Find Your People, Place, and Purpose
The Center for Community Engagement, Office of Diversity & Inclusion, and Religious & Spiritual Life
Creating powerful educational opportunities where learning and values meet
Through their distinctive programs and shared outcomes, The Center for Community Engagement, Office of Diversity & Inclusion, and Religious & Spiritual Life create paths to broaden and deepen learning, so that students leave with support and insight into the University's values, including personal and social responsibility, diversity and inclusion, engaged citizenship, holistic wellness, and post-graduate success.
Diversity & Inclusion
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion educates our campus community on issues relating to social identity development— in terms of race and ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, socioeconomic status and ability
Office of Diversity and Inclusion
To foster an environment of both academic and personal success, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion has created the WISE Peer Mentoring Program (WISE). WISE matches incoming first-year and transfer undergraduate students, who identify as first-generation and or belonging to an underrepresented population, with continuing upper-class undergraduate students. Through an interactive experience, WISE promotes student retention through a leadership development environment focused on peer-WISE Mentorship and networking.
Sponsored by the Cross-Cultural Center, the Safe Zone program is designed to improve the visibility and support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA) students and employees.
Individuals who display a Safe Zone Ally placard identify themselves as someone who has completed Safe Zone training and who is committed to increasing their knowledge of, and sensitivity to, LGBTQIA issues.
The Cross-Cultural Center (affectionately known as the "Tri-C") is home to student organizations such as the Multicultural Student Council and the WISE Program. In addition, there is an interfaith prayer room, a general-purpose room, and a remote location for the Hatter food pantry. The Tri-C is open from 8 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Sunday, for all students to come and make themselves feel at home.
The Tri-C is located at 145 E. Michigan Ave.
The Multicultural Student Council is a leadership organization that fosters continual development through the facilitation of thought and intercultural programming. We aim to benefit those within the community by challenging and equipping them with resources to advocate for others and themselves. As advocates, we act as a resource that provides students with information and skills to take action and create partnerships within their community on campus.
The Multicultural Student Council aims to provide resources and assist underrepresented students by creating dialogue and fostering change within the campus community.
To commemorate and take action upon Dr. King's vision for peace and justice, Stetson University's Center for Community Engagement, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and Office of Religious and Spiritual Life are partnering with local organizations to host a series of events - both on- and off-campus - coinciding with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in mid-January.
All events are open to students, faculty, and staff, though some events require pre-registration to attend.
Center for Community Engagement
The Center for Community Engagement’s mission is to create opportunities for student learning through community impact – utilizing internships, research, and projects that align students’ academic and career goals with the goals of our community partners.
The Center for Community Engagement plays the lead institutional role in directing a nationally recognized campus-wide community engagement program that is delivered through both curricular and co-curricular avenues.
Center for Community Engagement
Since 2005, the Bonner Program has been a catalyst for student-led community transformation and social justice at Stetson University. Bonner students work with non-profit partners, each intent on collectively and collaboratively solving challenges in our local and global community. The Bonner Program is designed to transform not only the students who are directly supported by the program but also the campus and community in which they serve and learn. All Bonner students commit to eight or more hours of community service per week through an internship with a local non-profit community partner and to two hours of personal, professional and/or leadership training per week with other students in the program.
As a values-driven institution that emphasizes the importance of engaged and informed citizenship, Stetson strives to develop the habits of citizenship that will last our students' entire lives. One of the most important - and most fundamental - aspects of being an engaged citizen is participation in our democracy through voting.
Stetson Votes is the one-stop site for all your voting questions and resources. In order to vote in elections, there are three things that you need to do:
- Step 1: Get Registered
- Step 2: Get Prepared
- Step 3: Go Vote!
Community engagement is a way of life at Stetson University. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching recently awarded Stetson University its Community Engagement Classification in both possible categories: curricular engagement, and outreach and partnerships.
Community engagement occurs in a variety of ways at Stetson University. Faculty, staff and students routinely volunteer their time in the community and many members of the faculty require community engagement work as part of their course requirements.
We strive to develop truly collaborative relationships with our Community Partners. Our partners are the experts on the needs of our community. As we connect students with community partners, we work to develop opportunities that are mutually beneficial to both students and the community. Through Community Partnerships, our students are able to be a part of important and meaningful work while helping to build capacity in local organizations.
As Mister Rogers once said, during challenging times we should “look for the helpers.” There are many opportunities in our community to be a "helper".
The Center for Community Engagement offers a variety of programs to help students get connected with their community, take action on issues they care about, and become informed global citizens. Some of our programs include:
Stetson offers a diverse range of student organizations that encourage you to discover your passion and make lasting memories. Maybe you’ve chosen your organization because you are interested in the content or activities, maybe you’re deeply aligned with the club’s mission, maybe you want to make connections with like-minded people, or maybe you just joined to have fun. Whatever the reason, there’s a reason behind your membership. You’ve found your People. We can help you explore your Purpose while creating lasting connections in the Community! Student organizations teach valuable skills, build strong friendships, and create professional connections that will last a lifetime. We’re here to help you articulate those experiences into your personal story so you can leverage them in a cover letter, resume, interview, or alumni connection.
What does the collaboration with the Center for Community Engagement look like?
We can help you:
- Bring in speakers. - We can help you make connections with Community Partners and Alumni to come talk to your clubs about a variety of topics that align with your organization’s mission.
- Get involved off-campus. – Whether your organization is looking for mission-driven community service projects or a fun activity to do off-campus, we can help you explore what is going on around town and make connections with our Community Partners who share your passions.
- Define transferable, career-related skills. - We can help you articulate the value of your leadership or membership in your club and the ways in which these skills transfer to the “real world” to help you stand out in a resume, cover letter, or interview.
- Create custom events that hit the Sweet Spot. – We can help you create unique events that combine your organization’s passions and your member’s academic interests to make a lasting impact on the local community.
Religious & Spiritual Life
The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life seeks to empower students to lead lives of meaning.
Stetson's Chaplains are available to all members of the Stetson community regardless of their spiritual affiliation or non-affiliation. They are happy to provide spiritual guidance or just to listen without judging and offer friendship and compassion.
Chaplains are confidential resources, meaning they will not share information about your conversations without your permission. You can also contact the Catholic Campus Minister.
The Interfaith Prayer and Meditation Room is available to all students by card access from 8 a.m. to midnight.
Locations in Griffith Hall and the Cross Cultural Center.
The Interfaith Values Fellows are undergraduate student leaders who create inclusive spaces on campus for students of all religious, spiritual, and secular identities. They regularly facilitate partnerships between and among our religious student organizations.
Stetson's vibrant faith community is reflected in the campus' variety of student organizations. Each organization regularly holds events that engage our community and grow with them as they find belonging and meaning.
The Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholars program is a leadership program giving young women the opportunity to deepen and integrate their education through service work and guided goal-setting.