The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has relaunched an important administrative office to better reflect the broad student support programs available throughout the college and to align diversity efforts within the college more closely with overall UGA efforts.

“The college has updated the name of the Office of Diversity Affairs to the Office of Diversity and Inclusive Excellence,” said Lakecia Pettway, the office's director. “This change aligns the office with the overall mission of the university. The name change better represents the student support services and inclusiveness provided by the office in support of our college’s mission of academic excellence.”

Supporting student success

The Office of Diversity and Inclusive Excellence will continue to provide its full slate of student support services and programming, including recruitment and retention, professional development, training and mentoring initiatives, working beyond race and ethnicity to also work with all first-generation students, including rural and urban students.

Pettway said a slate of expanded programming will include efforts focusing on recruiting broadly diverse students from underserved populations.

“We are developing programs focusing on the whole well-being of students, including academic help and coaching, mental health check-ins, professional development, etiquette classes, and financial planning workshops,” said Pettway.

The office is also partnering with the national MANNRS organization to host the 2024 Junior MANRRS STEM Agriventure Camp at UGA in June for Junior MANNRS students in high school.

“This weeklong camp for high school students will include Georgia residents and students from around the country and will expose them to the resources we have available for them here as students,” Pettway said. Students will tour UGA facilities, including UGArden and research labs, as well as national MANNRS partner facilities and organizations.

“This a great way to recruit students, and it is part of a two-prong partnership with the director of recruitment to keep in touch with these students, encouraging them to apply for programs such as the Young Scholars, Emerging Scholars and Rising Scholars internship programs, and making sure we are meeting all of the needs of students we are recruiting from rural and urban student to first-generation students and other underserved populations,” Pettway added.

Expanded networks

Office of Diversity and Inclusive Excellence staff, working with similar offices at colleges and schools across UGA, will maintain contact with these students if they apply and are accepted to UGA, regardless of major, to engage them in programming with groups and resources on campus to promote inclusiveness across the board.

“We are working with these other offices to build connections between students outside any one college. Everything we are working on is part of a more inclusive and connected plan for increasing recruitment and retention of these students,” Pettway said. “We were already doing a great job with our programs. We are just enhancing those services to make sure we are partnering with others within the university to increase our efforts in recruiting and retention strategies.”

The office’s motto “Many paths, one mission” describes its commitment to providing an inclusive learning environment for students, faculty and staff from all backgrounds and ethnicities. It also captures the commitment to the college’s mission and goal of fostering individual growth and strong relationship-building skills that empower all CAES students to effectively contribute and excel in a global society.

“We are excited about this new name for our Office of Diversity and Inclusive Excellence and we feel this new name is a reflection of the excellence toward which we are working with our faculty, staff and students,” said Nick T. Place, dean and director of the college. “In CAES, we strive to ensure that all individuals have an inclusive living and learning environment and together, we are excited about the future of diversity efforts within our college.”

For more information on everything the Office of Diversity and Inclusive Excellence offers, visit caes.uga.edu/diversity-and-inclusive-excellence.