Ujimia Living Learning Community Welcomes Cedric Dunham As Director of Ujimia Living Learning Community

Cedric Dunham Appointed As Director of Ujimia Living Learning Community, effective Aug. 12th, 2024  

Virginia Tech announces the appointment of Cedric Dunham as the new director of The Ujimia Living Community. With his extensive experience in student affairs and a proven track record of working with students from diverse backgrounds, Dunham is committed to fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion within the Ujimia Living Community.    

 Ujima, a Black Culture Living Learning Community at Virginia Tech, is a vibrant hub that provides students with a wealth of resources and a robust support system to enrich the Black student experience at Virginia Tech. The term Ujimia (oo-JEE-mah), which means collective work and responsibility in Swahili, is a guiding principle of Kwanza. Students in this community have the unique chance to serve as mentors, network with other Black faculty, students, and alums, and take part in various academic events and seminars, fostering a rich and dynamic learning environment.   

“It is not often that students see a black male professional in many spaces,” said Cedric Dunham director of The Ujimia Living Learning community. “I realized when I got to the university there was a lack of men of color...  I think this would really give students a different opportunity to see what it would look like to have a black male in their space.”  

 Dunham earned a bachelor’s degree in integrated studies with a focus on communications from Florida Gulf Coast University. He worked in the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance, focusing on diversity and inclusion, served as Director of Student Opportunities, and was a resident assistant. For graduate school, he attended UNC Greensboro, where he completed two graduate assistantships at Winston-Salem State University—becoming the first Graduate Assistant for E-Sports—and interned at the University of Utah’s Orientation Office.   

 “When I was in undergrad in 2020, around the time of George Floyd’s death, there was a lot of tension between students of color, the university, and the police,” said Dunham. “We wanted more support and realized there weren’t people on campus who looked like us to provide it.”  

Dunham shared his college experience as a Black Student during the Black Lives Matter Movement. He expressed feeling being compelled to step up to be heard and the lack of support from faculty, except for a few. These professors inspired him to pursue higher education, hoping to provide students with a safe space, similar to what some of his professors provided.      

“I got together with some other campus leaders and we actually did a peaceful demonstration on our campus,” Dunham stated. “We were reaching out to faculty and staff and some of them were like, we can’t help you because we don’t want to lose our jobs. But then we had other people like my supervisor [who asked] do you want me to buy you a megaphone, or do you all need snacks and she went out and purchased this stuff with her own money. And for me, I thought that was important because they were willing to lose their job to do their job, which was to support students safe. [people like her] care that I’m safe and that I’m on this campus and feel.”   

Dunham credits his experiences and mentors for inspiring his passion for student affairs and higher education. He is eager to continue fostering a safe, inclusive space for all students. Dunham is no stranger to Virginia Tech, having previously served as the ExperienceVT coordinator in Residential Well-Being, he connected students to resources and communities that made them feel at home. With support from Virginia Tech and guidance from former director Dalayna Gardner, his transition into the new position has been smooth  

“I had already had a connection with the director of the program at the time and she had already built that connection with me coming in and getting to meet the students and actually understanding what they were doing,” said Dunham.   

The hiring process occurred over the summer and encompassed interviews with the Diversity Equality and Inclusion Team and students. Students in the area, specifically those working for the Black College Insitute, could eat lunch with applicants or have an open meeting where he gave a presentation explaining what he would do in his role as director. Students had the chance to fill out a form and answer questions based on their interactions with various candidates.    

“The subjective information from the students was that they just really liked him,” stated Kimberly Clark, director of the Black Cultural Center, one of the members of the hiring committee. “They felt comfortable with him,” Clark stated. He had the highest rating in terms of numbers based on this survey, but he also had really high ratings, just in terms of what people said about him.”  

The role of director for a living-learning community is very hands-on. It’s not a typical nine-to-five job, as you’re constantly on call to support the students living in your residential hall. Directors must organize events to engage students, market the program, and attract both current and prospective students.  

Clark emphasized the importance of balancing student needs with self-care in such a demanding role. This holistic approach to supporting students is a key aspect of the position.  

“I definitely want him to put the students first and support them,” says Clark. “I think that’s natural, given the type of work that he’s doing and that he’s done in the past, but I would hope that he would just take care of himself in the process because we need to be all well and healthy to do our jobs well.”  

Since the start of the school year Dunham has implemented his goals of connecting students with campus resources by bringing them to the Ujimia community. He has had a Black Clubs fair and an upcoming event with the Virginia Tech Police Department to have an informal and open conversation. He is looking to grow the community to all four floors of Peddrew Yates within the next two years, create a program that highlights Black Student entrepreneurship and make the community a safe space for all students. Dunham is collaborating with other organizations and culture and community centers to ensure the safety and comfort of all event participants.   

“Building a safe environment is bigger than,” said Dunham. “I personally can’t do this [on my own] but I’m making sure I am doing my part in at least helping students feel comfortable being at the university and confident in their ability to succeed.