities. For example, a certain culture’s dialect may
differ from ours but may be similar to that of a culture studied in class. Our brain
recognizes the difference from us, but also recognizes the similarity to past knowledge.
As a result, our neurons for this information strengthen their bond and give us
understanding as to how dialect transfers from culture to culture over time.
Exposure to diversity is essential for success in our world. While diversity can be
anything from ethnicity to sexuality to shape, our brain has the ability to make
connections and discover how differences interact and function in our world. When we
give ourselves the opportunity to work with diversity, we learn from one another. At
VCSU, strengthening our diverse learning community fosters greater imaginations,
promotes leadership, and improves our overall ability to learn and understand our
pluralistic world.