Educational Equity

The Educational Equity is a new area in CCSG focused on engaging the entire community in academic fairness and inclusion. The committee gathers information and seeks ways to ensure there is equity in Penn State’s education system and that every student has the resources, professors, and supports they need to be successful. This year, the committee will be focusing on two major goals.

Cultural Appropriation Education

For all first year students, CCSG believes a mandatory cultural appropriation class should be mandated at all of Penn State’s 19 Commonwealth campuses. The syllabus for this class will include lessons that address racism, institutional racism, microaggressions, and implicit bias. Since Penn State students come from various backgrounds, it is appropriate to educate newcomers on biases that may be individually present. This will decrease the number of incidents where students are offended because all students will have a more proper understanding of different culture’s history and the nuances of their traditions.

Educational Equity Advertisement and Engagement

To promote connectiveness by combining spirit and inclusion together, CCSG would like to spread the word on what educational equity at Penn State means. This will include sharing “diversity and inclusion matters” apparel, having social media engagement, and numerous events throughout the academic year. Educational equity has not been talked about enough at Penn State, so it is important to inform the general student body not only to engage interest, but also to spread awareness of the resources that exist.