All first-year students will participate in the american university experience (aux), a course specially designed for students transitioning into their first year of college at au. aux classes meet once per week as small, interactive and inclusive communities. the course provides a place for students to build academic skills for college success; learn about issues of privilege and bias; and explore their own personal identities. the course also models ways of communicating and living in a diverse society, particularly in reference to addressing divergent opinions on challenging topics. how do you personally define an inclusive environment? what do you believe contributes to a diverse and accepting community? (400 words or less)

I define an inclusive environment as one in which people of diverse backgrounds and cultures and therefore divergent views and opinions feel safe and nurtured, respected and taken into account in the decision making process that affects all involved.

This is much easier said than done.

In theory, all college campuses aspire to these lofty goals. Like all human organizations or communities, they have to deal with the delicate issues of how best respect and most importantly, represent everyone's views while not surrendering to or being dominated by a specific group or ethnicity's predominant views.

Tolerance and acceptance are operative words here. These two words are the cornerstones that sustain and actively contribute, in my opinion, to creating a truly diverse and accepting community. Open dialog and willingness to see the other's point of view are also paramount. Empathy, in other words.

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