special supplement
Building a Safe Space
Campus implements groundbreaking anti-racism and inclusion plan
by Ken Smith
Stepping onto a new college campus is a crash course in diversity for many young adults .
“ You ’ re really going to quickly learn , as most people do , that there are so many different perspectives you may not have been exposed to ,” says Diana Tate Vermier , Sacramento State ’ s vice president for Inclusive Excellence .
In fact , Sac State is a “ majority minority ” institution — there isn ’ t one ethnicity that makes up the majority of the student body . Of those students who enrolled for the fall 2020 semester , 32.7 % identified as Hispanic , 27.7 % as White , 21 % as Asian / Pacific Islander , and 7.5 % as Black . About three out of five students were female .
Those demographics can be quite different from the communities students have left behind to start their undergraduate studies . That ’ s why Sac State and its Division of Student Affairs put an emphasis on an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere that includes programs and student centers dedicated to different cultures , experiences and perspectives .
“ The programs and centers in this unit provide safe spaces where students can build long-term connections while also enriching their own identities and developing a sense of family within Sacramento State ,” says Viridiana Diaz , associate vice president for Strategic Student Support Programs . “ We want
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