MU | N e w s
Michael Dixon
Michael Dixon is the director of
Intercultural Services and the
Office of Multicultural Affairs
Q&A
What drew you to Manchester?
I actually was following a romantic
relationship I developed from graduate school
at Grand Valley State University in Allendale,
Mich., starting in 2005. Because I wasn’t
able to find a job in Michigan at a college or
university, I thought being in northern Indiana
was the next best thing. I interviewed at
Manchester twice in 2011, once in Admissions
and the other for my current position.
After receiving a job offer, the relationship
I came here for fizzled and I moved
to Manchester with no family and no
connections.
What is your favorite MU memory?
One of my favorite MU memories comes
from when I introduced members of the
Intercultural Center to the board game
Settlers of Catan (trade you wood for sheep).
We have some competitive people in the
center and we played the game consistently
for three to four months.
8|
What advice would you give to
Manchester students?
Life after Manchester is going to be focused
less on WHAT you know and more focused
on WHO you know. That means you should
be honing those skills that help you learn
about other people. I definitely advocate
getting out and joining student organizations
focused in a variety of areas. Even if you
don’t join a group formally, attending a
different student organization helps you
branch out and connects you to different
parts of our community.
Where did you go to school?
I earned a bachelor’s degree in
multidisciplinary studies from North Carolina
State University in 2004, and a Master of
Education in college student affairs leadership
in 2007. I’m currently working on my Ph.D.
in educational leadership, higher education
administration from Indiana State University
and plan to graduate in 2019.
What’s the most valuable thing you
learned in college?
The most valuable thing I learned in college is
the same advice I give to MU students – get
involved. You never know what you might
learn going to a student club or organization
meeting.
What activities do you enjoy outside
of the office?
European-style board games; playing
volleyball and basketball competitively;
internet research on controversial topics;
engaging in intellectual and philosophical
discussions and debate over race, class and
gender; and exploring the surrounding
communities to find hidden gems to tell
students at Manchester.
What is your favorite part about
working at Manchester?
Interacting with the students in meaningful
and impactful ways as well as being on a firstname basis with just about everyone.
What are your job responsibilities?
I work on the retention side of working with
students of color and international students as
well as educating broadly about diversity and
multiculturalism.