UHD Center for Diversity & Inclusion Hosted ‘Ukrainian Crisis Speak Out’
UHD’s Center for Diversity & Inclusion hosted “Ukrainian Crisis Speak Out” event on March 4.
The virtual event, led by Dr. John Hudson, Director of the Center for Diversity & Inclusion, offered UHD students, faculty and staff a way to express their concerns, fears and anxieties about the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Several students, including two who grew up in Ukraine, expressed feelings of sadness and disappointment and say the war has made balancing life even more challenging while also trying to navigate life during a pandemic.
“I spoke to my family in Ukraine and I asked if they were preparing for the invasion, and they told me they didn't think a war was going to happen,” one Ukrainian student said. “They didn't believe anything was going to happen, and now it's really heartbreaking for everybody. I talk to my family every day, but the situation is very unstable … every day it's difficult to watch the news.”
The Center for Diversity & Inclusion hopes to have more discussions in the future to help students, faculty and staff discuss the war in Ukraine and offer ways to cope.
Student Counseling Services is available, by appointment, to UHD students in person, phone or video conference, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
To schedule a one-hour session, contact UHDCounseling@uhd.edu or call 713-221-8121.
The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is the second-largest university in Houston and has served the educational needs of the nation’s fourth-largest city since 1974. As one of four distinct public universities in the University of Houston System, UHD is a comprehensive, four-year university led by President Loren J. Blanchard. Annually, UHD educates approximately 14,000 students, boasts more than 66,000 alumni, and offers 45 bachelor’s degrees, 12 master’s degrees, and 19 online programs within four colleges: Marilyn Davies College of Business, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Public Service, and College of Sciences and Technology. UHD has one of the lowest tuition rates in Texas.
U.S. News and World Report ranked UHD among the nation’s Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Applied Administration and Best Online Master’s Programs in Criminal Justice, as well as a Top Performer in Social Mobility. The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranked UHD one of the best colleges in the U.S. for its 2024 rankings, with notable distinctions: No. 1 for diversity (tied) and No. 3 for student experience. The University is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a Minority-Serving Institution, and a Military Friendly School. For more information on the University of Houston-Downtown, visit uhd.edu.
