VSU Hosts “VSYou: The V-State Student Experience” Oct. 27

VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University’s Black Student League, in collaboration with the Department of Student Diversity and Inclusion will present “VSYou: The V-State Student Experience” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27, in the Student Union Theater. Faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend this moderated forum.

“All students experience the university through a different lens, whether it be gender, sex, race, or religion. We just hope to bring the experiences that they have shared together,” said Dr. Gerald Williams, interim director of the Department of Student Diversity and Inclusion. “We are particularly working with all underrepresented student groups — LGBTQ groups, African-American groups, religious groups — and we are working hard to get them engaged on campus. We want every student on this campus to have a robust college experience.”

Dr. Felicia Hilson, a faculty member in the Department of Social Work, and Sandra Jones, a cooperative education and internship coordinator with the Office of Career Opportunities, will moderate the forum using techniques from the Public Conversations Project, an approach that “helps participants engage in constructive, often groundbreaking conversations that can restore trust and lay the foundation for collaborative action.”

“The purpose of this forum is to get many students from different parts of campus in one room to speak openly and honestly about their V-State student experience,” said Justin Capers, Black Student League president.

 The Black Student League and the Department of Student Diversity and Inclusion are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive campus environment for all students.

 “We are hoping many faculty and staff will join the forum …,” explained Williams. “Sometimes students struggle with things outside of campus, and this is an opportunity for faculty and staff to identify ways that the institution can help resolve issues in an educational sense. It’s an opportunity for all to share and for all to gain understanding as well.”

 Please contact Dr. Gerald Williams at gewilliams@valdosta.edu to learn more.