Castleton University brings awareness to diversity on campus by offering programs to educate and celebrate each individual person on campus.

Being in Vermont, you’re likely to find a lot of white; white snow, white cars, and white people. In 2017, 94% of the state’s population were white, and currently over 80% of Castleton students are white. 

With Interim President Jonathon Spiro’s president’s pledge to honor diversity on campus, there have been many ways professors and programs educate and bring resources on people of color and other marginalized groups. 

Castleton’s CU See Me initiative recently celebrated Black History Month by showing a video highlighting diversity on campus.

This year, the Diversity Programming Committee is striving to promote and celebrate racial diversity, as well as LGBTQIA+ students, and students from many backgrounds.  On Feb. 4, the CU See Me Convocation video was uploaded to YouTube for not just the students, but the entire world to see. The video featured students and faculty from different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as those in the LGBTQIA+ community, and discussion about mental health and disability. There were poems about personal experiences, heavy and informative discussions, and even song and dance, all COVID safe over Zoom.

Gillian Galle, associate academic dean and member of Castleton’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, said “CU See Me is also planning to start writing a feature for ‘Sparty Says’ that highlights an individual and celebrate his/her/their unique story.” 

Maya Kraus, the Student of Color advocate, has been sending out insightful and educational emails about African American historical figures as we celebrate Black History month.

CU See Me encourages students to reach out if they have any ideas for events, or any other feedback for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee. 

“We have several other ideas in the works at the moment, and the Castleton community will be seeing more details on them soon,” said Galle.