DICE Certification Program teaches students about diversity

Madison Schauer
Tue, 26 Oct 2021 00:29:12 +0000
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Diversity, Intercultural and Community Engagement (DICE) Certification is a self-paced program where students can learn about diversity and intercultural engagement topics, which can benefit them in applying to universities and careers. Credit: Courtesy of Indra Leyva Cook

With only 12 credits required for the program, students don’t have to take a gamble on whether or not they could be DICE-certified by the end of the year.??

Diversity, Intercultural and Community Engagement, or DICE, certification is a self-paced program where students can learn about diversity and intercultural engagement, which can benefit them in applying to universities and careers, according to the Office of Student Life website.

According to the DICE website, students receive certification by attending and reflecting on 12 DICE-approved events, workshops or retreats in one academic year, such as the Day of the Dead Celebration Nov. 2 and Alternative Thanksgiving Nov. 10.?

Indra Leyva Cook, interim assistant director of the Social Justice Engagement Program, said the program takes a self-guided approach where students are able to choose what events they attend.

“We provide you with all the programs that you can attend that are DICE-certified, but really the student takes the effort to choose what is it that they want to get out of the certification,” Leyva Cook said.?

Levya Cook said the Diversity Leadership Transcript Program started in 2009 and eventually turned into the DICE Certification Program.

“We switched to a more intercultural and community engagement model because we wanted to make sure that the students really engage in conversations with each other around topics like social justice, diversity and inclusion,” Leyva Cook said.

Madison Woods, a graduate student in educational studies and social justice engagement graduate associate for the Multicultural Center, said being DICE-certified has several benefits that will help students in their future careers and everyday lives.?

“Socially, just leadership is needed everywhere, and I think that’s a recent conversation that all departments are starting to have, and this is a great program to bring all of those students in,” Woods said.?

Students enrolled in all majors are encouraged to get DICE-certified to build their resume and social skills, Woods said.

Woods said she thinks she would have benefited from a program such as DICE during her undergraduate career.

“I wish we had something like this because it’s self-guided and students get to pick what they educate themselves about,” Woods said.

Leyva Cook said the program will continue to form new partnerships and events to create more opportunities for students.?

For more information on the DICE program or to sign up, click here.