Programs
Annual Programs
Black History Month
OMSA coordinates this month-long celebration of African-American accomplishments. The series of university activities offered by students, faculty and staff includes workshops, lectures, performances and a juried art exhibit.
Download Black History Month calendars.
Intercultural Festival
This annual event is held in April. The festival brings together diverse ethnic groups to highlight their cultures through dance, dress, ethnic food and other forms of cultural displays.
Check out photos from this year's ICF.
Visit the VCU Intercultural Festival website.
Kwanzaa Celebration
OMSA and the Black Caucus co-sponsor this annual program focusing on Kwanzaa, the African-American/Pan-African holiday that celebrates family, community and culture from December 26 – January 1.
Mosaic Week
A series of events held annually during the first week of September, offering incoming multicultural students an opportunity to meet faculty, staff, and others in the university. Students also learn about multicultural organizations, OMSA, and other university services that may be helpful to them.
Check out photos from this year's Mosaic Week
Ongoing Programs
Brown Bag Luncheons
This bimonthly forum provides a casual, social environment for stimulating discussions about topics of ethnic and cultural diversity.
Cultural Café
The Café offers a relaxed atmosphere for listening to poetry and jazz, watching films and generally relaxing. Coffee, tea and pastries are served.
Cultural Excursion Series
These field trips to museums, plays and other cultural events offer students opportunities to learn about a wide variety of cultures.
Cultural Explorations
A program designed to offer OMSA student organizations an opportunity to present their cultural group through a presentation, workshop, lecture or other format. This program will focus on educating others.
Diversity Film Series
The Diversity Film Series is designed to offer films that reflect the full spectrum of issues related to multiculturalism, i.e. racism, sexism, culture, LGBT issues, etc.
Dollars and Sense — Understanding Basic Personal Finance
Monthly seminars offering students an opportunity to consult with professionals about entering the job market, credit card debt, mortgages, financing automobiles, investing, and purchasing health, disability and life insurance.
2007-08 ScheduleHealth and Wellness Series
Maintaining a healthy, well-balanced life is always a challenge for college students. This series of programs addresses some of the difficulties students face on campus. Sessions will be facilitated by staff from the Office of Health Promotion and University Counseling Center.
LGBT Advanced Discussion Group
Aimed at in-depth, theme oriented discussions on sociopolitics, queer theory, and activism theory. Books and selected readings will be incorporated into the discussion. All are welcome: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and allies. This is not a therapy group.
LGBT Social Network Group
This group will offer lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning students a place to discuss gender and sexual identity exploration within a safe and supportive atmosphere. All are welcome, especially first year students and those new to the LGBT community. This is not a therapy group.
Men of Color Discussion Group
This group offers male students of color an opportunity to discuss current issues related to them. The focus will be placed on exploring racial, social, cultural, and relationship issues. This is not a therapy group.
Multicultural Book Club
This literary club is a multicultural social learning forum that increases VCU students' knowledge of culture and social issues through reading. The experience assist students with becoming more informed and to serve as multicultural leader at VCU and in the community.
Previous books read by the Book Club were: "Don't Believe the Hype : Fighting Cultural Misinformation About African Americans" by Farai Chideya, "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini, "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez, "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel, "The Farming of the Bones" by Edwidge Danticat, "First They Killed My Father" by Loung Ung
Multicultural Speaker Series
Multicultural community leaders will discuss their rise to responsible leadership positions, the issues they faced, the lessons learned and the skills they developed to become successful.
Previous speakers were: Arnold R. Henderson, Attorney-at-Law Bruce Twyman, Director of Public Information for the Department of Juvenile Justice Kamini Pahuja, Owner & Vice President, Alloy Polymers, Inc. David Baugh, Criminal Defense Attorney-at-Law Lee Brazzell, CEO, Transformation Consulting LLC Sharon Dabney-Wooldridge, President and CEO, The KleanKare Team, Inc.
Pre-collegiate and Collegiate Juried Art Exhibit
OMSA offers monetary awards and recognition, for pre-collegiate and collegiate art students who are selected in this contest. The event occurs during Black History Month and is focused on art students who best express their talents through a painting, collage or drawing that is related to a Black History Month theme.
Collegiate Art Exhibition Entry Form
Pre-Collegiate Art Exhibition Entry Form
Taste of Culture
These food events offer an opportunity for students and other to sample foods from various cultures.
Women of Color Discussion Group
This group will offer female students an opportunity to interact across cultures and discuss issues related to social, cultural, educational and career goals. This is not a therapy group.