Middlesex Community College is proud to announce its participation as one of 40 host institutions for the Amplifying Student Voices (ASV) convening, a national hybrid event organized by the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) in partnership with the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) and the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers.

This event took place nationwide on Saturday, October 5, 2024, and brought together more than 400 student leaders to engage in both virtual and in-person dialogues on the future of belonging, diversity, and equity in higher education and on strategies for fulfilling the promise of an inclusive democracy. 

As a host institution, MCC welcomed 13 student leaders from the campus to participate. The convening offered students an opportunity to discuss their unique perspectives on how to create and sustain diverse and equitable communities.

“It was important for local students to participate ­– and for MCC to host this event – to hear direct feedback from students about what an equitable environment look like, what resources they may need access to, and what community support they would like to see,” said Maria Isabel Gariepy, MCC’s Executive Director of Diversity, Equity & Belonging. “The majority of the 400+ nationwide attendees agreed that they would like to see increased advocacy on the part of staff and faculty at their campuses to ensure that their educational promises are fulfilled.” 

Student perspectives gathered during this convening will contribute to the ongoing conversation about how higher education can better serve all individuals and communities. They will also inform the work of NADOHE and AAC&U and the efforts of their members, as well as business, community, and nonprofit leaders seeking to advance more equitable and inclusive environments.

“Decision-making in higher education and in our communities should be informed by student voices and their engagement in a collaborative process,” said NADOHE President and CEO Paulette Granberry Russell. “This student convening will provide an opportunity for this collaboration to occur.”

“Centering student voices and fostering the next generation of leaders committed to safeguarding democracy and promoting a just and equitable future is more urgent than ever,” said AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella. “We are proud to partner with NADOHE in striving to achieve our shared objectives, grounded in TRHT's mission of jettisoning the belief in a hierarchy of human value.”

The Amplifying Student Voices project is supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Lumina Foundation.

For more information, email Maria Isabel Gariepy.