Multicultural Student Programs

 

Elizabeth Thompson

From American Indian Princess to Schoolgirl

Elizabeth Thompson, a 2008 doctoral graduate from the University of Tulsa Department of English, has brought to light the little known past of American Indian girls and their experiences in the early American school system.

In 2007, Thompson received an American Dissertation Fellowship from the American Association of University Women (AAUW) in the amount of $20,000 to continue her research. She was one of 63 AAUW fellows nationwide to win the award that year and the only one from a university in Oklahoma.

The nationally competitive year-long fellowship supported Thompson as she completed her dissertation, "From Princess to Schoolgirl: American Indian Girls and Anglo Depictions of their Conversions." This project, which made extensive use of archival materials in TU's McFarlin Library's Special Collections, studied portrayals of Native American girls and young women in the British American colonies and United States through the early twentieth century.

"The Faculty of English are very proud of Elizabeth," said her dissertation director, Laura Stevens, associate professor of English. "We consider this prestigious award to be a sign of the excellent contributions she promises to make to the field, as well as of the growing prominence of our graduate program."

Welcome to the Office of Multicultural Student Programs
Our office is part of the Student Affairs Office at TU and is located in Holmes Student Center, room 51. This on-line community is a quick link to the programs implemented by our office, as well as the programs that students across campus are creating and bringing to TU and to the Tulsa community.
During your collegiate years, you will have the opportunity to get to know students from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds. We encourage you to get to know students outside of your own cultural group and take this amazing opportunity to learn about yourself and others. It is our hope that your multicultural experiences here will translate into a life of exploration with intercultural respect and appreciation at its core.

We hope that you will use this website as a tool in your journey, but at all times, please feel free to come by the office, call, or email us at multicultural@utulsa.edu if you have questions, concerns, suggestions, or if you simply need a little help in navigating your TU experience.

Mission Statement

The Mission of the Multicultural Affairs Office is to provide cultural and educational programming for the TU community. Through mentoring, advising, and programming, we seek to create an environment that:
celebrates our culturally diverse community, promotes the personal and academic success of minority students, engenders the formation of individuals who lead culturally rich lives.
Leading a culturally rich life means the student, faculty member, or staff member is aware of the molding force of their own cultural background and seeks integrative experiences and relationships with people whose cultural backgrounds and traditions differ from their own.

LINC
LINC stands for Leaders Incorporated and is a peer mentoring program available to incoming minority students. Its purpose is to build a foundation of peer support that will help you as an incoming freshman minority student to more easily transition into the college environment. Our goal is to do this by helping you to become involved on campus, developing and enhancing your leadership skills early on so you can be a successful student.

LINC works by pairing an upperclassman student with an incoming student. A retreat in the fall connects mentors with mentees and begins the LINC experience. After returning from the retreat, mentors and mentees meet regularly, so when mentees have questions about classes or concerns about adjusting to college life the mentor can help provide guidance and accountability.
Additionally, the LINC program conducts workshops that highlight important collegiate and professional skills.

Ultimately, both mentees and mentors will benefit by developing leadership skills and supportive peer relationships that will help to become more successful students.
Interested in participating in this program? Click on one of the links below:

Please complete the online form here to apply to be a LINC Mentee (link online app), http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=rrSVVxxPWoAsIPqLtD_2b75w_3d_3d "  Click Here to take survey
or download and mail the Program Registration form here.
(for incoming students)  

LINC Mentor Applications are due August 10, 2009. Please complete the online form here (link online app),

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=yhgwoMUfR9woowDtNU3kOg_3d_3d " Click Here to take survey

or download and mail the Mentor Application form here.

(for current students)

Forms my be mailed to: Lauren Allen, The University of Tulsa, Office of Multicultural Affairs, 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, OK  74104 or fax to 918-631-2788.


Multicultural Student Organizations
Joining a multicultural student organization is a great way to meet people with similar interests, make friends, learn about your own culture, and learn about the cultures of your fellow students. Here are just a few of the organizations available to you here at TU.

  • Culturally Focused Student Organizations
  • American Indian Cultural Society
  • Angolan Student Association
  • Anime Club
  • Asian American Student Association
  • Association of Black Collegians
  • Association of International Students
  • Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, and Transgendered Alliance
  • Chinese Student and Scholar Association
  • Deaf TU (Deaf Educators Association)
  • Ethnic Minorities in Psychology
  • Global Network
  • Hillel
  • Indian Student Association
  • International Relations Club
  • Korean Student Association
  • Latin American and Hispanic Student Association
  • Muslim Student Association
  • National Association of Black Accountants
  • Native American Law Student Association
  • Persian Student Association
  • Saudi Student Association
  • Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
  • Turkish Student Association
  • Vietnamese Student Association

For more information about these and other student organizations contact the Office for Multicultural Affairs at 631-2966.

Multicultural Fraternities and Sororities

  • National Pan-Hellenic Council
  • Alpha Kappa Alpha
  • Alpha Phi Alpha
  • Delta Sigma Theta
  • Kappa Alpha Psi
  • Zeta Phi Beta

Resources

Here are some links to websites focusing on cultural groups, cultural education, and intercultural communication. If there is a link that you have found useful or interesting, please contact the Office of Multicultural Affairs at 631-2966 and we will add it to the list.

MulticulTUral Compass

“FOSTERING FELLOWSHIP AMONG STUDENTS OF DIFFERENT ETHNIC AND CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS AND ASSISTING IN THEIR TRANSITION TO TU”

Multicultural Compass is supplemental to New Student Orientation. Students and their families will meet current students, faculty, and staff, and learn about the many programs and opportunities available for our multicultural students.

What is MC?

You’re almost packed. You’re ready to take off on a new adventure. But you’re nervous. You may be asking yourself, “What should I expect?” or “Will I meet people I connect with?” or “What extracurricular activities and campus support is there for me?” Multicultural Compass 2009 (MC) is a two-part program, geared toward answering these, and many other questions. It will provide an introduction to resources on campus, the campus community, and how to navigate the city and The University of Tulsa. The purpose of this program is to supplement New Student Orientation by building a foundation of peer support that will help you, as a multicultural student, to more easily transition into the college environment. You will become acquainted with upper-class multicultural students, faculty and staff, and establish useful networking relationships. Monday, August 17, 2009, at 1:30 pm we will have a MC Welcome Session for you and your family. This will be a time to learn about resources on campus for multicultural students, as well as a chance to meet other multicultural students and their parents. On Saturday, August 22, 2009, at 7:30pm (time may change) we will continue MC with time to debrief, answer questions, and learn about TU through the eyes of multicultural upperclassmen and faculty. Our goal is to help you become involved on campus and develop and enhance your leadership skills early-on, so that you can be a successful student. LINC, our peer mentoring program, is also a great resource for incoming students at TU. Our LINC mentors will help facilitate MC, and there will be opportunities to apply to become a LINC mentee. We hope to see you at MC and New Student Orientation as you transition to The University of Tulsa. Welcome to TU!

Is MC for Me?

This year MC is open to U.S. students from non-dominant ethnic/cultural backgrounds. This can include, but is not limited to, students of color, Muslim students, Jewish students, and LGBT students. There will be a separate orientation for international students. Please contact International Student Services for more information. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Registration

Please complete the online form here to attend MulticulTUral Compass 

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=WXF8bQ_2fEcpt86chvayoAWg_3d_3d   or download and send completed registration form to :
 Laura Allen, The University of Tulsa, Office of Multicultural Affairs, 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, OK  74070 or fax to 918-631-2788.

Upcoming Events

Multicultural Compass
August 17, 2009 1:30 pm 
Holmes Student Center Lobby

New Student Orientation Week
August 17 -- August 23

Movie on the U
August 23

RHA Welcome Week
August 24 -- August 29

August Activities Fair
August 27 on Chapman Commons

Multicutural Affairs Committee
September 4, 12:00

Brown Bag in Chouteau, ACAC
September 23, 12:00
Risk Management/Hazing

National Hazing Prevention Week
September 21 -- September 25

Brown Bag in Alcove, ACAC
Ocotober 9, 1:00
Cultural

Multicutural Affairs Committee Meeting
October 16, 12:00

Brown Bag in Chouteau
Alcohol
October 21, 12:00