We live in a diverse and complex world. College is a crucial time to investigate our similarities and differences, learning about ourselves and improving our learning environment in the process.
Multiculturalism is inseparable from the part of the Saint Michael’s College mission that addresses the promotion of human dignity and respect, the value of each person, and the uniqueness of each person’s gifts.
At Saint Michael’s, multiculturalism is an important platform for broad conversations about who we are as individuals and as a community. It invites each of us to look inside, to investigate our own and others' perspectives, and helps us discover what we bring to these conversations.
Multiculturalism is also about what unites us as human beings. It is a human trait to rejoice with new birth and grieve with loss; we all feel pride at the accomplishments of our young; all humans hurt with physical and emotional pain; and we all want to be loved, valued and respected. These human realities unite us, as friendship unites us.
Our college's multicultural identity, then, is about understanding and respecting our similarities and differences, and uniting them through our ideal of “bettering the human condition in the light of the Catholic faith.”
Saint Michael's real story of multiculturalism is more in what we are striving to be, not what we might be on any given day. We are enriched by diverse viewpoints, ideas, and ways of seeing and knowing. Intellectual diversity is enhanced by racial and ethnic diversity. We must all learn how to lead, follow, live with and be enriched by people different from ourselves in today’s global world.