Student Engagement & Belonging

Premier Scholars Program Student Organizations Black History Month

Strength in Diversity

At North Central College, we celebrate our differences. We know that an important part of being a member of the North Central College Community is embracing the diversity of our campus community. We promote a perspective that recognizes, understands, respects, appreciates, and celebrates the various cultures that exist in all individuals. 

Our Mission & Vision 

The Office of Student Engagement & Belonging supports the success and achievement of students from underrepresented backgrounds. Furthermore, it is our vision to educate and inspire the North Central College community to discover and experience the value of cultivating cross-cultural interpersonal relationships.

Safety and Respect

We work with all faculty, staff, administrators and students to provide a safe environment for living, learning and working. While we adhere to and support the principles of academic freedom, each member of our community also shares in a common responsibility to maintain an environment free from bias, discrimination and hate. Therefore, we've established the Bias Incident Reporting Form. Reporting bias-related incidents allows us to assist those in need, track patterns of bias and improve our campus climate.

Events and Programs

The Office of Student Engagement & Belonging expands your cultural competency throughout the year with events and programs.

Annual Identity Celebrations

We program for Latinx & Hispanic Heritage Month, Pride Week, Black History Month, Disability Awareness Week, Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Week, and more.

Follow us on Instagram! @ncc_oma

Cardinal Safe Zone

Promotes a safe and supportive campus environment for students, faculty, and staff
who identify as LGBTQIA+ and seeks to create
a network of trained allies. 

Follow us on Instagram! @ncsafezone

Anti-Hate Week

A week-long campaign to promote an inclusive environment across campus, raise awareness of discrimination and oppression in all its forms, and encourage empathy, solidarity, and kindness.

Women of Color Empowerment Luncheon

Annual Women's Herstory Month luncheon offering a space for students, faculty, and staff women of color to build connections over shared experiences through conversation, networking, and solidarity. 

MLK Week

North Central College has a long history of celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—a history highlighted by Dr. King’s visit to campus and speech at the College’s Pfeiffer Hall in 1960. Join us in celebrating with our annual Prayer Luncheon, Teach-In, and more. 

Sankofa Experience

Annual spring break excursion that engages a group of students in dialogue by traveling and exploring the background of a particular cultural group. Sankofa trips teach students that in order to move forward in life, we must go back to our roots. In order to know where we are going in life, we must go back to our past and understand where we came from. 

Sankofa Experience 2023

New Orleans, LA

This year, Sankofa traveled to NOLA to dive deeper into understanding identity through a historical, political, and intersectional lens. Students had the opportunity to learn more about the impact of Hurricane Katrina, voodoo culture, the significance of the Mardi Gras celebration, and African American history including the civil rights movement and the evolution of jazz music, as well as enjoy crawfish, gumbo, and more signature NOLA cuisine! 

Mentorship Opportunities

Premier Scholars Program

The Premier Scholars Program is a 10-day summer bridge program designed to assist underrepresented first-year students make a successful transition from high school to college and ultimately to a successful graduation.

Questions? Contact Assistant Director, Meyani Montano, at mamontano@noctrl.edu 

ACI Peer Mentor Program

North Central College is a proud partner of the Associated Colleges of Illinois. The ACI Peer Mentor Program supports first generation, freshmen Black students by matching them with a trained peer mentor. 

Questions? Contact Assistant Director, Karl Constant, at kconstant@noctrl.edu 

Multicultural Student Organizations

Student groups include Black Student Association, Latinx Student Association, OUTreach, Asian Student Konnection, and many more!

Scholarships

A number of scholarships are available for underrepresented students, including but not limited to the Nicholas Hood Memorial Scholarship and the Derrick and Tracy Malone Scholarship. Scholarships opportunities for undocumented students can be found here. (NC username and password required at login)

For more information on scholarship opportunities, visit here or sign up for our weekly newsletter here.