MSU Women of Color Community
WOCC hosts several events throughout the year including:
- Fall Welcome
- Annual conference
- Reading and discussion group
- Social events (end-of-year social, sisterhood luncheons, etc.)
- Quarterly meetings with MSU administrators and full body membership
- Networking groups (professional development, travel, workout, etc.)
Perceived as a need among many women of color at the University, Michigan State University’s Women of Color Community, or WOCC, was founded in fall 2018 by members of the Institutional Diversity: Excellence in Action, or IDEA, Coordinators. It was established as a social, networking and professional resource and is open to all women of color administrators, faculty, academic specialists and support staff.
“Women of color” is intended to be a unifying term that is inclusive of African American/Black, Arab, Asian, Pacific Islander Desi American/Asian, Chicana/e/x, Latina/e/x, American Indian, Indigenous and biracial/multiracial identities.
WOCC aligns its efforts with the DEI Strategic Plan that was launched in fall 2021.The plan states that “Michigan State is dedicated to providing opportunities through education and building the future of Michigan and the nation with the talent and contributions of individuals from all backgrounds and communities.”
The WOCC organization works closely with the Office of the Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer and the Office for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion for the purposes of being visible, supported and respected for the contributions made by women of color at MSU and to be recognized for their efforts to help the institution achieve its goal of excellence.
As a collective, the WOCC works to bring women of color together to discuss issues related to recruitment, retention, advancement and wellness of women of color at MSU. Meetings are formatted to share time and space to learn equitably, support each other collectively and benefit from our shared knowledge and experiences.
WOCC collaborates with other women’s organizations at MSU to create professional development opportunities for constituents and its members join university-wide DEI committees to formulate a broad range of cultural celebratory programs.
Primary funding is from MSU Creating Inclusive Excellence Grants, however, in an effort to build relationships, the WOCC conducts outreach to other on-campus and off-campus sources to support its initiatives.
Upcoming Events
Social Events
TBD – Sisterhood Luncheon with Human Resources Vice President Christina Brogdon – In-person, location and registration TBD
March 18, 2024 – Sister 2 Sister event w/ AIR Paige Hernandez, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., Sexton High School. Volunteer info here.
March 21, 2024 – Sisterhood Luncheon WOCC x WOCI, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., MSU Library Green Room. Register here.
March 27, 2024 – 5:30 p.m., Butts and Guts Group Workout, IM Circle Lower Gym. Register here.
April 25, 2024 – Professional Development with Dr. Randi Stanulis, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m., location and registration TBD.
TBD – May Sisterhood Luncheon. Location, registration and date TBD.
May 23, 2024 – Professional Development with Dr. Randi Stanulis, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m., location and registration TBD.
TBD – June Summer Celebration. Location, registration and date TBD.
General Body Meetings
Spring Welcome – In-person, location and registration TBD
5th Annual WOCC Conference
Friday, Feb. 23, 2024
9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET (lunch included)
Location: Kellogg Center, Lincoln Room
WOCC Listserv
Subscribe to our listserv to receive updates.To join the WOCC listserv email mdelrio@msu.edu.
2023-24 Planning Committee
Ann Crain, crainann@msu.edu
Audrey Bentley, bentley@msu.edu
Bianca Price, pricebia@hr.msu.edu
Cheleane Clerkley, chambe78@hr.msu.edu
Chiquita Whittington, whitti25@msu.edu
Dorali Rebollo, santama1@msu.edu
Jennifer Watson, watso192@msu.edu
Melissa Del Rio, mdelrio@msu.edu
Tiana Carter, carte282@msu.edu
Rita Jreidini, jahshanr@msu.edu
Planning Committee membership is open, please email mdelrio@msu.edu if you would like to join the planning committee.
Please note, WOCC acknowledges and aligns with the MSU Land Acknowledgment.
We collectively acknowledge that Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg – Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi peoples. In particular, the university resides on land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw. We recognize, support and advocate for the sovereignty of Michigan’s twelve federally-recognized Indian nations, for historic Indigenous communities in Michigan, for Indigenous individuals and communities who live here now and for those who were forcibly removed from their homelands. By offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty and will work to hold Michigan State University more accountable to the needs of American Indian and Indigenous peoples.
We recognize and acknowledge that the very foundation of the United States of America was built on the free and forced labor of Black people of the African diaspora and Black people indigenous to this land. This foundation has generational and exponential effects that continue to negatively impact Black communities today and are uncompensated. The historical and contemporary contributions of the Black diaspora continue to shape American culture and benefit all inhabitants of this land.
