Dear SCU Community:

We hope that you will get a welcome break during this Labor Day weekend as we approach the start of the academic year. It is definitely an exciting time. Starting next week, things will certainly pick up with new Faculty orientation, department retreats, student employee workshops, formation and orientation. Thank you in advance for all of the work you are doing to make the SCU community's transition into this academic year a smooth one.

As we begin another academic term, we take this moment to reflect on what has taken place this summer and the impact on all of us and our global community. From our community members from Hawaii and the ongoing effects of the devastating fires in Maui, those impacted by the extreme weather, to those from war-stricken areas that have to navigate the ongoing uncertainty, to the ongoing political polarization that is taking place and to the reminder that our campuses and communities are not immune from gun violence with the recent shooting at the University of North Carolina and in Jacksonville, Florida.

All of this is a reminder about the importance of being in community with each other and how we can support each other both in times of joy and sadness. Speaking of joy, this past Sunday, August 27th, SCU marched in the Silicon Valley Pride Parade. A special thanks to the Rainbow Alliance ERG, the Office for Multicultural Learning and others for helping to organize the largest contingent representing SCU.

Cultural Heritage Months

The Office for Diversity and Inclusion and the Office for Multicultural Learning will be providing a more focused and coordinated institutional approach to the respective Cultural Heritage and commemorative holidays months. Each heritage month will have a focused committee that will be responsible for creating the calendar of events and partner in promoting the month. Inclusive Excellence through ODI and OML will provide an anchor event for each of the heritage months.   Currently, the Hispanic/Latiné/x Heritage month committee is underway as we gear up for the start of the celebration from September 15- October 15th. A formal calendar of events will be available on September 15th. 

We are seeking interested members of the SCU community to be involved in the respective planning committees. The most immediate need will be those interested in the National Disability Employment Awareness Month (October) and the Native/Indigenous Heritage Month (November). If interested, please respond via this form. 

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UNIT UPDATES

I. Inclusive Excellence Division

• Currently interviewing candidates for the new Assistant Vice President for Inclusive Excellence Strategy & Planning. We hope to have this position filled by October 2023.
• Currently in the process of recruiting for the Inclusive Excellence Student Advisory Councils for both undergraduate and graduate students. More information will be available in the special Inclusive Excellence Back-to-School newsletter on September 18th.  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.
• The Inclusive Excellence Liaisons will be continuing their efforts as we move forward with the Justice, Equity. Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Strategic planning process.

II. LEAD Scholars

• The LEAD Scholars Program will be welcoming 105 new first-year students and 25 transfer students to campus this fall to participate in LEAD Week, our intensive orientation program the week before SCU starts, as well as our comprehensive suite of programs and support throughout their college experience. 
• We are excited to provide funding for 13 students who will be studying abroad this year, in such locations as London, Rome and Seoul. This funding is provided, in part by a grant from the Koret Foundation which helps to fund many of the LEAD Scholars Program’s activities and operations. 
• In August, the LEAD Scholars Program hosted a Alumni Financial Literacy workshop led by SCU alum and financial advisor Jacques Bolivar. Our alumni discussed such topics as debt management, investing and balancing family financial needs with one’s own. 
• Join us for the LEAD Scholars Program Open House on Thursday, September 28 from 4-6 PM in Alameda Hall. Stop by for a tour of the LEAD offices, fun activities and to learn more about SCU’s first-gen community. 

III. Office of Accessible Education (OAE)

• In the middle of a busy summer, we have had the great opportunity to bring on (3) new full time staff members, Amy Yasukawa, Cole Habeck and Dina Mora. Amy and Cole are our new Accommodation Coordinators. Their focuses will be on student intakes, documentation review and testing. Dina is our new Digital Access Specialist who will be focused on improving accessibility campus wide when it comes to websites, presentations, classrooms and more. 
• One of the larger projects we worked on this summer was updating our student portal system  "AIM". We were able to make access easier, streamline registration processes and integrate the student data from Workday. During that process we discovered that an average of 200 students are registering with our system every quarter. That is over 600 students every academic year that are requesting services of the OAE. With our growing team, we are excited to provide a more holistic support for the students of Santa Clara. 
• OAE is located in Benson 1, lower level of Benson Memorial Center, next to the radio station. Please feel free to come by at any time to meet the team, ask questions and learn more about  OAE. 

IV. Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX 

• The Office welcomed Adele Cox on August 28 as a new EO/Title IX Investigator. Adele brings several years of experience as a civil rights investigator for the state Civil Rights Department, as well as a counseling and mediation background. She is an SCU alumna. We are thrilled to have Adele on the team.
• Adele joins Alayna Brauer, who started August 1 also as an EO/Title IX Investigator. See her bio and the bios of other members of the team: https://www.scu.edu/title-ix/about/staff/
• We are so grateful for all the community members and campus leaders who participated in the search for these important new hires. 

V. Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI)

• In partnership with Alumni and Orientation, a series of welcome back receptions will be taking place on Saturday, September 16th for incoming new students. We welcome faculty and staff to join us if you can. Please email rplaza@scu.edu and/or ymagdalenosolis@scu.edu for more details.

• • 5:30pm - 7:00pm
    • Latinx Social - SCDI North Lobby (Nearest to Admissions office) 
    • Asian, Pacific Islander, and South Asian Social - SCDI South Lobby (Nearest to the Library)
    • Middle Eastern and North African Social - SCDI Innovation Patio (within the courtyard near the Café)
    • Black and Pan-African Social - SCDI East Lobby (Behind the Café)
  • 7:00pm - 8:30pm
    • Havdalah Welcome Dinner outside of Nobili Dining Hall
  • 8:00pm
    • LGBTQ+ Reception at Locatelli Student Center

• A special Transfer Student welcome reception will be held on Tuesday, October 26th at 4:30 pm in the California Mission Room in Benson
• A number of Tenure Track positions for the 2024-2025 academic year have been posted. Please share information about these exciting openings with your colleagues and peers at other institutions. To learn more, please visit: https://www.scu.edu/hr/careers/ 
• Dates and times for Fall quarter Safe Space and UndocuAlly Workshops will be announced shortly via email.

VI. Office for Multicultural Learning (OML)

• The Office for Multicultural Learning (OML), which includes the Rainbow Resource Center (RRC), are excited to announce Hispanic/Latiné/x Heritage month! From September 15th to October 15th, we come together to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, histories, and contributions of Hispanic and Latinx communities. 
• The celebration starts mid-month because September 15 marks the independence anniversary of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. It is followed by Mexico's Independence Day on September 16 and Chile's on September 18. Another important date that falls within this 30-day period is Día de la Raza, or Columbus Day, which is celebrated on Oct. 12.
• 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.
• We are thrilled to welcome our new student staff for the 2023-24 school year. Seven new Student Inclusion Educators (SIE), undergraduate and graduate, will generate programming ideas, execute events, lead workshops/trainings, and staff the front desks of OML and RRC. 

• We also are thrilled to announce student Naomi Yang as our Inclusion Intern. Congratulations again!

VII. Office of the Ombuds

• The Office of the Ombuds carries on throughout the summer to provide Confidential, Multi-partial, and Informal services to the SCU community. The Ombuds provides a space for visitors to share concerns and identify issues. The Ombuds the works with visitors to determine options for action that may include, developing and enhancing communication skills, providing tools for making thoughtful decisions, mediation, and small group facilitation.
• If you would like to consult with the Ombuds confidentially to explore interpersonal issues,  or issues within your office or department, contact the Office of the Ombuds at ombuds@scu.edu; 408-551-3542.

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DEI Resources from the Library

The Library is Exploring New Horizons with a book display at our Library Help Desk. This theme highlights library resources about travel, exploration, and adventure around the world or through different cultures or self-exploration and exploring identity. We invite our campus community to explore our library resources. 

eBook Recommendations: 

Exploring Turkish cultures Description: This groundbreaking series of essays offers new insights into Turkish cultures both past and present. Moving beyond the traditional binaries of east/west, Islam/ secularism, or Europe/Asia, the book contains a variety of perspectives on contemporary Turkey, from actors, directors, critics and other major cultural figures.

Me, myself, and us : the science of personality and the art of well-being 

Description: In Me, Myself, and Us, Brian Little, one of the psychologists who helped reshape the field, provides the first in-depth exploration of the new personality science and its provocative findings for general readers. The book explores questions that are rooted in the origins of human consciousness but are as commonplace as yesterday's breakfast conversation.

The art of the travel journal : chronicle your life with drawing, painting, lettering, and mixed media

Description: "The Art of the Travel Journal offers all the techniques, ideas, inspiration, and step-by-step instructions needed to create artful, one-of-a-kind journals filled with drawings, ephemera, lettering, and more that document our lives traveling around the world--or around the corner"-- Provided by publisher.

Streaming Media Recommendations: 

Alaskan Adventure

Description: Travel with Joel Greene and the Curiosity Quest crew to Alaska for this adventure. Watch as Joel learns about a massive glacier, gets up close to a real black bear, and spots humpback and killer whales off the shore.

The Raw and the Cooked: Culinary Traditions in Taiwan

Taiwan is known around the world as having one of the most diverse cuisines in Asia, and food is the foremost passion of its 23 million inhabitants. The Raw and the Cooked is a sumptuous exploration of the island’s rich culinary traditions, and their relationship to Taiwan's unique mix of cultures. The film begins in Taipei, circles the island, and then heads inland.

Colombia Wild & Free: Two Rivers: Episode 1

Visit Eastern Colombia, a region defined by two powerful rivers: the Orinoco and the Amazon. The Amazon River flows through lush, dense rainforests, while the Orinoco carves its way across a landscape consisting of grassy plains, lakes and floodplain forests. See jaguars, capybaras, anacondas, anteaters and pygmy marmosets, the world’s smallest monkeys.

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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 that will soon be added to the Inclusive Excellence website.  You can also send your program information to inclusiveexcellence@scu.edu. 

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 If you would like to have items included in future newsletters, please contact rplaza@scu.edu