The Samad Gillani Administration announced Aug. 11 that the Student Government Association will replace the vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion with the vice president for belonging and wellness, and it will end the DEI Passport Program to comply with Senate Bill 129.
SB129 prohibits public schools like the University from “maintaining diversity, equity and inclusion offices” and from sponsoring “diversity, equity and inclusion programs.” The act goes into effect Oct. 1.
The University of Alabama recently shut down the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and replaced it with the Division of Opportunity, Connections and Success in compliance with the bill.
Aubrei Grisaffe, who previously held the role of the vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, will take on the new role as the vice president for belonging and wellness. The mission of the new vice president, Grisaffe said, is to foster a vibrant community prioritizing the wellbeing and belonging of every student.
“The Vice President for Belonging and Wellness encompasses proactive outreach initiatives connecting students with resources and opportunities for personal and academic growth,” Grisaffe said. “The position will follow the principles of the Alabama Model for Student Health and Wellbeing. This model features 7 dimensions of student wellness: social, psychological, academic, physical, spiritual, financial, and career wellness.”
Grisaffe’s cabinet will consist of 20 members who will engage in outreach and programming efforts pertaining to promoting student belonging and wellness.
Grisaffe said that the change will not affect the mission of the SGA and that it will still be committed to its philosophy of “students serving students.”
“The Vice President for Belonging and Wellness is committed to cultivating a campus culture where wellness is a collective responsibility, empowering students to thrive academically, personally, and socially through collaboration, empathy, and dedication to growth,” Grisaffe said. “Their goal is to ensure the University of Alabama remains a place where every student can reach their full potential.”
The Capstone Wellness Explorer Program, a program outlined in the SGA 2024-25 plans, is one of the first initiatives of the vice president. Similar to the DEI Passport program, the CWE tracks student engagement in events that fall under the seven dimensions of student wellness outlined in the Alabama Model for Student Health and Wellbeing. Ruperto Perez, associate vice president of student health and wellbeing, and his Advisory Council on Wellness developed the model.
The CWE will feature two paths for students to participate in. The organizational path is a points-based program in which students may accumulate points that contribute to organizational totals to be used in the annual block seating assignment process for football games. The individual path guides individual students through events that explore the dimensions of student wellness.
The vice president of belonging and wellness will appoint an executive board to operate the CWE, which will begin Sept. 26 and close April 5, 2025.
