The Office of Intercultural Affairs (OIA) formerly known as the Office of Multicultural Affairs changed its name in the spring of 2008 as a way to acknowledge our interconnectedness as cultural beings, and to expand our definitions of how we discuss diversity. Within this framework, we also recognize the importance of understanding the intersections of race, gender, class, sexual orientation, religion, national origin and people with different abilities. OIA collaborates with students, faculty and staff as we work to foster inclusive, diverse, egalitarian, learning environments. Our commitment towards serving the common good takes the form of educational, cultural and social programming that promotes academic excellence, leadership development, community involvement and social responsibility at Grinnell College.

Programs sponsored by OIA include Multicultural Student Orientation (MSO), which is a two-day pre-orientation program for U.S. students of color and first generation college students who are assigned a peer mentor. The Peer Connections Program (PCP) matches upper class students with first year students of color, first generation college students and international students. The Faculty Mentoring Program (FMP) matches incoming students from under-represented groups with faculty within the Humanities, Science and Social Studies Divisions. For further information about these programs please visit our website.

OIA sponsors several active intercultural groups with the exception of Chalutzim, which is supported by the Center for Religion, Spirituality and Social Justice (CRSSJ); the leadership of these groups comes together as the Multicultural Leadership Council (MLC). The function of the MLC is to promote intercultural understanding, collaborative planning, and to recognize and celebrate diversity on campus. The following is a list of the current intercultural groups:

• Asian American Coalition (AAC)
• Asian Student in Alliance (ASIA)
• African Student Union (ASU)
• Chalutzim -Jewish student organization
• Concerned Black Students (CBS)
• Future Black Law Student Association (FBLSA)
• International Student Organization (ISO)
• Native American Student Association (NASA)
• Queer People of Color (QPOC)
• Student Organization of Latinos/as (SOL)
• Stonewall Coalition (STONECO)
• Young Gifted and Black Gospel Choir (YGB)

In addition to the intercultural groups, OIA oversees the Conney M. Kimbo Black Cultural Center, otherwise known as the BCC and the Stonewall Resource Center (SRC). Both of these centers are student managed. They provide educational and social programming to meet the needs of the students and campus community in general. Please visit these websites for more detailed information :Stonewall Resource Center and Black Cultural Center.