Dear SCU Community:

This Spring 2022 quarter starts with lots of excitement, as we experience in-person events that have not taken place since early March 2020 due to the COVID19 pandemic. We are mindful that the pandemic is not over and as a community, we need to remain vigilant especially for those that are immunocompromised and those unable to get vaccinated such as children less than 5 years old. 

We are excited about the upcoming SCU Day of Giving, this Wednesday, April 6th. You can help make a difference by directly contributing and supporting Diversity and Inclusion efforts on the campus.  Please consider contributing to any of the available diversity and inclusion funds.

In addition, 54 years ago on this date, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. At the time of his death, Dr. King was working on issues of poverty and worker’s rights. Just this past week, SCU celebrated César Chávez Day with a breakfast for service workers and a special presentation by Dr. Francisco Jiménez. These issues around economic justice continue to have an impact on our communities. Our work around diversity, equity and inclusion is intersectional and both Dr. King, César Chávez and others recognized this. 

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JEDI Strategic Plan Update

The Inclusive Excellence Liaisons continue their work in helping to shape the contours of the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Strategic Plan. The underlying foundation for the Strategic Plan will be built on the Inclusive Excellence Framework. The framework consists of the following areas:

• Access and Success
• Education and Scholarship
• Infrastructure and Accountability
• Community Engagement
• Climate and Intergroup Relations

We look forward to engaging the community in understanding how SCU's JEDI strategic direction is informed by this framework.

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UNIT UPDATES

I. Division of Inclusive Excellence 

• In collaboration with the Inclusive Excellence Student Advisory Council (IESAC), the Spring Quarter Diversity Forum will be held on Monday, April 25th from 5:30pm – 7:00pm via Zoom. More details will be sent via email. All are welcome to attend and participate.
• Division will soon be listing the positions for the Director of Equal Opportunity and Title IX as well as the Director, Office for Accessible Education. Please share the respective job opportunity details with interested colleagues.  

II. LEAD Scholars 

• The LEAD Scholars Program is looking forward to welcoming our students back for spring quarter with a welcome dinner, and a Q&A event with Marqus Koranteng, our new Marketing and Program Coordinator. 
• Welcome Class of 2026! LEAD is working closely with the undergraduate admissions office to recruit our new class of LEAD first-year and transfer students. 
• If you are a faculty or staff member who is a first-generation college graduate, we would love to include you on our first-gen faculty and staff webpage. Please complete this form to have your profile included. 

III. Multicultural Center (MCC) 

• The Multicultural Center (MCC) will be hosting Global Village on Alameda Lawn from 11am-3pm on Saturday, April 9th. We encourage all to come out to enjoy food, performances, and a cultural celebration put together by MCC Staff and all of the cultural clubs on campus!

IV. Office of Accessible Education 

• Join the Office of Accessible Education on its new Instagram handle! This account will provide OAE- and disability-specific information. It is a space where you can find important reminders concerning accommodations and upcoming OAE-led or partnered events.  - @scuoae

V. Office for Diversity and Inclusion 

• ODI has been working in partnership on two major events that will be taking place in late April:
• First Annual Native American Symposium on Friday, April 29th
• 2nd Annual SCU PowWow on Saturday, April 30th
• More details about both events will be announced soon. Both events will be free to the community. 
• A reminder to campus departments to use the tag "diversity" in the LiveWhale system so that we can promote diversity and inclusion events

VI. Office for Multicultural Learning  

• This past Thursday, March 31st was Transgender Day of Visibility. The Rainbow Resource Center (RRC) highlighted the trans community via social media (Instagram and Facebook) while our Student Inclusion Educators were tabling around campus during Week 1 in honor of the day.
• April marks GAYpril in the RRC - a month we typically use to celebrate Pride since classes end in June. During GAYpril, the RRC will be hosting the 8th Annual Queer Film Festival during Weeks 4 and 5. The RRC will be screening a variety of films on campus that highlight the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community. Each film will be followed by a talkback or moderated panel. Final date, times, and titles of each screening will be shared soon. Stay tuned for marketing with further details.
• The Office for Multicultural Learning (OML) and Rainbow Resource Center (RRC) will be hosting 2 new 3D's: Digital Difficult Dialogues this quarter. The first will be in honor of April being Autism Awareness Month. These dialogues will be offered in a hybrid fashion: in-person and via Zoom. More details, such as dates, times, and location, will be shared soon.

VII. Office of the Ombuds (new) 

• The Search Community held on-campus interviews with the finalists for the Ombuds role this past Wednesday and Thursday. The Committee will be meeting soon to deliberate and to make a recommendation. We are excited to be moving forward in getting things ready for the new Office to formally begin this Summer 2022. 

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DIVERSITY HAPPENINGS ON THE CAMPUS

History in the Making: The Nomination of the Hon. Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court

Tuesday, April 5 from noon to 1 PM in Charney 104. The event features a conversation with special guests (ret.) Judge Ladoris H. Cordell (the first female African-American judge in Northern California) and Judge Shelyna Brown (beloved and esteemed alumna of Santa Clara Law), as well as SCU law faculty members Professor Margalynne Armstrong and Ellen Kreitzberg.

A livestream is available as well for those not able to attend in person.

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Share Your Experiences and Win $200 at SCU Diversity Works Expo!

This year marks the fifth annual Diversity Works Expo (DWE), and the SCU Career Center invites you to enter this year’s student contest! Submit a 30-45 second video, written response (200 words or less), or digital copy of a creative expression with brief description (poetry, art, collage, etc.) on the following prompt: How does your identity and experience with mental health affect your possible workplace and career choices?

Submission deadline has been extended to Sunday, April 10. All award winners will be honored at the Diversity Works Expo Awards Ceremony on Thursday, April 21. Entry form and details can be found via the DWE Essay Contest Submission Form. Please email Charris2@scu.edu with questions.

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25th Anniversary of the Miller Center and In-Residence Showcase Event

The Miller Center celebrates its 25th anniversary with an In-Residence showcase event at 10:00am on April 7th, where social entrepreneurs, who are a part of the 2022 In-Residence Cohort will give two minute pitches about their businesses and then be available for one-on-one consultations with investors. Please sign up here for the showcase that highlights the important intersectional work of the Center.

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If you would like your event featured in future Inclusive Excellence newsletters, please contact rplaza@scu.edu 

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SAVE THE DATE

Thursday, April 28th from 4:30 – 7:00 p.m.

For a campus-wide Diversity celebration and recognition event