Dr. Aliya Beavers Received Warm Welcome to the Center for Belonging and Social Change at Ohio State

Dr. Aliya Beavers, Director of CBSC center.

Credit: Amani Bayo

By Amani Bayo

The newly appointed director for the Center for Belonging and Social Change looks to further inclusivity at Ohio State.

Aliya Beavers was announced to be filling the role of director of the Center for Belonging and Social Change on Sept. 12 and appointed as the leader of fostering inclusivity and improving the diverse student experience on campus. Beavers was previously a director of student diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. In a statement given by Tanisha L. Jenkins, associate Vice President of the CBSC, Beavers is believed to deliver on the mission of the CBSC. 

Beavers said the legacy of her leadership roles ensured that diversity was incorporated in various spaces the way people she looked up to ensured her voice was heard. She said she has led Greek life and multicultural recruitment at Michigan State and Depauw University previously.  Beavers also said she believes studying psychology and Black world history as an undergraduate student helped her prepare for this role.

“The reason I want to make sure its incorporated into everything I do is one because not everybody else is gonna do it, but two, I really do truly feel like the reason I got through school, the reason I am where I am is because of the people who made sure it was incorporated into what they did,” Beavers said.

While in this position, Beavers said she hopes to engage with the student population on campus to understand their wants and needs and cater to what's necessary to ensure diverse students feel comfortable and welcome on campus. 

“My ultimate goal is to be out of a job because that would mean we have gained a consensus on how to engage and interact with each other,” Beavers said. “Listening to the students to kind of see what they want, what their needs are so if it's about opening up this space, literally like knocking down walls so that when they walk in they can feel like it's home and not like a mausoleum.”

Much like Beavers, Djeynaba Ndiaye said she also shares a passion for making the CBSC center feel more welcoming to students of color. 

“I feel like a lot of people don't know about this place because it's in the corner, it's just one of those places you don’t see a lot of people come to. It's not like Thompson or 18th Ave to where it’s crowded, it's much more chill,” Ndiaye said. “This is one of the places where Black people can get comfortable, other than Hale Hall, so I think it would be a good idea to revamp the space.”

Ndiaye, a fifth-year in international relations and diplomacy, said she had come to know of the CBSC when it was known as the Multicultural Center in her first-year as a member of the young scholars program. Ndiaye said she uses the center almost every day as a place to study.

“They let us know about the multicultural center because that was one of the first places we toured. I made a lot of friends by sitting in this room,” Ndiaye said. “I feel like it’s a safe space for Black students and other students of color because you don't really see a lot of us.”

Beavers said Ohio State is the biggest university she has worked for and is optimistic that her past experiences in smaller roles can help her navigate the difficulties of doing integral work at a bigger university. 

“I’ve had experience in many different functional areas. Everything that I have ever done has always had an element of diversity,” Beavers said. “When I was looking to move on in my career and when I read what the position was I knew Ohio State was a good space.”

Beavers said she knew her career path would involve aiding in the improvement of diversity after being surrounded by people from various backgrounds in college which taught her the importance of understanding diverse perspectives. 

“When I went to undergrad I had experiences with my friends in my hall and it was great because I felt like that community was just nice to be in that space,” Beavers said. “That’s where I think it started developing into being important for me.”

Beavers said when she began working with universities, she noticed a massive disparity in college accessibility and found that it was directly related to diverse inclusivity. 

Beavers said she now prioritizes students feeling welcome in college so they can stay. 

“It was when I was working for admission I started to really think about how not everybody has access to college,” Beavers said. “You can get students to school but at the end of the day it's about them being able to stay, so what is it that's gonna make sure they stay? One of the pieces is making sure that they are in an environment where they feel like they belong.''

With about a month and a half of experience as director, Beavers said her door is always open for students as she is looking forward to learning more about how she can be of help.