Dear SCU Community:

We hope that the summer is going well. June was a busy month capped with the different cultural receptions as well as Commencement.  We were also pleased to celebrate Juneteenth as an official holiday with SCU serving as one of the sponsors for the African American Community Service Agency’s (AACSA) Juneteenth in the Street this year. We look forward to future collaborations.

In the midst of the celebrations and festivities, we continue to face challenges with the current state of violence impacting our communities, recent tendentious Supreme Court decisions and an ever-increasing political polarization. We realize that these things weigh heavily on all of us and encourage each member of the community to practice self-care and to seek support if you need to talk with someone. 

The Inclusive Excellence Division through the Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) is coordinating a series of Dialogue Circles over the course of July through early August. The first Dialogue Circle will take place this Tuesday July 12th from 12 – 1:30pm.

The Dialogue Circles provide a space for members of the SCU community (faculty, staff and students) to talk and engage with each other about current issues impacting our local, national and global communities. Our goal is to provide and hold space where individuals can be open in sharing and engaging with their thoughts and concerns. To ensure accessibility, the Dialogue Circles will be held via Zoom, and last 90 minutes. However, these sessions will NOT be recorded. To learn more about the dates and times of the Dialogue Circles and to register in order to get the Zoom link, please visit: https://www.scu.edu/diversity/education-and-training/dialogue-circles/ 

Finally, we are excited to welcome President Sullivan to the SCU community and look forward to working alongside her in continuing to grow and advance our collective diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

 JEDI* Strategic Plan Update

We are excited about the next steps with the JEDI Strategic Planning process. Thanks to our collaboration with the Inclusive Excellence liaisons, we are now drafting our JEDI implementation and communication plans.

Based on their feedback, we have developed a vision and mission statement for Inclusive Excellence and the JEDI Strategic Plan.  The vision and mission statements are vital in helping to reinforce our institutional commitment and values. 

Over the course of this summer, we will be working with the Inclusive Excellence Liaisons in finalizing their respective plans, the institution's overarching plan and complete this biennial iteration of the institution’s JEDI strategic planning process. The final plan will highlight the breadth of the strategic goals that have been developed across the institution as well as the key efforts for action and implementation.

We look forward to engaging the broader university community in the Fall as we roll-out the JEDI Strategic plan.

*Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI)

UNIT UPDATES 

I. Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (VPDEI)

• The VPDEI will be spending time this summer in each School & College, the Centers of Distinction, and University Divisions to discuss collaborations and create clear pathways to being thought, strategy and action partners with each area as they articulate their JEDI priorities and initiatives

II. LEAD Scholars

• The LEAD Scholars Program is currently recruiting new first-year and transfer students to join the LEAD Scholars Program in the fall. Throughout July, we will be hosting a series of information sessions for our new participants.
• We are busy planning LEAD Week, our intensive orientation for new students that takes place the week before the academic year begins, and includes academic and community-building components.
• Throughout the summer, the LEAD Scholars Program staff is participating in a series of retreats to reflect on the past year and develop our vision for 2022-23.

III. Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI)

• Over 30 faculty and staff participated in the virtual SpeakOut Institute that was held from June 27 – 29. This was the third straight year that ODI was able to provide this professional development opportunity to faculty and staff.
• We are gearing up for the next cycle of Faculty searches for the 2022-2023 academic year. ODI works with faculty departments in assisting with recruitment plans, Inclusive Search workshops and other support.  In addition, ODI collaborates with Human Resources on related efforts for Staff hiring. 

 IV. Office for Multicultural Learning (OML) 

• In June, the Rainbow Resource Center (RRC) collaborated with the Development Office to engage in outreach and gather applications for three scholarships that help support LGBTQ+ undergraduate students at SCU: the Cook Diversity Scholarship, Dr. Mike Bernie Endowed Scholarship, and LGBTQ+ Endowed Scholarship. 20 applications came in and are in the process of being reviewed. Thank you to all those who helped spread the word and we look forward to awarding students soon for the upcoming academic year!
• July is BIPOC (Black/Indigenous/People of Color) Mental Health Awareness Month. Observed each July and originally designated as National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, this month highlights the unique mental health challenges and needs of historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups in the United States. To learn more, click on the link here from Mental Health America.
• For the remainder of July, OML/RRC professional staff will not only be planning for the new year, but supporting various campus partners in their Summer activities. From the Summer Engineering Seminar (SES) for high school students in the School of Engineering, to workshops for Residence Life Pro Staff Formation and Orientation Leader (OL) Training, to hosting Orientation webinars for incoming Broncos and their families, we are looking forward to enjoying the summer!

 VI. Ombuds

• The University Ombuds works informally, impartially, and confidentially to assist faculty and staff with problems, conflict, and communication issues with colleagues and/ or the organization. The Ombuds provides a space for visitors to share concerns, identify and clarify issues, and to explore options toward building a climate of equity, dignity, and respect. Want to learn more? Visit the new University Ombuds website. Contact the Office of the Ombuds at ombuds@scu.edu; 408-551-3542.
  

The Division newsletter will continue to be published throughout the summer to provide important updates as we gear up for the new academic year ahead. If you would like to have items includes in the newsletter, please contact rplaza@scu.edu