This semester, the community governments that organize and run UNC’s residence halls are creating a new position designed to introduce students to campus diversity. The new position deserves praise for benefitting both students and social justice-driven groups on campus.
It should signal to students that the University is committed to integrating campus involvement directly into its housing experience.
Freshman students unfamiliar with the wide range of advocacy groups on campus are especially poised to benefit from this new position.
Krista Prince, coordinator for leadership development, said this pilot program is intended to “enable students to co-create what this experience will be in the future.”
Students who end up filling these positions should begin with a determination to connect and coordinate with the leadership of the Campus Y and other hubs for campus advocacy.
These student-led groups constantly seek new members and tend to require a more nuanced pitch than Fallfest alone makes possible. The first appointees to the advocacy program will find representatives of these groups eager to present to potential members.
The relationship between student-led initiatives and the appointed social justice advocates will be crucial to maximizing the effectiveness of the position.
Students interested in applying to fill this innovative position must apply by Jan. 14.
