Dear SCU Community:

Just a few weekends ago, we were welcoming the Class of 2027 to campus, and now, we are entering the third week of the academic quarter. Amid the fast-pace, we are grateful for the level of engagement and community building that we have witnessed and experienced from the Student Involvement Fair to the overflow crowd at the Mass of the Holy Spirit.  We have appreciated the excitement and positive energy of the packed student organization meetings and the meaningful discussions taking place in the classrooms across campus. This is the vibrant campus life and community connections that illustrate why we call ourselves the Bronco Family. We hope to continue to create opportunities for people to connect.  Please check out the University Calendar to see if there is something that piques your interest.

Speaking of interests, October will be a busy month full of Hispanic/Latiné/x Heritage events, Disability Awareness month efforts, Indigenous People’s Day (October 9) as well as the tUrn events, National Coming Out Day (October 11), the annual Grand Reunion and Migration Week.  We will start off the month of November with events celebrating Dia de los Muertos. We encourage you to take advantage of rich and diverse programming and opportunities that SCU has to offer. These efforts enhance the SCU experience and enrich learning, working and living on our beautiful campus.

Inclusive Excellence Student Advisory Councils

We wanted to lift up a gentle reminder that we are still in the process of recruiting for the Inclusive Excellence Student Advisory Councils for both undergraduate and graduate students. We will be seeking interested students from all class years who would be interested in getting more involved in planning such events as the Quarterly Diversity Forums and more.  If you are interested, please apply by October 6, 2023.

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UNIT UPDATES

I. Inclusive Excellence Division

• Shá Duncan Smith, Vice President for Inclusive Excellence will be holding Office hours on Tuesdays from 2- 3PM, 2nd Floor in the Walsh Administration Building.  Please sign up for a 15 minute slot by using the following link: https://calendar.app.google/cq8ffHgbfoeRfn916
• A special thank you to the Staff and Faculty Senates for their collaboration with Inclusive Excellence for the Welcome Back Social that was held on September 28th for faculty and staff.  We appreciated the positive energy and the engagement and we are excited about future collaborative opportunities to enhance belonging efforts.
• If you missed out on the special "Los Broncos" shirts during this SCU Women's Soccer Match on September 24th, Inclusive Excellence will be doing a special re-printing. In order to request your shirt, please complete the following survey.  It will be first-come, first-serve based on the submissions.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS Save the Date for a special community celebration around Dia de los Muertos on Saturday, November 4th from 5 - 9pm on the SCU campus featuring arts & crafts, ofrendas, food and music. The event is being sponsored by SCU, the Consulate General of Mexico and Univision. If your organization/department is interested in participating in creating an ofrenda or in volunteering, please email: inclusiveexcellence@scu.edu. We will follow-up with more details.

 

II. LEAD Scholars Program

• In late September, the LEAD Scholars Program welcomed back our students by hosting a Welcome Back dinner and a DIY Dorm Decor workshop. 
• LEAD is excited to offer site-visits to major companies in the Bay Area. On Wednesday, October 4, the LEAD Scholars Program will tour KPMG’s Santa Clara office and meet with employees to learn more about careers in accounting. Later, on October 19, LEAD will travel to HP headquarters in Palo Alto, CA and participate in Black Student Day @ HP. 
• The LEAD Scholars program will provide students with opportunities to visit the San Jose Art Museum during their First Friday event (10/6) and the Kehinde Whiley exhibit at San Francisco’s de Young Museum (10/8). 
• Join us for LEAD’s 20th Anniversary Celebration at SCU’s Grand Reunion on Saturday, October 14 from 5:30-7:00 PM in the Malley Center. Join us for reflections from alumni across our 20-year history, and learn how LEAD continues to provide first-generation college students access to all that SCU has to offer. We'll celebrate with community, food, drink and music! Register here.
• LEAD’s first-year and new transfer students will talk with Dr. Francisco Jimenez on Thursday, October 26 after reading his book Reaching Out about his experience as a first-generation college student at SCU in their LEAD Seminar courses.
• Undocumented Student Working Group (USWG) and Undocumented Students and Allies Association (USAA) are partnering to host Migration Week which will include: 
  • Horizons beyond DACA: Advocating for the rights of all immigrant youth with Ju Hong, Director of UCLA’s Dream Center, Tuesday, October 17 from 4:00-6:00 PM, Williman Room
  • UndocuCon: Building a Brighter Future for Undocumented Students. Sponsored by the Region 4 Bay Area Community Colleges and Santa Clara University, this conference will offer a range of sessions to provide information, advocacy and community for undocumented students, Friday, October 20 from 9:00 AM- 2:00 PM, Benson Center, Register here by 10/13 
  • Please look out for the full schedule soon!

III. Multicultural Center (MCC)

• The MCC is located at the Shapell Lounge, which is across from the SCU Bookstore at Benson Memorial Center.
• The MCC clubs are officially underway with their meetings listed noted below:

IV. Office of Accessible Education (OAE)

• Happy October from the OAE!!
• October 12th 5-7pm will be our first ever Pumpkin Painting night!!  This will be a great event for OAE students to come connect and also have some fun. If you are interested, please email the OAE at OAE@scu.edu so that we can have enough pumpkins!
• We will be working on having more of these type of events as we grow the OAE. 
• We will also be working on events with guest speakers. If you are interested in working with the OAE to create outreach to students, please email our Operations Manager at Csmead@scu.edu 

V. Office for 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. 
• As a reminder, if you are a staff or faculty member and learn of an incident alleging this type of concern, you are required by law to report it to the university. 
• Regardless of your decision to pursue a formal complaint and investigation with the University, you are entitled to and given access to supportive measures and support resources. We are happy to discuss any and all options and possibilities for your individual case and needs. You can also reach out to Director of Equal Opportunity and Title IX, Aaron Zisser directly at azisser@scu.edu further consultation and support. You can also stop by our office at 140 Loyola Hall or call 551-3043.

VI. Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI)

• The first Community Conversation of the Fall quarter is scheduled for Tuesday, October 3rd from 12:10pm - 1:30pm. This Community Conversation is focused on Latino/a/e/x Issues in the United States. Please register to access the zoom link.
• As part of the Hispanic/Latiné/x Heritage Month events, we encourage you to stop by the Walsh Admin lobby to view a special exhibit by Pancho Jiménez, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Art and Art History. In the work being exhibited, he explored the issue of immigration.

• The Transfer Student Working Group held a successful Transfer Student Welcome Social on Tuesday, September 26th. Thanks to all of the transfer students that attended and we look forward to working closely with the different campus partners. 
• A number of Tenure Track positions for the 2024-2025 academic year have been posted. Please share information about these openings with your colleagues and peers at other institutions. To learn more, please visit:  https://www.scu.edu/hr/careers/ 
• Dates and times for the Fall quarter Safe Space and UndocuAlly Workshops for Faculty and Staff are now available on the ODI Website. Workshops begin the week of October 9th.
• We are seeking interested members of the SCU community to be involved in the respective Heritage Month planning committees. The most immediate need will be those interested in the Native/Indigenous Heritage Month (November) and Black History Month committee. If interested, please respond via this form. 
• SCU will be marking Indigenous People’s Day on Monday, October 9th. This will be the last year that classes are held on this day, as it becomes a formal academic holiday in 2024. A Teach-in will be taking place from 11:00am - 2:00pm and will be followed by a Town Hall on SCU’s Indigenous Efforts from 4:00pm - 5:00pm. More details will be sent in a separate email.

VII. Office for Multicultural Learning (OML)

• What is OML and how do I get Involved? 
  • OML is an official office at SCU and not a club. This means that the OML events and programs are open to everyone. We have Student Inclusion Educators (SIEs) who work at the office and put on various programs.
  • OML provides educational workshops (such as Racial Justice workshops and Difficult Dialogues), and cultural/heritage celebrations (such as Lunar New Year and Latinx Heritage month celebrations). You can also request DEI-related workshops from us for your student organizations/clubs. You can find out about our events through our social media.

• Is the OML related to the MCC?
  • Although we both have the word “multicultural” in our name, we are actually not the same. The Office for Multicultural Learning (OML) is an office led by pro-staff and SIEs that puts on programming and events centered around DEI, social justice and intersectionality. We are located at 832 Market Street (a house actress the street from Swig Residence Hall)
  • The Multicultural Center (MCC) is the multicultural programming body and racial/ethnic advocacy voice for students. The MCC is student-run and includes various registered student organizations. The MCC operates out of the Shapell Lounge (in front of Benson, across from the Bronco Bookstore).

• Throughout Hispanic/Latiné/x Heritage Month, SCU will be hosting a series of engaging and educational events. We invite you to participate and join in the festivities. OML/RRC will continue to amplify, celebrate and honor the incredible impact that Latiné and Hispanic individuals have had on our society, both past and present.  A new event was just added "Una Noche en Latinoamerica", details below:

• Faculty and Staff Survey: Any feedback that you provide allows us to develop relevant, timely, and impactful programs. Complete our anonymous, three question survey to share your thoughts and ideas!
• Seeking All Gender Restrooms? You can access a resource guide by scanning the QR Code:

VIII. Office of the Ombuds

• The University Ombuds provides multipartial, informal and confidential communication support services to faculty and staff. The ombuds assists visitors by listening and helping to clarify goals, identify issues and to explore options when addressing communication challenges, including conflict. Visitors can explore interpersonal tools to navigate challenging situations and the ombuds may provide mediation and facilitation services to promote dialogue, dignity, and respect among participants.
• If you would like to set a confidential meeting with the ombuds to explore your situation, contact the Office of the Ombuds at ombuds@scu.edu; 408-551-3542.

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CAMPUS PARTNERS/SPOTLIGHT

In collaboration with the Alumni Association, a number of identity-focused receptions will be taking place as part of Grand Reunion. These receptions are free and are open to interested faculty, staff and students. This is a great way for current members of the SCU community to engage with Alumni.

Friday, October 13, 2023
Chicanx Latinx Alumni Community Social	4:00pm - 6:00pm	Vari Hall Patio
LGBTQ+ Alumni Community Social	5:00pm - 6:30pm	3rd floor Rotunda, Dowd Art & Art History Bldg.
Black Alumni Community Social	5:30pm - 7:00pm	3rd floor Terrace, Sobrato Campus for Discovery & Innovation (SCDI)
Saturday, October 14, 2023
Veteran's Alumni Breakfast	8:30am - 10:00am	Parlors B/C, Benson
MENA Alumni Community Social	10:00am - 11:30am	3rd floor Terrace, Sobrato Campus for Discovery & Innovation (SCDI)
Asian Pacific Islander Alumni Community Social	10:30am - 12:30pm	Williman Room, Benson
Native Alumni Community Tour and Social	10:30am - 12:00pm	Meet in front of Mission Church

 

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DEI RESOURCES FROM THE LIBRARY

The Library is celebrating Disability Awareness Month with a display at our Library Help Desk. Feel free to stop by and browse the items we have available to learn more. 

Remember to Ask a Librarian for Additional Resources!  

eBook Recommendations: 

The power of disability : 10 lessons for surviving, thriving, and changing the world

Description: Al Etmanski offers ten lessons we can all learn from people with disabilities, illustrated with short, funny, inspiring, and thought-provoking stories of one hundred individuals from twenty countries. 

Understanding the experience of disability : perspectives from social and rehabilitation psychology

Description: an edited book containing chapters written by social and rehabilitation psychologists who study how social psychological theory can inform our understanding of the experience of disability and rehabilitation. 

Education, disability and inclusion : a family struggle against an excluding school 

Description: The book describes the experience of Rafael Calder n-Almendros (the first person with Down syndrome to obtain a professional music degree in Spain) and his family.

Streaming Media Recommendations: 

On Richard's Side: The Story of a Man with Intellectual Disabilities and His Family

Description: The life-story of Richard, a young man with a complex disability since birth. The film provides intimate and poignant insights into his parents’ determined quest to establish a quality life for their son and for themselves.

Only I Can Hear

Description: In the American Midwest, three hearing teenagers come of age in the vibrant, raucous Deaf community. In search of a home between two disparate worlds, the young women explore their unique identity as CODA — Children of Deaf Adults, as they strive to fit into both the deaf and hearing communities to which they belong.

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CAMPUS DIVERSITY CALENDAR

The Inclusive Excellence Division is committed to expanding awareness of the different diversity-related programming taking place on-campus. For those that use the Live-Whale Calendar, you can use the “diversity” tag to ensure that events will appear on the Diversity calendar on the Inclusive Excellence website.  You can also send your program information to inclusiveexcellence@scu.edu