This month we welcome back Andrea Knutson and Noelle Mongene from OU's Native American Advisory Committee. In the second part of a two-part episode, they provide updates on their efforts around the OU community, including the dedication of a Native American Heritage Site and who led the charge to establish OU's Land Acknowledgement Statement.

Resources

• Honoring Native American heritage at Oakland University
• OU Land Acknowledgement
• Going Beyond Land Acknowledgments
• Native American Cultural Knowledge Course
• OU Native American Advisory Committee
• Celebrating Native American Heritage Month Across Campus - OU Magazine
• Oakland University becomes 1st US campus to return land use to Native American community - ClickOnDetroit
• List of Michigan Tribal Governments

This month we welcome Andrea Knutson and Noelle Mongene from OU's Native American Advisory Committee. In the first part of a two-part episode, they provide historical context on relations between early Americans and Native Americans, and how those interactions affected the advancement of Native culture, language, and practices.

Resources

• Honoring Native American heritage at Oakland University
• OU Land Acknowledgement
• Going Beyond Land Acknowledgments
• Native American Cultural Knowledge Course
• OU Native American Advisory Committee
• Celebrating Native American Heritage Month Across Campus - OU Magazine
• Oakland University becomes 1st US campus to return land use to Native American community - ClickOnDetroit
• List of Michigan Tribal Governments

Kate, Dan, and Kayla discuss what they've learned over the course of our second season, and share some of our favorite clips from the year. Join us as we wrap Season 2 and look ahead to Season 3.

This month we continue our conversation with OU's Director of Financial Aid, Nicole Boelk. We discuss how recent changes to the upcoming FAFSA are intended to address concerns over accessibility, the federal verification process, and common misconceptions about the financial aid. Come learn more about how financial aid offices, and the staff who work in them, play a critical role in DEI throughout the campus community.

In part 1 of a 2 part conversation, we meet with Oakland University's Director of Financial Aid, Nicole Boelk, to discuss recent federal changes to the 2024-25 FAFSA. We discuss how changes to the FAFSA calculation could mean more access to aid for new populations, and the implications for the broader financial aid community. Come learn more about these sweeping changes prior to the new FAFSA release scheduled for December 2023.

This month we met with Allan Case, Director of Admissions Operations at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. This wide-ranging discussion covers the admissions process, DEI considerations, and how current legislation and Supreme Court rulings have affected admissions practices.

This month we met with Dr. Olysha Magruder from Johns Hopkins University's Whiting School of Engineering. This wide-ranging discussion covers inclusivity, culture, accessibility, and how you can incorporate concepts of each to create an engaging and inclusive learning environment. Come learn more about how the tone and language you use in your syllabus could be enhanced by using a more inclusive approach.

This month we sit down with Angie Freeman from the University of Michigan to discuss Juneteenth. Come learn more about the history of the holiday, some of the rich symbolism surrounding the Juneteenth flag, and implications for higher education.

Resources

• National Museum of African American History and Culture article

• History of Juneteenth

  • NY Times

  • History Channel

• Juneteenth Flag history

• Make Your Own Juneteenth Flag

• Detroit Free Press - local events

• Juneteenth Reading Lists

  • List 1

  • List 2

• Kids Videos

  • What is Juneteenth?

  • What is Juneteenth?

On this month's episode, we sit down with a couple of student veterans to discuss their experience going from the military and back into the classroom. They share how their military experience set them up to be successful in the classroom, and how they navigate learning with younger students whose concerns are often quite different than their own.