Office of Diversity Programs
Saginaw Valley State University in conjunction with the Office of Special Assistant to the President for Diversity Programs is committed to creating awareness and acceptance of diversity on the campus of SVSU. This Office takes great pride in providing students and faculty with quality workshops, guest speakers, cultural celebrations and other resources to broaden their knowledge of diversity.
The goal of Saginaw Valley State University and the Office of Diversity Programs is to have the campus community accept and embrace the many diverse cultures and backgrounds that surround all of us, not only at SVSU but throughout the community and the world. It is through this acceptance that knowledge truly begins.
We welcome you to visit our website to gain additional information about the programs and activities that the Office of Diversity Programs offers here at Saginaw Valley State University. Our KCP Future Faculty Fellowship program will assist graduates with the requirements needed programs outreach programs(Saginaw County Youth Leadership Institute)Resource Page. Additional links can be accessed by using the navigation bar on the right.
2008 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Banquet: Civil Rights in an Age of Civil Wrongs
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"Patricia Williams was incredibly intelligent and articulate. I suggested to her that she go on the talk show circuit as a political pundit. Her vocabulary was incredible. I want to apply to her law program just to hear her speak. I thought that this was the best MLK dinner yet. The master of ceremonies, the high school choir, the ushers, everything was great!"
--Judy Berglund, Assistant Professor of Social Work
"I just wanted to send a word of thanks for bringing Patricia Williams to campus for the keynote at the MLK Dinner. I heard it said that she was the best speaker that we have ever had on campus, and that is saying a lot, given that we have had Maya Angelou, Jonathan Schell, Morris Dees, Isabel Allende, and other noteworthies. I thought she was academic enough, pragmatic enough, and plain spoken enough to appeal to all kinds of listeners. I really liked hearing her analysis of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and the clear explanation of how the media is representing them (or misrepresenting them). Just the best!"
--Janice Wollf, Professor of English
" The 2008 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Banquet was awesome. The speaker, Patricia Williams, was a very dynamic speaker that I'm sure shook the house. It was a very good program and our international students, while they didn't understand a lot, not because of their English, but because it was our history and politics, really enjoyed it--not just the food."
--Jacquie Osborn, Senior ESL Specialist
"The speaker was the best I have heard at Saginaw Valley State University's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. dinners. All else seemed to go smoothly and well. Kudos!"
--Dr. Mary Harmon, Professor of English
"It is nice to hear someone speak so candidly on race and gender. The candidacy fro president should not be divided along the lines of race and gender. People need to trust within themselves. The more educated the public, the more active they will be in working to equalize injustice. Young people in the community can make a difference. There are so many avenues, so many ways to get involved. So many organizations are desperate for volunteers."
--Gwen Howard, President of the Sociology Club
"Congratulations to this year's MLK event organizers at Saginaw Valley State University! Patricia Williams raised our consciousness regarding the "civil wrongs" of our society. It was a wake-up call to everyone to resist getting caught up in the race and gender sensationalism fueled by the media and perpetuated by society. Williams' message should also be a call to action for all of us to question and challenge the motives behind those who reduce the important issues of race and gender to trivial gossip. Underlying Williams' wit and wisdom were powerful messages about how Americans perpetuate discriminatory practices under the guise of journalism. Our response to this "gossip column" mentality must be outrage. Society must speak out against such trivializing of race and gender and must force the conversation toward the serious issues that affect all of us, regardless of race or gender. We as a nation should be incensed by the attempted trickery of the media in attempting to divide us as a nation rather than unite us. Patricia Williams helped us recognize these media tactics and challenged us to change our response to them. Thank you for the wake-up call."
--Dr. Nancy M. Lewis, Educational Consultant
"Thank you for bringing Patricia Williams to campus for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration 2008. We very much enjoyed having her visit with us over coffee. She was able to talk about some of the issues on which she works and about which she teaches in a very intimate setting. Some of the colleagues who joined us began with the caveat "I can only stay a short while" and none left once she sat down and engaged us. She was most articulate and gracious while we discussed a wide range of topics. I was also most impressed with her talk at the dinner. She, again, was able to address a wide range of issues in a most captivating manner. One of my colleagues said he was "refreshed" by some intelligent and cogent political rhetoric in an election season in which it has been so sorely lacking. I believe Dr. King would be very pleased to see Professor Williams making the most of his dreams. She is the kind of civic intellectual we need in the world today. She is truly an inspiration and I am glad to have mad her acquaintance."
--Dr. Joni Boye-Beaman, Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Behavioral Sciences
"I'm glad the the students heard such an intelligent discussion of these complicated issues. Students are here to learn how to get past all of the shouting and to think clearly about things. Our speaker provided an intelligent analysis from which they can learn"
--Dr. Eric Gilbertson, President
2008 Roosevelt Ruffin Diversity Award
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Saginaw Valley State University’s Roosevelt Ruffin Diversity Award is named in honor of Mr. Roosevelt Ruffin, who was a community activist, local educator and leader. The Roosevelt Ruffin Award Program was created to promote and encourage support of diversity by recognizing individuals and/or groups of individuals at SVSU who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and creativity in the area of diversity.
Mr. Ruffin let his personal philosophy of diversity, leadership and education guide his life. He served as a positive role model and mentor for many, and his contributions to his community were exemplary. Therefore, it is appropriate that Saginaw Valley State University’s highest recognition of diversity is named in his honor.
At the 2008 All University Awards Banquet, Dr. Drew Hinderer was given the honor to be the next recipient of the Roosevelt Ruffin Diversity Award for his continuous hard work and dedication in the field of diversity. According to Dr. Nameeta Mathur, Professor of History, "In the recent past, SVSU has made a conscious decision to diversify our campus by diversifying the minds of our students. A key ingredient of such a "diversity of the mind" comes in the form of encouraging our students to study about diverse, international cultures, and also, perhaps more importantly, to travel abroad to gain a personal and deeper understanding of our diverse world. Based on his passion, commitment, experience, and leadership to promote international diversity on our campus, I would like to nominate Dr. Drew Hinderer for the 2007-2008 Roosevelt Ruffin Diversity Award."
Mark Nicol, instructor of Political Science, stated that Dr. Hinderer's "time, energy, and attention have been given freely and without regard for the superficial differences that divide people. His only concerns have been treating people as they ought to be treated, and developing junior faculty in order to improve the university." Congratulations to Dr. Drew Hinderer for receiving the 2008 Roosevelt Ruffin Diversity Award.
For additional information, please contact the Office of Diversity Programs at 989-964-4068 or e-mail us at mtthorns(at)svsu.edu. Regular office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Past Roosevelt Ruffin Recipients
Dr. Kenneth Jolly, 2007
Dr. Robert and Amy Yien, 2006
SVSU Student Association, 2005
