mosaic student lifestyle

MOSAIC Initiative

Making our school an informed community.

Among Anderson University’s strategic priorities is our intent to build an interculturally responsive campus, to diversify the student body, and to recruit qualified faculty and staff who bring ethnic and cultural diversity.

Informed by Romans 14:19 (NRSV), “Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual up-building,” the university supports a MOSAIC Team comprised of faculty, staff, and students who lead the institution’s efforts for intercultural engagement. Both the Provost and the Director of the Cultural Resource Center give leadership to the MOSAIC Team.

With deliberation, the diversity committee chose the name MOSAIC to uniquely demonstrate our campus commitment to infuse the AU culture with intercultural competence.

MOSAIC Goals

The following goals serve as a guidepost for our work as a campus and committee:

  1. Create an interculturally caring campus transformed by, and with a generous spirit toward, all people.
  2. Increase campus-wide diversity of ethnically/culturally diverse students, faculty, and staff through intentional recruitment and retention strategies.
  3. Build institutional capacity to recognize, navigate, and bridge the complexities of cultural differences to ensure that students, faculty, and staff feel valued and engaged.
  4. Intentionally cultivate relationships with minority representative groups within the Church of God (Anderson) and with other organizations locally, nationally, and globally.

Purpose Statement

The MOSAIC Team is committed to supporting the university’s intention to graduate students with a global perspective who have the knowledge, skills, and attributes needed to meaningfully engage in lives of faith and service in an increasingly diverse world.

We understand our efforts are undertaken within the context of a commitment as Christ-followers of a rich church heritage rooted in Biblical reconciliation and Christian unity. Within this context, and building our capacity to “bridge the complexities of cultural differences,” we will model and promote a work-learning environment where all people feel valued and engaged.

Action Statement

We are called as a Christ-centered community to create an environment where everyone feels included and loved. We advocate with and are sensitive to people or groups who may feel marginalized or do not have full value and/or participation within our community. We protect the human dignity of all.

DIVERSITY & CULTURE STORIES 

At Anderson University, my perspective has been extremely broadened. I lived in a small farm town, graduated with 25 other kids, and I had only known what little I had seen. Whether it is hanging out in the CRC with Mike Thigpen and the multicultural and international students, or giving tours to prospective students, I have learned so much. I have seen others points of view and it has been absolutely amazing.

Luke Overton      CLASS OF 2021