By Hady Sabra | Staff Writer
On the importance of diversity:
The American University of Beirut (AUB) is home to many international students from all corners of the world. As a cultural hub, AUB is committed to fostering a learning environment that promotes diversity and equity amongst all its students. Being a campus rich in culture merits the establishment of several cultural clubs that appreciate and honor the different traditions and heritage that AUBites bring with them from all over the world.
The wide array of clubs include, but are not limited to, the Palestinian Club, the Latin American Club, the Korean and the Japanese Cultural Clubs. A diverse student body is a key to initiating, cultivating, and sustaining an educational environment that blends all diverse intellectual viewpoints and fosters mutual respect. The engagement with students who hold different cultural backgrounds and perspectives promotes open dialogue between peers, which will garner ethical competence and an overall better educational experience of the diverse student body.
Diversity from an institutional point of view:
So what is diversity? Diversity extends beyond just race, ethnicity, and religious views to include sexual identity and orientation, socioeconomic level, first-generation status, students with disabilities, and even gender in some academic majors. Gender identity and cultural awareness are central aspects that reinforce innovative scholarship and leadership.
So why aren’t minority groups at AUB getting the proper exposure and coverage?
A female undergraduate majoring in predominantly male academic fields such as computer science or biomedical engineering deserves a cover story highlighting her experience in a classroom mostly occupied by peers from the opposite sex. International students from Liberia, Palestine, or Korea deserve a platform that would de-marginalize their voices. An AUBite identifying as LGBTQ+ deserves exposure that will give peers some insight and perspective on what a day in their life at AUB looks like, which is mandatory to cultivate mutual respect and considerate competence.
It’s easy for an academic institution to highlight the importance of assembling an inclusive, diverse student body as part of its mission to appeal to prospective applicants. But to what extent are these institutions committed to transitioning these statements to tangible actions? Are University officials willing to invest in the establishment of an inclusive environment? Will they incorporate different perspectives and backgrounds in elementary decision-making processes? And will they reconsider their approach and management of emerging conflicts related to discrimination and racism?
As a reputable institution, AUB is committed to eliminating all means of discrimination in its educational field and workforce by establishing non-discrimination and anti-discriminatory harassment initiatives. Acts of discrimination and racism at AUB receive drastic repercussions, most often expulsions from the institution. While these initiatives abolish racist acts, they do so only out of a student’s fear of consequences. They do not lay out the necessary foundations with the prospect of cultivating an environment of mutual respect and consideration.
With the establishment of Cultural Clubs, AUB nurtures all unique traditions and the heritage of its students, thus providing a place that appreciates multiculturalism and inter-cultural exchange. AUB Outlook plans on doing its part by providing all diverse members of the student body the proper coverage to ensure exposure and establish respect. Acknowledging the platform it boasts, AUB Outlook strategizes to give all AUBites the voice and cultural representation they deserve with the aim of eradicating cultural insensitivity and unconscious bias.