Nevada State University

NSU created the "Office of Community Engagement and Diversity Initiatives." It is "guided by [NSU's] commitment to inclusion and social justice." This office has five objectives, including "advocating for and amplifying voices of marginalized people," and "educating students, faculty and staff to increase our climate of inclusion and quality of life on campus, and beyond."

The Office of Community Engagement and Diversity Initiatives (CEDI) has conducted race-based events on "Microaggressions and Cultural Competence," and "Coronavirus and Social Inequality." Its Spring 2021 calendar also included a "Scorpion Diversity Academy Unconscious Bias Training."

As part of the Core Curriculum requirements towards graduation, every undergraduate student at Nevada State University must complete 3 credit hours of a Cultural Diversity course.

All core curriculum classes must fulfill at least two "Essential Learning Outcomes" (ELO). The ELO includes "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion," which is defined as "an understanding of power and privilege within cultural and social identities, systems, and institutions" and "Critical Literacy," which covers "the ability to identify, interpret, reimagine, and remake how socially constructed concepts like power and bias operate through historical and contemporary texts, images, and practices."

Nevada State University offers a minor in Social Justice that “will equip students with the critical faculties and creative skills needed to make meaningful contributions to the contemporary pursuit of social justice.”

The University lists numerous outside scholarship opportunities specifically for minority and historically underrepresented students such as the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholars, the LAGRANT Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships, and the Ron Brown Scholar Program, among others.

The NSU Police Department's vision states it will be "a model of teaching excellence, a pioneer in innovative student support, and an agent of economic growth and social justice."

The Diversity and Inclusion Task Force "identifies strategies and makes recommendations to the President and the Vice President of College and Community Engagement to strengthen a coordinated approach to be diverse and inclusive."

The Office of Community, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Nevada State University is committed to inclusion and social justice through an “equity-centered lens to support people from historically marginalized communities.”

The "Pursuing Equity to Enhance Retention (PEER) Project" was established to promote equity and promote participation in STEM among "historically underrepresented groups in academic workplaces by addressing systemic inequalities within the institution’s policies, practices, and organizational culture and climate." The program specifically aims to help combat "challenges identified by females and underrepresented racial minorities [in] STEM."

The Office of Community, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion "actively [works] to center the intersectional experiences and expertise of People of Color, Immigrants, and LGBTQIA2+ folks" to effectively "design culturally responsive programs and initiatives that empower community members to be change agents." Furthermore, the Office advocates for and centers "the experiences & needs of marginalized communities" and aims to "increase capacity in students, faculty, & staff to develop an equity lens."

The Office of Community, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion regularly hosts events and trainings such as "This is Native Land," where students can "learn about the native lands [they] are occupying." Other past events include "I Stand With Immigrants" day of action, "Foundations of Antiracism" and "Undocu-ally Training."

The Nevada System of Higher Education, which encompasses NSU, released a statement after the verdict in the George Floyd case. The NSHE encouraged the community to "engage in more of these discussions on our campuses and acknowledge the deep-rooted, systemic, and historical racism and discrimination that exists in our country."

The University released a land acknowledgment that recognizes "the painful history of genocide and settler colonialism that continues to impact Native & Indigenous communities today." It states, "Land Acknowledgements represent only a small part of the efforts towards systemic equity and inclusion for Native & Indigenous people in Nevada." Furthermore, the University "offers a fee waiver for qualifying Native American college students."

In the University's Statement of Tolerance, it says that "a fundamental tenet of the college’s mission is to nurture a community atmosphere free from racism, religious intolerance, sexism, ageism, homophobia, harassment, discrimination against those with disabling conditions, or discrimination based upon an individual’s political views or beliefs."

The University's Initiative for an "Improved Sense of Belonging & Community" was "guided by recent findings in the literature and lessons from institutions with a majority of students of color." The initiative states that the school intends "to implement programs and practices that foster a strong sense of belonging and an inclusive community for our students" and that it wants the "predominantly diverse and first-generation student population to be emboldened with strong feelings of self-efficacy and the enduring belief that they are most likely to find success at Nevada State." Accordingly, the University is adjusting its New Student Orientation and expanding the "Rise Peer Mentor program."

The School of Education states that it is committed to promoting "justice, equity, and inclusivity." The School's vision is to "prepare professionals to advance justice and equity through improving the education and well-being of young children, adolescents, and adults towards supporting a diverse and inclusive society."