10 Years of Changemaking and more to come

What Changemaking means to USD and how students can get involved

Yana Kouretas / Feature Editor / The USD Vista

Changemaking – a loaded word. Something that you can’t just say, but need to do; to be. A word that USD was officially awarded for upholding 10 years ago.

A decade ago, the university was first recognized for its efforts in honoring the Changemaking mission by Ashoka U; the institution that deems higher education campuses worthy of accepting the title of having a changemaker designation. Although the phrase “Changemaking” can capture a wide range of actions, USD is part of a select group of only 45 other universities globally that have also received this identification from Ashoka U. 

There is the infamous USD application question that prompts students to look into their own changemaking capabilities and how they could fulfill. Yet it is probable that the word is still tossed around aimlessly with students not grasping  the full spectrum of what it means to be a changemaker. 

There really is no “right” or one way  to be a changemaker. However, in light of  USD’s experience and resources that have emerged over 10 years, the Changemaker Hub, administrators, and other individuals share what changemaking can look like and how other students can get involved. 

Director of the Changemaking Hub, Mike Smith, Ph.D., advises students on how they can begin their Changemaking journey, acknowledging that it is not a linear process.

“We see changemaking as a practice; it is something you do on a daily basis,” Smith said. “I think that changemaking starts by asking, “What is it other than myself, outside in the world, that I care about?”  

Smith also advocated for taking a simpler path by starting on campus, which is equally important as seeking to promote community change. 

“This is an educational institution, we are here to learn stuff. Even one lesson in class can spark you to begin to reach out to see what you can do,” Smith said. “A lot of student organizations here will designate themselves as a changemaking organization because they are doing something related to making the world a better place.”

Regardless, making an impact – either in the community or on campus – is unique to each individual. For some, changemaking means joining a club, yet for others, it may mean going out in the community and enacting social activism and change.

Emily Klaassen, Changemaking Fellow Chair, detailed the significance of self-reflection to discern one’s passion. “I think it’s just great for students to look into themselves and see what lifts them up, and what they want to spend their time doing,” Klaassen said.

Fostering change doesn’t have to be an overnight process; it can be more effective to spend time looking for a worthwhile cause, instead of jumping into the deep end of an already tangled issue without any real purpose or direction. 

Additionally, Klaassen identified one of her main goals as she continues to provide support in the Changemaker Hub to new students and to the outer USD community.

“I feel like everywhere is kind of in a period of awakening to many social issues that have been swept under the rug,” Klaassen said. “One of my main goals is to appeal to bigger audiences as well.  Having other perspectives is so valuable.” 

It may be easy to say that any student can be a changemaker just by confronting a social issue in the community or joining an organization at USD. 

However, it is hard for students to understand where they fit into the complex web of causes in the community and in the world, and if their efforts will have any implication at all. 

USD sophomore, Emma Shea, expressed the difficulty to resonate with an issue or get involved with changemaking initiatives.

“I think USD has a lot of resources to get involved in Changemaking, but it’s up to the student to be proactive and use the resources,” Shea said. “Changemaking is a buzz word that’s all around campus, so I feel like a lot of students know but don’t necessarily want to take the initiative to get involved.”

Despite the reluctance to dive into changemaking that students might have, it is apparent that USD has the resources and structures to support and give students a platform to make change, to make a difference. 

Whether it be walking into the Changemaking Hub to have a conversation or bringing up a matter to an administrator, USD’s changemaking designation emphasizes that these options are open and encouraged for students to take. 

Vice President for Mission Integration, Micheal Lovette-Colyer, Ph.D., acknowledges that the university has barely scratched the surface on issues to address, as there is a constant flow of emerging ones. Yet USD’s commitment to facilitating these structures is a powerful objective that will help to begin deconstructing these problems. 

“There is still so much to do because the world we are living in is changing, and the needs are greater than ever. At times it can be daunting because of how large and overwhelming issues can be,” Lovette-Colyer said. “We have done a lot at the institution to set up structures to support students growing into their possibilities as changemakers; but their world needs more changemakers now more than ever.” 

For example, to bring ideas about change or a certain social justice issue to life, one can join the hive program just by walking into the Changemaking Hub. A five week immersive boot camp, this is where students can receive materials to see what their plans would look like in real time. The Ozzi Box that has been rapidly implemented in dining services this year was derived from a hive production. 

In addition, the notion of not viewing changemaking as an end point, but as a process that you are continually working at is vital to ensure that one engages in changemaking out in the real world or in the community.   

The changemaking challenge invites students to expand their creativity and humanity into the community by generating ideas that would address a certain local and social obstacle. 

From the past years of the changemaking challenge, individuals produced innovative ideas ranging from placing feminine hygiene product boxes around the city in dense homeless areas to creating an app that connects and supports Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students at USD. 

As the years come and go, so do students, programs, and buildings. As often as the seasons change, so do most things at USD. But the constant in it all is the university’s allegiance to upholding its changemaking designation. With 10 years of experience and much accomplished, the next 10 years of learning and growth are likely to be even more monumental.