Here’s What the ODEI Has Planned for This Year
Students attend the Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion’s BIPOC Family Dinner at the ODEI Lounge in October. (Ta'Niya-Marie Nored)
There are big plans in store for Chatham University’s Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion this year.
Ali Hoefnagel, the coordinator of student engagement & belonging, joined the office last year. Hoefnagel, who uses the singular “they” pronoun, started working in higher education after a stint in youth arts, where they got their first experiences working with young adults.
“When I was 18 or 20, when I was in early college, I didn’t have many opportunity models of people doing work I found intriguing or important,” Hoefnagel said. It was difficult to find people who were queer or people with whom Hoefnagel could identify.
Now, working with students in that age group at Chatham has been fulfilling, Hoefnagel said. “I can talk how I talk,” they said. “I can talk to them in a way where authenticity doesn’t feel difficult to access. I think that’s a big part of the reason why I enjoy working with this age group so much. It’s a vibe thing, I think.”
The ODEI Lounge
“The ODEI space is the culmination of a lot of work done prior to my arrival: quite a bit of student work, input, and surveying, and the former ODEI staff,” said Hoefnagel.
Located in Woodland Hall, the ODEI Lounge is in the former home of Chatham’s Information Technology Support Services (IT is now located in the Jennie King Mellon Library).
Ali Hoefnagel is the coordinator of student engagement & belonging at Chatham University.
The lounge is still in the process of being outfitted, Hoefnagel said. Furniture, a water cooler, a refrigerator, a TV, and a coffee maker populate the room now. There’s a dedicated quiet study area for students. ODEI has also held its family dinners for LGBTQ+ students and students of color in the space.
Hoefnagel said they ultimately want to see identity-focused student groups, such as the Chatham Feminist Coalition or the Queer Student Alliance, using the space for events, office hours, or meetings. Those details are still being organized.
“At present though, it’s being used,” Hoefnagel said. “Students who know that it’s there as a resource are in there.”
Collaborations with Student Groups
“A lot of what programming this year looks like is collaborating with, working with, and supporting student groups that are doing outstanding programming,” Hoefnagel said. So far this semester, that’s included helping the Black Student Union host a bowling night using the duckpin lanes at Eden Hall’s Lodge.
“Our office is wholly dedicated to supporting their programming,” Hoefnagel said, whether that’s by giving them reasonable money support, supplies, marketing, or use of the ODEI Lounge. Other collaborations have included working with the Office of Student Engagement on Marvelous Mondays and assisting the QSA and Feminist Coalition on a drag show.
They also helped with the RISE Retreat for incoming students-of-color, and the office is involved with the Pennsylvania Center for Women & Politics’ pre- and post-election programming.
Hoefnagel wants students to know they’re here on campus, ready to work with students face-to-face and help them get the things they need. “If they come in and they feel really excited about something, trust that I am going to be just as excited and we are going to work together to make it happen.”
Learn more about Chatham’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at chatham.edu.