Campus Diversity and Belonging

An Intentional Focus on Community for All

Founded in 1867, McDaniel College is a diverse, student-centered community that pays careful attention to each individual who calls the Hill their home. The first coeducational college south of the Mason-Dixon Line, McDaniel was also one of the first coeducational colleges in the nation. Over 150 years later, an intentional focus on community and belonging remains deeply ingrained in the philosophy of the college. We are guided by our First Principles, which compel us to place students at the center of a humane environment, respect others, and share responsibility for the common good.

Supporting the Community

Supporting all students and employees to ensure they know they are important to the college and that McDaniel is a place they can call home.

Strengthening the Curriculum

Continually evaluating and revising the curricula, policies, and practices of our institution to provide a rich and diverse educational experience.

Leading Our Culture

Implementing and sustaining a culture of intentional community and inclusive excellence, where our community members know they belong, are empowered to share their experiences as part of a learning and growing community, and are supported in building connections across difference and to find connections with others.

Influencing Our City and County

Cultivating meaningful partnerships with Westminster and Carroll County to foster a shared sense of belonging and create spaces where students and employees see themselves as part of a wider, welcoming community.

Celebrating Our Differences

Providing campus-wide celebrations and recognition of the diverse racial and cultural identities of our students and employees to educate our community, honor those identities, and deepen a sense of belonging on campus.

McDaniel College Strategic Plan 2022-27 Reaching New Heights

The Reaching New Heights strategic plan shapes McDaniel’s future by guiding the direction, priorities, and investments for the college. By concentrating on the values of inclusivity, authenticity, a focus on the individual, lifelong learning, equity, and generosity, the plan further positions McDaniel as an innovative liberal arts college focused on student achievement and professional success.

Learn more about the Strategic Plan

Chosen Name Policy

McDaniel College recognizes how important it is to have the ability to be addressed by the name that an individual prefers. Accordingly, procedures for our preferred name policy are set and are intended to provide guidance to help individuals navigate college systems and make adjustments where needed. Though some offices must utilize a student’s legal name (Financial Aid, for example), every effort is made to respect our students’ chosen names.

Office of Student Belonging

Our mission is to cultivate a campus community where every student feels a deep sense of belonging. We foster authentic connections and create spaces where students are seen, supported, and celebrated. Through intentional programming, advocacy, and collaboration, we work to ensure that all students at McDaniel College can thrive and be empowered to lead meaningful change.

Coming Together: Events and Celebrations

McDaniel understands the value of sharing and understanding the different cultural and religious backgrounds of the members of our community. As such, all students — regardless of their affinity or identity — are welcome to join student organizations and to attend events at which various cultural and religious traditions are shared.

We realize that we are a stronger community when we come together with a common desire to educate, learn, share, and celebrate with those from different backgrounds. It is our policy that no member of our community will be denied membership in any student organization nor attendance at events based on personal identities or beliefs.

Student Events Calendar Public Events Calendar

Interfaith Events

While the college was founded with deep ties to the Methodist faith, McDaniel has since evolved to welcome and celebrate all religions and faith traditions represented by members of our community. We remain committed to hosting several interfaith events each year to celebrate all religious, spiritual, and ethical beliefs on our campus.

Interfaith Celebration: Each semester, the various cultural and religious student organizations on campus gather to deepen their understanding of each other’s faiths and value to our community.

Interfaith Services: Each year, the college hosts one Interfaith Service to foster a deeper sense of community and belonging among those from varied faith and religious traditions. This has been held at Homecoming Weekend and at Parent and Family Weekend in the past, providing access to those members of our alumni and family communities who may only be on campus once or twice per year.

Interfaith Community Dinners: Several semesterly community dinners are held for employees to bring McDaniel faculty and staff members together and provide space for discussion and camaraderie.

Westminster Faith Community Resource Guide: For those looking for off-campus support within their specific faith community, we are pleased to offer this guide to faith based organizations in the Westminster community.

Westminster Faith Community Resource Guide

College Chaplain, Richard Smith ’00, Ph.D. speaks at a podium in front of organ pipes

Meet the Chaplain: Richard Smith ’00, Ph.D.

Richard Smith ’00, Ph.D., is dedicated to connecting with and supporting the various cultural and religious communities here on the Hill. He sees each student, faculty member, and staff member as a unique individual, and he values their voices and perspectives. With a background in chaplaincy and as a campus leader and professor of Sociology, Smith enjoys building a culture of empathy and care on campus.

Learn about Chaplain Services

Cultural Celebrations and Events

McDaniel is dedicated to celebrating the diverse heritage traditions that make up our community of students, faculty, and staff. Through a variety of programs held on campus each year, we offer opportunities to learn and grow together while sharing elements of our cultures that can unite us all, including food, music, and customs.

Cultural Speaker Series: This series aims to honor the various history and heritage months throughout the year while educating our community on backgrounds and identities that may be different from their own.

Cultural Celebrations and Dinners: The college supports cultural groups in educating their peers about their various cultural backgrounds through galas or formal dinners, which are open to all of campus and include an educational component about the groups’ cultural identities.

Out of Darkness: A Celebration of Light: A special evening filled with light, education, food, and the sharing of religious and cultural traditions, Out of Darkness brings the McDaniel College campus community together in unity to celebrate our campus history, learn from one another, uplift our cultural organizations, share our differing religious and cultural traditions, usher in the winter holiday season, and have fun together as a community. As each student engages with our educational experience, they expand their worldview and knowledge, becoming more enlightened. This deeply personal journey is reflected in the college’s motto, E Tenebris in Lucem Voco, which means, “I call you out of darkness into light.”

Other Programming

The college remains committed to supporting additional programming for students, faculty, and staff to include discussion groups, educational panels, book clubs, and workshops to expand the community’s knowledge of the diverse backgrounds that make up our campus.

Any member of our community who believes they have been the subject of a bias-related incident on campus and is not comfortable discussing the incident in person with a member of administration is encouraged to fill out the Bias-Related Incident Report Form.

A bias-related incident is an act or behavior (verbal, nonverbal, or written) toward a person or a group of people based on a bias against the presumed or actual race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, religious/spiritual beliefs, age, disability, and sexual orientation of the person or group of people being targeted. Bias incidents do not rise to the level of a criminal offense.

Bias-Related Reporting Process Bias-Related Incident Report Form

Honoring Our Community’s Diverse History:

College Chaplain, Richard Smith, speaks in front of a group of people — College Chaplain, Richard Smith, speaks in front of a group students, alumni, faculty, and staff during the unveiling of the BSU Clubroom renovation.

BSU Clubroom and Historical Exhibit

The Black Student Union (BSU) Clubroom has been a welcoming space for students of all backgrounds on the Hill for more than 40 years. The space has recently undergone a major renovation so that it may remain a cornerstone of belonging at the college for generations to come.

This project goes beyond just creating a functional space; it’s about celebrating our rich history through a beautiful historical exhibit that honors the legacy of our institution and connects it to the vibrant future we’re building for our students.

We encourage all members of our community to visit the BSU Clubroom and Historical Exhibit to learn more about the legacy of the college's students who broke the color barrier, the history of the Black Student Union and its role in welcoming students of all racial and cultural backgrounds, and the important advocacy work that has often been born in this space.

Image or a large sign on a tripod featuring an image of the wall of the BSU clubroom and the words Enduring Strength

2 large displays on easels - the left display is 2 images of the BSU clubroom with furniture arranged, the right display is a list of contributors and supporters of the renovation project

A Fair Admissions Process

We realize that to ensure a campus community where all students feel comfortable, we must evaluate the point of entry to the college. Our admissions process is designed to provide all applicants with a fair review. In addition to comprehensive training for Admissions staff, we regularly review our admission policies and practices with the goal of increasing access to a top-notch liberal arts education at McDaniel.

As part of these efforts, McDaniel has committed to:

A comprehensive and holistic review of every applicant that includes review of not just GPA but high school curriculum, out-of-class experiences and responsibilities (this includes traditional co-curricular experiences like student leadership and athletics as well as non-academic or co-curricular responsibilities such as employment or taking care of a family member), letters of support, and personal experiences as revealed through essays.
The elimination of an application fee.
A test-optional admissions policy, which allows students to determine if they would like to submit their test scores. McDaniel has been proudly test-optional since 2001.
Utilizing applicants’ Preferred Name on salutations in communications from the Admissions Office.

Additionally, McDaniel College Admissions staff works hard to cultivate meaningful relationships with school counselors so that counselors feel comfortable advocating for students throughout the admissions process.