Inclusive Excellence Newsletter - July 2024
Dear SCU Community:
We hope that the holiday break went well as SCU gears up for the start of New Student Orientation beginning next Monday, June 15th. Inclusive Excellence is excited to be engaging with the students in the Class of 2028 as well as their parents for a set of focused conversations around justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Preparing for Election 2024
2024 has been election season around the world - from the elections in India to the most recent elections just this past week in Great Britain and France. As we gear up for the formal start of the U.S. Presidential election and the November election, Inclusive Excellence is seeking campus partners to help cultivate and develop a set of educational programs and dialogue opportunities to help provide awareness to the SCU community. If your area is interested in collaborating on this initiative, please reach out to inclusiveexcellence@scu.edu.
UNIT UPDATES
I. Inclusive Excellence Division
- A special thank you to everyone that was able to make the focused webinar viewing that was held on July 2, 2024, Doubling Down on DEI, part of the Freedom Summer Homeroom.
- July is Disability Pride Month, and commemorates the signing of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990. This landmark Civil Rights legislation has had a profound impact within our communities. As we celebrate Disability Pride Month, the Inclusive Excellence Division at SCU would like to honor and uplift the voices, stories, and contributions of our community members with disabilities. This month is a powerful reminder of the importance of creating a more inclusive and accessible environment where everyone can thrive.
II. LEAD Scholars Program
- The LEAD Scholars Program is growing! This year we will welcome twice as many first-year students, approximately 215 students, for LEAD Week. We are also excited to welcome approximately 30 new transfer students. To accommodate the increase of incoming first-generation college students participating in LEAD, we have hired an additional 40 student staff members. We now have a total of 80 peer mentors and peer educators to support our new students.
- The LEAD Immersion in Montgomery, Alabama provided student participants with a profound journey along the Civil Rights Trail. In mid-June, Sarah Dagnino and Marqus Koranteng led a student group that visited historic landmarks, including the Rosa Parks Museum, the Legacy Museum, and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. The trip provided a deep dive into the pivotal moments and figures of the Civil Rights Movement, fostering a greater understanding of the struggle for racial equality. Engaging with these sites and community members offered our students an opportunity to reflect on the past and draw inspiration for continuing efforts toward social justice and leadership. This initiative is offered in collaboration with the Ignatian Center.
- This summer we are in full planning mode as we finalize our orientation programming, student staff formation week and LEAD Week. Additionally, with the departure of our current Associate Director of Student Advocacy and the creation of another Assistant Director of Student Advocacy role, we are looking forward to welcoming two new staff members this summer. If you know of interested candidates, please have them apply on Workday.
III. Office for Accessible Education (OAE)
- OAE would like to welcome its newest team member, Executive Function Coach, Heidi Qandah, to SCU! Heidi is a City University of New York-SPS graduate, where she earned her Master’s degree in Disability Services in Higher Education. Heidi earned her Bachelor degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Jordan, Amman. She is a mother of two young boys. Heidi and her husband, Dr. Sanad Kawar, previously lived on campus for over 4 years and developed a deep connection and love for SCU culture and community. Heidi is delighted to be back at SCU and looking forward to serving students as an Executive Function Coach at the OAE. Heidi enjoys coffee, chocolate, Middle Eastern food, and is always on the lookout for healthy versions of desserts.
- As SCU rolls into summer, the OAE wants to remind everyone that we are still actively helping students with accommodations for summer courses as well as proctoring tests for those courses. If you have not yet, please sign into your portal and request your accommodations for any classes you are currently taking. Summer quarters go extremely quick and we don't want anyone to be behind.
- If you feel that you need accommodations for this upcoming school year, please register with our department at https://www.scu.edu/oae/
IV. Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX
- The Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX is responsible for oversight of reports made to the university when incidents involve harassment and discrimination in all forms including gender and sexual based harassment, discrimination and sexual misconduct. You can file a Request for Support & Assistance form for yourself or someone you know online.
- We are happy to discuss any and all options and possibilities for your individual case and needs. You can email: titleixadmin@scu.edu or you can also stop by our office at 140 Loyola Hall or call 408-551-3043.
V. Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI)
- Speakout 2024 - Since Summer 2020, nearly 200 SCU faculty and staff have participated with the Speakout Summer Institute. This year’s virtual event is on July 10 and 11th from 9:30am - 12:30pm PT. As in the past, ODI will cover the expenses for the first 40 attendees. Thanks to those that have already signed up. Not too late if you are interested. Please email rplaza@scu.edu by July 9th.
VI. Office for Multicultural Learning (OML)
- OML/RRC Summer Hours: For the month of July, OML office will be open Monday-Friday 10am-4pm. The RRC is closed for the month of July unless specifically coordinated with a staff member. OML/RRC professional staff can be reached at OML@scu.edu for questions or appointments.
- DEI Training and Workshops: Are there topics related to identity, culture, and inclusion that your SCU unit could further explore? What aspects of LGBTQ+ identity are unfamiliar but relevant to your work? What exactly is racial justice and equity?
- OML/RRC staff lead DEI workshops, training and other development opportunities for the SCU community. Email OML@scu.edu to schedule a consultation!
VII. Office of the University Ombuds
- The Office of the Ombuds a confidential, independent, informal and multi-partial resource for communication and conflict resolution for faculty and staff. The ombuds provides: 1-on-1 discussion to unpack conflict and communication challenges, enhanced communication skills, informal mediation and facilitation, and can also be a navigational resource for when you aren’t sure where to go. Working with the ombuds is entirely voluntary and is not a substitute for other formal procedures. The office welcomes all inquiries from the SCU community.
- Contact the ombuds for a confidential consultation at ombuds@scu.edu or call: (408) 551-3542.
DEI RESOURCES FROM THE LIBRARY
The library is showcasing a new book display titled 'Summer Fun!' This display highlights stories of summer from our popular reading collection. Whether you're traveling, working, or finding time to relax, remember that the SCU Library offers print books, eBooks, and an array of resources for you to explore.
*To access the SCU library resources you must login with SCU username and password.
eBook Recommendations:
Growing Grapes Might Be Fun : How We Made a Vineyard Out of a Junkyard at Cockatoo Hill: An honest, very funny account of a couple's move to the country for a fresh start. Bursting with optimism and a can-do attitude, they're on a steep learning curve as they establish a vineyard and learn how things are done in the country. This is a humorous memoir with larger-than-life characters, hard slog and sweet triumph. It is also a story of a deepening awareness of our connection with the land and the rhythms of farming life. - Provided by Publisher
The power of having fun : how meaningful breaks help you get more done (and feel fantastic!) If you want to be successful, having fun is not an option. It's a necessity. By making fun a top priority—taking meaningful, enjoyable breaks each day, week, month, and year—you'll not only be happier but be more productive, too! Using scientific evidence, real-world case studies, and a healthy dose of wit, bestselling author Dave Crenshaw shows that a regular respite is like a little oasis in your workday. It refreshes and reinvigorates, recharges your batteries—helping you accomplish more with less effort!
A Gelato A Day : A collection of travel tales that highlights the good, the bad and the not-really-that-ugly of the family travel experience. These stories go beyond holidays-gone-wrong to dive thoughtfully into the deeper parental and family connections that can occur when we take ourselves (or are taken out of) our daily routines and comfort zones. More often than not, entering unfamiliar places, spaces and situations encourages us to open up to one another or react in ways that may surprise, delight or frustrate those we hold most dear. - Provided by Publisher.
Streaming Media Recommendations:
Kanopy A streaming video service containing thousands of videos from leading producers around the world, including PBS, BBC, California Newsreel, A&E, and more.
Water Lilies of Monet: The Magic of Water and Light: A journey through the masterpieces and obsessions of the Genius of the Impressionism. With the invaluable contribution of Ross King, author of the best seller Mad Enchantment.
Under an Arctic Sky: A group of surfers along with photographer Chris Burkard, journey to Iceland’s north coast in search of perfect waves during the largest storm in 25 years.
Summer challenge: Explore a collection of Silent Films
Music Online: Jazz Music Library
A streaming music database containing over 700,000 tracks representing thousands of jazz artists, ensembles, albums, and genres from around the world. Among the legendary performers represented are Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Vince Guaraldi, Billie Holliday, Chuck Mangione, Thelonious Monk, and Charlie Parker. Updated continuously.
Awake Album by Michael Zenón: Camarón
Remember to Chat with a Librarian Librarians are available 24/7!
*If you wish to collaborate with the POP Committee on an upcoming library display for a heritage month or theme. Please fill out the form.
The Inclusive Excellence newsletter will continue to be published throughout the summer to provide important updates as we gear up for the new academic year.
