Hello,
This next publication is dedicated to the many International students, members of the Latino population, and members of the LGBTQ community and their families. We continue to welcome them to this page and we welcome their voices: creating an America of peace and tolerance where we ALL can live and thrive. You have my support.
Our motto is: “Through inclusion, there can be education and through education, there can be transformational changes towards creating spaces of excellence and tolerance." There is no better time than the present to assist our students in becoming effective leaders of Inclusion on a local, regional, national, and global level. This website acts as a model and learning tool for students to practice their leadership development while producing multimedia projects of inclusivity that serve the community, campus, students and faculty in an educational and research strong environment. This site is also connected to a Campus Registered Organization of the same name.
From Cooking for College for students on a tight budget and job tips, to stories about race, gender, ethnicity, abuse, to letters written by elementary, junior high, and high school students about the recent election, HMV provides a platform for diverse voices that impart information and perspectives on various subjects. With so many diverse voices and so many agendas, it is my belief that it is vital that everyone has a seat at the table. Many times, marginalized groups and voices are omitted, scarce. or oppressed. We are also aware that some of the marginalized perspectives can also be found within dominant groups as well. The main objective through the use of my theory called, Active Centralized Empowerment, is to De-Marginalize Voices through individualized leadership and self-empowerment within a collective. Students, faculty and staff from varied intersections work to create learning spaces that represent a microcosm of the type of "perfect" world we would all like to live and thrive in. The team is comprised of students from various disciplines outside of Media and Journalism who wanted to express themselves and/or enable voices found in the margins that are not usually included. Unlike similar professional and academic web sites, Hearmyvoice does not use tabs to separate people along the lines of gender, race, ethnicity, nationality or other intersects. In certain situations and when overused, such separation can result in an "Us versus Them" mentality and practice that can be counterproductive to the mission of the University, the organization, as well as the community: to be Inclusive and Lead by example. All voices should be heard and respected even during disagreements.
In addition to the students, staff, and faculty, I am grateful to have Student Advisor, Terry Cole, on the team. It was a conversation that HE began with me about how students voiced that they felt as if their voices or the voices of others were not being heard that really pushed me to take action. Coupled with the many wishes of Administration and Committees across campus expressing the desire to hear what students had to say, I created this platform. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the Chancellor's office, Office of the Provost, the Committee on Race and Ethnicity (CORE), and Dr. Assata Zerai, Associate Chancellor for Diversity, for their tremendous support of HMV and our mission. By offering their voices and actions of support, they have strengthened the type of partnerships universities dream of during a time of intolerance. The other members of the team, from Faculty to Staff, to Independent Study students and, dedicated students who volunteer to take on more work, just to make this dream that I have had for 4 years, come into fruition, is simply spectacular! My hope is that the students who work with HMV will be the type of leaders who will make a difference and I am so honored, we are so honored and proud of them and their desire to create, positive and empowering spaces for ALL. They have my gratitude.
I have some of the best students who work diligently on making sure voices from the margins are included. THEY are the type of Global leaders we need to improve our future. I thank them for their work, energy and positive attitudes and the courage to help make HMV a website for the world....They have my everlasting gratitude and appreciation.
Respectfully yours,
Janice Marie Collins, President
Our motto is: “Through inclusion, there can be education and through education, there can be transformational changes towards creating spaces of excellence and tolerance." There is no better time than the present to assist our students in becoming effective leaders of Inclusion on a local, regional, national, and global level. This website acts as a model and learning tool for students to practice their leadership development while producing multimedia projects of inclusivity that serve the community, campus, students and faculty in an educational and research strong environment. This site is also connected to a Campus Registered Organization of the same name.
From Cooking for College for students on a tight budget and job tips, to stories about race, gender, ethnicity, abuse, to letters written by elementary, junior high, and high school students about the recent election, HMV provides a platform for diverse voices that impart information and perspectives on various subjects. With so many diverse voices and so many agendas, it is my belief that it is vital that everyone has a seat at the table. Many times, marginalized groups and voices are omitted, scarce. or oppressed. We are also aware that some of the marginalized perspectives can also be found within dominant groups as well. The main objective through the use of my theory called, Active Centralized Empowerment, is to De-Marginalize Voices through individualized leadership and self-empowerment within a collective. Students, faculty and staff from varied intersections work to create learning spaces that represent a microcosm of the type of "perfect" world we would all like to live and thrive in. The team is comprised of students from various disciplines outside of Media and Journalism who wanted to express themselves and/or enable voices found in the margins that are not usually included. Unlike similar professional and academic web sites, Hearmyvoice does not use tabs to separate people along the lines of gender, race, ethnicity, nationality or other intersects. In certain situations and when overused, such separation can result in an "Us versus Them" mentality and practice that can be counterproductive to the mission of the University, the organization, as well as the community: to be Inclusive and Lead by example. All voices should be heard and respected even during disagreements.
In addition to the students, staff, and faculty, I am grateful to have Student Advisor, Terry Cole, on the team. It was a conversation that HE began with me about how students voiced that they felt as if their voices or the voices of others were not being heard that really pushed me to take action. Coupled with the many wishes of Administration and Committees across campus expressing the desire to hear what students had to say, I created this platform. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the Chancellor's office, Office of the Provost, the Committee on Race and Ethnicity (CORE), and Dr. Assata Zerai, Associate Chancellor for Diversity, for their tremendous support of HMV and our mission. By offering their voices and actions of support, they have strengthened the type of partnerships universities dream of during a time of intolerance. The other members of the team, from Faculty to Staff, to Independent Study students and, dedicated students who volunteer to take on more work, just to make this dream that I have had for 4 years, come into fruition, is simply spectacular! My hope is that the students who work with HMV will be the type of leaders who will make a difference and I am so honored, we are so honored and proud of them and their desire to create, positive and empowering spaces for ALL. They have my gratitude.
I have some of the best students who work diligently on making sure voices from the margins are included. THEY are the type of Global leaders we need to improve our future. I thank them for their work, energy and positive attitudes and the courage to help make HMV a website for the world....They have my everlasting gratitude and appreciation.
Respectfully yours,
Janice Marie Collins, President