Welcome to the Office of Identity, Equity, and Engagement! We educate, develop, and engage students regarding their various intersecting identities (gender identity, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual identity, etc). Our mission is to provide students an affirming and equitable environment committed to fostering a campus community that celebrates and supports expansion of identities.
Through our programs, workshops and dialogues, we hope to provide students with opportunities to critically explore the world we live in and engage in transformative learning experiences. The student body is a microcosm of the diversity of our society. We invite you to learn not only about promoting equity and justice for marginalized groups, but also to explore yourself through a lens of power and privilege. Together, we will work on developing an appreciation of equity, justice and social responsibility.
Whether you hold marginalized identities or belong to social groups with privilege, you are encouraged to participate in IEE programming during your time at UNC Charlotte. Become a SAFE mentor, a volunteer, an aspiring ally, or learn about ways to interrogate cultural norms and raise consciousness.
We know you will find your home in IEE, where you will learn and grow through experiences. You will find dedicated, passionate, and knowledgeable staff that provide guidance and advocacy for all students and are committed to supporting your well-being, growth and success. Please use this website to explore the variety of opportunities that are available to you. If you don't find what you are looking for, please contact us. Your questions, concerns, comments and suggestions are always welcome and will help us in our role as student advocates.
Mission
The mission of the Office of Identity, Equity and Engagement is to support students who hold historically minoritized identities in an effort to enhance a university culture that embraces inclusive excellence.
Vision
The Office of Identity, Equity and Engagement will champion efforts for students from historically minoritized communities to be seen and celebrated through programs rooted in cultural and social equity. IEE aims to provide affirming and transformative spaces for students to engage, show up as their authentic selves, and form a sense of belonging at UNC Charlotte.
Definition of Equity
We view equity as both a process and a goal. In order for equity to occur, every individual within each and every social identity needs to have the necessary resources to survive and thrive. These resources need to be distributed in a way that allows everyone to get the specific things they need to have full access to society. Equity cannot occur without eliminating the systemic barriers that keep power and dominance at play. We need to holistically understand our privileged identities, the power those identities confer us to need to heal the ways we have been impacted by supremacy in our minoritized identities. Equity occurs when supremacy culture, racism, patriarchy, cissexism, heterosexism, and other forms of dominance are dismantled.