Dickinson Dimensions
A Dickinson education encourages growth in intellectual “dimensions.” Students acquire global sensibility through appreciation of languages and cultures and develop the intellectual flexibility that allows them to make meaningful connections among people, ideas and disciplines. These habits of mind help students bridge seemingly incongruent ideas while they gain confidence to voice their informed and reasoned thoughts. They embrace intellectual risk and develop leadership skills useful to building a just, compassionate and economically viable society. When turning intellectual reflection into action, Dickinsonians must always be accountable for those actions. They strive to act with integrity and modesty for the greater good and for an ecologically, financially and socially sustainable world.
Affirming Dickinson’s Commitment to a Unified Community
As a college, we are committed to promoting the principles of openness, pluralism, inclusiveness and democracy. We believe that no college can achieve its academic and social goals without reflecting the richness of diverse people and voices in America and the world. To reach our goals in this area, we will continue to enhance the diversity of our own community and broaden the range of other communities with which we must regularly interact in Carlisle, the nation and the world. Our programs and activities will teach students respect for all people.
Office of Diversity Initiatives
Dickinson’s Office of Diversity Initiatives (ODI) cultivates a respectful and supportive community on campus. Dickinson values diversity—cultural, racial, economic and social. A strong multicultural presence is a hallmark of a liberal-arts education. In existence since the 1960s, the ODI assists in preparing Dickinson students to become responsible and responsive community members.
Dickinson values the broad definition of diversity—ethnic, racial, economic, sexual orientation, gender and religious. ODI’s services are open to the entire Dickinson community—students, faculty, and administration.
Creating a Unified Community
ODI is part of a larger framework that is charged with advancing Dickinson’s commitment to broadening the understanding and building of a pluralistic community that promotes equality and integrity on campus, in the community and in the world at large. The office partners with student organizations and other academic and administrative departments to further Dickinson’s commitment to diversity. For more about the latter, visit the How We Learn section of this site.
Students at Dickinson are active in more than 100 extracurricular clubs and activities, including music and drama groups, student publications, fraternities and sororities, and religious, political, special-interest and community-service organizations. Organizations dedicated to diversity at Dickinson College include:
- ABOLISH
- Active Minds
- African-American Society
- Amnesty International
- Asian Social Interest Association
- Club Afrique
- Delta Sigma Theta
- Dickinson Christian Fellowship
- Dickinson Desi Association
- Hillel
- Feminist Collective
- Latin American Club
- Middle Eastern Club
- Muslim Student Association
- Newman Club
- Spectrum
- Students for Social Action
- Sustained Dialogue
- Third Degree Steppers
- Umoja
Special Interest Housing
Special Interest Houses can be created by students and encourage individual and group intellectual and social development that contributes to the intellectual and social life of the college. The current Special Interest Houses are:
- Center for Sustainable Living (Treehouse)
- Classics House
- Dance House
- French House
- Global Community House
- Italian House
- Arts Haus
- Music Society
- R.O.T.C.
- Russian House
- Spanish House
- Spectrum
- UMOJA
- Greek Houses (Delta Nu, Sigma Phi, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Kappa Sigma, Pi Beta Phi and Sigma Alpha Epsilon)
Next: How We Learn