ºìÐÓÖ±²¥app

Vision Statement

The MANdatory program is an academic enrichment and leadership development program for male-identified students of color at Dickinson including those who self-identify racially and ethnically as African-American, Asian-American, Latino, Biracial, Multiracial and/or Indigenous/Native American. MANdatory is a gender inclusive program that welcomes agender, cisgender, and transgender men.

Weekly Meetings & Topics

MANdatory meets weekly on Monday evenings and Friday evenings in East College and Landis House. Each week’s meetings mix resource presentations with open conversation topics. Meetings are held by the Student Leaders. Some common themes include the following:

• Academic achievement & success
• Community service and civic engagement
• Health and wellness
• High Impact Educational Practices
• Leadership skills
• Social identity
• Undergraduate research opportunities
• Invitations to educational sessions addressing topics like academic success, career development, social identity, and leadership skills, among others

MANdatory 2022 Students with Former Harrisburg Councilman and PSC Director

MANdatory 2021 Students with new shirts

Benefits

• Exclusive access to a supportive peer group and caring adults to ensure their success
• An end-of the year graduation ceremony
• Membership in an on and off-campus MANdatory alumni network

Rituals

Each year, in addition to weekly meetings, the men of MANdatory engage in various annual rituals including the following:

• MANdatory Initiation
• Back to the Future Reflection
• Fall and Spring Reunion 
• MANhunt
• White Elephant
• Mandatory End-of-the-Year-Bonfire
• Spring Graduation

Making of the 2022 Vision Statement

MANdatory Baltimore Outing 2022

In 2015, Vincent Stephens began working at ºìÐÓÖ±²¥app as the Director of the Popel Shaw Center, which included serving as MANdatory’s adviser. Under his leadership, the group has expanded the scope of its curriculum to include topics related to undergraduate research opportunities, community service, servant leadership, and preparing for graduate school. MANdatory also shifted from being a fall program to include fall and spring programming, culminating in a spring graduation ceremony. In fall 2016, Jason Rivera (Director Institutional Research) joined as a Co-Adviser.

History: A legacy of leadership

Norm Jones (former Associate VP for Diversity) founded MANdatory in the Fall 2010 as a resource for men of color at ºìÐÓÖ±²¥app. From the beginning, the group has met weekly on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings, to focus on student development topics related to academic enrichment and leadership development.  After completing the fall curriculum, the men of MANdatory graduated in a ceremony, open to the entire campus, held in December.  After Jones left Dickinson, Pavan Purswani (Residential Education, Shippensburg University) advised the group in an interim capacity in the Fall 2014.

Men of MANdatory continually build on the knowledge and skills they acquired in the group and translate these skills into campus leadership roles. Some of the achievements of MANdatory alum include making the Dean’s List (3.7 GPA +), serving as mentors for the Emerging Leaders Program, being selected to work on the Residence Life & Housing staff, leading service trips, serving as First Year Mentors for First Year Interest groups (FiGs), and receiving Latin Honors during graduation, among many others. MANdatory alumni are also inductees in such prestigious Dickinson organizations as the Order of Scroll & Key (Gray Hat Society) and the Queer Cap Society, and recipients of campus awards including the Shuman Prize (awarded to sophomores during Convocation) and Student Employee of the Year.

Faculty/Staff Advisers

Rev. Yvette B. Davis (2022-Present)
Vincent Stephens (2015-2019)
Jason Rivera (2016-2018)
Pavan Purswani (2014)
Norm Jones (2010-2014)

Student Leaders

Each year MANdatory invites all former members to apply to serve as student leaders. Student leaders promote MANdatory to incoming students, plan weekly sessions, lead discussions, manage social media, engage in archival research and informally mentor members. Below are previous student leaders:

MANdatory Fall 2022 Retreat

MANdatory alumni (2011- 2022)

For more information about MANdatory, contact Jacob Fuentes Ortega at