Social Justice Education

NIU has a strong history of supporting first-generation college students and, as a First-Gen Forward member, has strengthened its national profile among institutions advancing degree completion and social mobility. This engagement expands partnerships that enhance recruitment, retention, and graduation outcomes for first-generation students and families.

Social Justice Education serves as a centralized hub advancing equity, inclusion, and access. We support inclusive education, hosts Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Campus Center initiatives, centers Native American and Indigenous student programs, and hope to provide mentoring beyond the first year. Social Justice Education reflects NIU’s long-term commitment to closing equity gaps and fostering belonging for first-generation students and alumni.

Our programs include:

• Reclaiming Space: On the third Thursday of every month, we host a meetup for undergraduate, graduate, faculty and staff to help foster a sense of belongingness and community among our Indigenous student population while teaching them about different cultural topics.  
• Social Justice Tea (SJTea): A space for students to dive into meaningful conversations about current events through the lens of social justice. Together, we explore complex issues and unpack their many layers.
• Conversations on Identities (COI): Formerly known as CODE, COI is designed to guide participants through a journey of self-discovery and reflection on their own identities. The program creates opportunities to build foundational knowledge around key social justice concepts and issues, including social identities, power, privilege and oppression, microaggressions, and envisioning what an inclusive community truly looks like. Through COI, participants begin to understand how these principles shape individual experiences and collective environments, laying the groundwork for meaningful dialogue and action toward equity and inclusion.
• Conversations on Diversity and Equity (CODE): Designed to engage students, faculty and staff in meaningful learning about the cultural differences that shape our world. The program creates space for participants to explore the complex dimensions of diversity, equity and inclusion while fostering an inclusive campus community where the value and dignity of every member are respected. Facilitators provide supportive environments for participants to build cultural competence along a continuum of learning opportunities. These experiences help individuals deepen their understanding of themselves and their interactions with others, while developing skills to thrive in an increasingly diverse society.
• The Real Talk Conference, as part of our Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Center, is an annual event in partnership with the Division of Student Affairs. It explores a new theme each year, guided by the TRHT framework. This framework emphasizes racial healing and narrative change while addressing structural focus areas of law, economy, and separation. Since its inception, the conference has served as a unique opportunity for meaningful interaction across the entire campus community.
• National Day of Racial Healing: Aligning closely with the TRHT framework by fostering spaces for dialogue, reflection, and collective action that dismantle barriers to equity in collaboration with the Center for Black Studies during MLK Week, we amplify Dr. King’s vision of justice by hosting events that empower advocacy, promote belonging, and inspire transformative change. Through intentional programming, we create opportunities for students and community members to engage in practices that build trust and strengthen relationships across differences. From acts of service to courageous conversations, these efforts embody TRHT principles and advance our shared commitment to racial equity and community care
• Growing through Inclusive Vulnerability and Empathy (GIVE) Circles: Spaces that encourage authentic sharing of, and deep listening to, personal narratives to strengthen relationships and understanding of unique perspectives and experiences.
  • We also lead our GIVE Circle Facilitator Training on campus twice a semester to encourage other departments on campus to have these meaningful dialogues with students, faculty and staff to bridge experiences and understanding.