Commitment to All People
“As members of the Milligan University community and in faithfulness to the teaching of Scripture, we commit ourselves to honoring and broadening the diversity of our community and to treating every person with respect, dignity, and love. By reflecting the diversity of God’s kingdom, the University bears witness to that kingdom and equips students to serve in a diverse and interdependent world.” 1
Diversity at Milligan
Milligan University believes that diversity in our student body, faculty, and staff, whether by race, color, ethnicity, disability, multicultural background, sex, or age, is important for us to fulfill our primary mission: to provide a quality education where men and women are prepared as servant-leaders. We believe that:
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Diversity enriches the educational experience.
We learn from those whose experiences, beliefs, and perspectives are different from our own, and these lessons can be taught best in a richly diverse intellectual and social environment.
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Diversity strengthens communities and the workplace.
Education within a diverse setting prepares students to become good citizens in an increasingly complex, pluralistic society; it fosters mutual respect and teamwork; and it helps build communities whose members are judged by the quality of their character and their contributions.2
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Diversity promotes personal growth and a healthy society.
Diversity challenges stereotyped preconceptions; it encourages critical thinking; and it helps students learn to communicate effectively with people of varied backgrounds.
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Diversity reflects God’s kingdom.
The University’s view on diversity is shaped by its Christian faith. The Gospel’s call is always to move beyond our culture-imposed, self-imposed boundaries and to understand that people whom we may have previously labeled “others” are created in God’s image.3
Goals
- foster a commitment to diversity
- create a welcoming University environment
- provide curricular and co‐curricular strategies that help all students develop intercultural competencies
- recruit and retain a diverse student body and workforce
- prepare students to engage a diverse world in a Christ-like manner
Initiatives
Because of these beliefs and goals, Milligan University desires to reach out and make a concerted effort to build a healthy and diverse learning environment appropriate to our mission. The University relies on academic programs, educational services, and scholarships to recruit and retain a diverse student body. Current initiatives include:
- Multicultural Education Resource Team (MERT)
- The Betty Goah Scholars Program
- Multicultural Engagement Office
- Multicultural Affairs Student Organization
- Ethnic Studies requirement (see the General Education Requirements)
- Diversity Advisory Committee
1 Milligan University Commitment to Non-Discrimination, Milligan University Catalog.
2 “On the importance of diversity in higher education.” Farleigh Dickinson University.
3 Higgins, Susan, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology and Missions, Milligan University.