2003
South Puget Sound Higher Education Diversity Partnership

PLU hosts the annual South Puget Sound Higher Education Diversity Partnership. The day-long event provided a wide selection of workshops for faculty, staff and students, as well as networking opportunities with community members.

Multilingual Recruiting Project

Development of the Multilingual Recruiting Project, including supplemental admissions and financial aid materials and programs that will facilitate non-English-speaking parents to understand and support their student’s attendance at PLU.  

2004
Students of Color Retreat

First Students of Color Retreat

Revised procedures

Faculty search procedures revised lifting up diversity guidelines for faculty searches.

2005
Derald Wing Sue

Derald Wing Sue, Professor of Psychology and Education at Columbia University, holds a lecture and workshop with faculty and meets with students to discuss local and global diversity. Dr. Sue is nationally and internationally recognized for his work in cultural diversity training.

$200,000 grant

Women’s Center is awarded $200,000 grant from the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

2006
Seven continents

The PLU campus spanned the globe in January when classes convened in Australia, China, Italy, Namibia, Peru, Neah Bay, Washington and on the Antarctic Peninsula. It was the first time that students from one university studied at the same time on all seven continents.

Drag Show

PLU hosts its first Drag Show, featuring Miss Dominique D’Amour.

Women’s Center

Women’s Center moves to upper campus on 121st St.

Women’s and Gender Studies

The Women’s Studies program changes its name to Women’s and Gender Studies.

Diverse@PLU

The Diverse@PLU digital doorway was created to highlight diversity at PLU.

2007
Diversity Advocate

The Diversity Center creates a Diversity Advocate position that works solely with international student programming and initiatives.

International Honors Program

PLU establishes an International Honors Program, consisting of interdisciplinary and some team-taught courses, this multi-year program consisting of seven required courses explores contemporary issues and their historical foundations through an integrated and multi-national approach.

The Got Privilege?

The Got Privilege? series is developed, connecting academic and student affairs in social justice work.

2008
Act Six Scholars

PLU welcomed its first cadre of Act Six Scholars to the campus community. Act Six is an Urban Leadership Scholarship, sponsored by the Northwest Leadership Foundation, for emerging urban leaders who want to use their college education to make a difference on campus and in their communities.

RLCs established

Social Action and Leadership Residential Learning Community (RLC) are established in partnership with the Diversity Center.

Diversity Center

Diversity Center moved into a new space in the renovated University Center.

Rainbow Center’s “Gayla”

The Diversity Center and Student Involvement & Leadership sponsor our first table at the Rainbow Center’s annual “Gayla.”

2009
Domestic partnership housing

Married student housing is extended to same-sex domestic partners registered with State of Washington.

Senator Paul Simon Award

PLU receives the Senator Paul Simon Award for campus internationalization, the first and only private school in the West to receive the honor.