UChicago offering identity-based ‘pre-orientation’ events for 'Students of Color' and LGBTQ-identifying students

The University of Chicago is offering “pre-orientation programs” for students of color and LGBTQ-identifying students for incoming freshmen next month.

The events are organized by the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs and LGBTQ Student Life at the school’s Center for Identity + Inclusion. Programs for graduate students will take place later this month, while the identity-based events for undergraduates will occur in the middle of September. The University of Chicago uses a three-term system. The summer term ends on September 13.

“This exciting opportunity is designed to help foster a strong sense of community and belonging,” the description page says. “By building peer networks, engaging in conversations about identity, and examining culture throughout different Chicago neighborhoods, participants will be better prepared and more confident as they navigate their transition to campus in the fall.” 

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LGBTQ Student Life describes itself as “the hub for all LGBTQ student life at The University of Chicago.” Among the services the center offers students include “Queer 101 Orientation,” an “LGBTQ Resource Library” that includes a “queer” book and DVD list, a “Pronouns of Reference” sheet, and “Inclusive Student Records.”

In addition to the pre-orientation program, Multicultural Student Affairs also provides an identity-based graduation event for “students of color and multicultural students.”

Colleges and universities organizing identity-based orientation events for incoming freshmen has been a growing trend in recent years. Princeton University announced it was beginning a social justice-based orientation for freshmen in 2017. In the same year, Cornell University required orientation students to attend a lecture on “identities and bias.”

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As Campus Reform reported in 2022, a report from Speech First found that orientation packets emphasize diversity, equity, and inclusion principles. Colleges and universities promote DEI ideas not only in orientation packets but throughout the academic year as well. Campus Reform reported earlier this year that two-thirds of institutions of higher education require students to take some sort of DEI course to graduate.

Campus Reform contacted the University of Chicago for comment, requesting any materials it plans to use for the orientation sessions. This story will be updated accordingly.