History of SDEI

The Office of Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has seen many changes and titles since its establishment in 1991. Although its beginnings were humble — starting off as a Rotaract Club assembled by a small group of students with the primary goal of developing leadership and communication skills through exchanging ideas and services with peers of diverse backgrounds — the progression and development the office has seen over the years are still continually expanding.

While the key focus of the office was cultural awareness and pluralism through event programming, it wasn't until 2012 that the then Intercultural and International Student Services office expanded its outreach to include LGBT affairs and concerns as one of our mission objectives. What began as a club, followed by an International Student Organization and multiple title changes throughout the years to better serve the office's intentions, transformed into a fully functioning office within the Student Services and Classroom Building.

One of our distinctive strengths comes from our Student Ambassador Program in which UHCL students play first hand in acting as representatives for underserved minorities and coordinating racial, ethnic, religious, cultural, women, LGBTQIA+, first generation, disability, veteran, and other marginalized group events. Although many of the office's purposes have recently been incorporated into our vision statement, one thing has remained the same since its initial stages: our perseverance for growth and conscientiousness in all aspects of advocacy and support for students.

By 2017 the Office of Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion had a name change and became what it is now. However, we are not done improving. As student population increases in conjunction with student diversity, our office continues to grow with it. We strive to create a welcoming and open space for all individuals that seek us out, as well as a resource for students, faculty, and staff. For nearly 30 years, the office has expanded on its Vision, Mission, and Core Values to become all-inclusive of evolving group identities and has served as a place of connection and engagement for all UHCL undergraduates and graduates. Despite the challenges the office is committed to overcoming through progression, we accept and recognize the changes that have yet to come and the importance of aiding as a voice for those that remain unheard. We are committed to developing new and innovative ways to cultivate awareness and cognizance for complex social issues that impact the lives of UHCL students.

(Written and researched by SDEI student staff members Yasmene Sadek and J Scates, 2020)