Mississippi State University’s Holmes Cultural Diversity Center partnered with the Dean of Students, Thomas Bourgeois for an “Ask the Dean” event. This event will be part of a monthly series hosted by the HCDC. The event will be held Thursday in the Old Main Lounge of the Colvard Union. It begins at 12p.m. and free food will also be provided. 
Ra’Sheda Chanel Boddie-Forbes, associate director of the HCDC, said she hopes this event gives students all the tools needed to thrive at Mississippi State University.
“We learned that in many cases once we see students, it’s almost too late to help them. A lot of times we hear ‘I didn’t know I could do this and I didn’t know I could do that’. So we decided to put a series together that will serve as informational guide to students,” Forbes said. “It is really a program that has sprung from the pleas and cries of students who have learned the hard way.”
“If you’re not successful at Mississippi State, it is by choice. State has so many resources on campus to help students be successful. This university is vested in students’ success,” Forbes said. 
Forbes said this is the first event of the ongoing series. Ask the Dean is expected to run once a month up into the Spring semester. 
Fatima Boukary, sophomore marketing major, said the intimacy of this event is what will make it truly beneficial for students. 
“It will be such a personal event and that is exactly why people should go. This event will let students talk face to face with the dean,” Boukary said. “Students can talk to the dean and he will actually listen to your concerns. This is a really good idea that students can appreciate.”
The HCDC works under the Dean of Students Office, so they work closely throughout the year. Both offices have an open door policy and all students are welcome. 
Thomas Bourgeois, MSU dean of students, said this event can also teach students a lesson they can carry with them long after college. 
“ ‘Ask the Dean’ will teach students to get involved in the day to day operations of their institution.  This event will also teach them to be civically engaged. That knowledge is something they can practice for many years after they graduate,” Bourgeois said.
Bourgeois also said an open dialogue is best for both the students and the institution.
“Mostly, I want students to know that their voice is important. I found that, having done this for 20 years, just lecturing people is not always effective,” he said. “Getting to hear dialogue directly with students is very important. This event is not just me talking about what I think they want to hear, but actually discussing what they care about. Events like this offer a chance for me to gather both the positive and negative feedback about how the students are feeling.”