Since its founding, SSOC has become a diverse community of students, alumni, and faculty that focuses on the support and development of underrepresented students of color as future policy leaders and development professionals. SSOC recognizes that leveraging diverse and unique perspectives deepens learning, stirs innovation, and cultivates strong leadership. The organization’s primary function to assist its members in leveraging their diverse perspectives, in and outside of the classroom, while working to foster both community and diversity within SIPA as an institution. With the end goal of enhancing the experiences of all students and forging new paths to matriculation for underrepresented domestic students of color, SSOC  has become intregal to creating a space for diversity and inclusion at Columbia SIPA. In 2014 - in conjunction with SIPA administration - SSOC played an intregal role in founding The Diverstiy Taskforce - a body charged

with advising Dean Merit Janow and her leadership team on efforts to support greater diversity in both students and faculty at SIPA.  Additionally, SSOC continues to play a significant role in attracting domestic students of color through its partnership with admissions through the annual Diversity Symposium, Admitted Student Happy Hour and one-on-one mentoring of prospective and admitted students. Through advocacy efforts spearheaded by SSOC leadership, a course on Race & Public Policy was added to SIPA's course offerings in the Spring of 2016.  SSOC is currently working to pressure the administration to recruit more faculty of color in the coming academic year and have been laying the foundation for a permanent SSOC fellowship to assist domestic students of color to attend Columbia SIPA with financial support. Through these efforts it is goal to enhance our respective communities and assist one another in reaching both our academic and professional goals.