University of St. Thomas
PA-5: Diversity and Equity Coordination

The Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI), led by a cabinet-level Associate Vice President, develops and articulates the institution’s goals around fostering a diverse and inclusive campus community. The Office works collaboratively with students, faculty, staff and administrators to develop and promote policies and procedures related to the selection, development and retention of a diverse workforce and student body. ODEI supports 20 DEI staff, faculty, and administrators who serve as ambassadors across the university and four DEI Faculty Fellows who support faculty on matters of DEI. In addition, there are two student ambassadors and two graduate interns that work with the office.

In 2021, St. Thomas launched a university-wide DEI strategic plan to foster belonging and promote equity. In addition, 15 units across campus have adopted their own DEI plan that support the university-wide plan.

ODEI partnered with Halualani and Associates to conduct an audit in 2020 on the DEI infrastructure, policies and practices at St. Thomas. In the fall 2023, this same external audit company is conducting a second audit. It will be a high-level refresh to assess how the University has progressed since the 2020 audit.

All undergraduate First-Year students are required to complete the “Get Inclusive: STUDENT DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION” Canvas course. This course aims to “change the course” by avoiding negative or blaming discourses around DEI and focusing on the educative value of understanding how to personally contribute to more inviting, equitable, and diverse campus communities.

The LEADER developmental path is used with student leaders in addition to following up with individualized intercultural DEI training from each department. For 2022-2023 we completed 140 Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) assessments for student leaders.

Continued efforts to increase awareness and visibility for Qmmunity among undergraduate students primary emphasis revolves around programming that fosters community-building and a sense of belonging, aiming to facilitate strong relationships among students. QSA is part of the Multicultural Leadership Council to strategically generate interest and enhance exposure to the Qmmunity. Furthermore, we are actively responding to direct requests with coordinated initiatives dedicated to ensuring the active engagement and inclusivity of all members within our diverse Qmmunity.

BIPOC (Multicultural) Student Club Council: Works to ensure that student organizations are provided accessible and robust points of contact and support for their members. Helps students guide the success of special projects (Cultural dinners and student leadership programs, etc.), and ensures the success of the celebration of cultural/heritage months/programs across campus.

Cultivating a Culture of Meaningful Encounters: Offer a series of training sessions and events designed to foster a Culture of Encounter. These initiatives aim to establish inclusive spaces where mutual respect and open dialogue flourishes. These interactions not only facilitate discussions on the values inherent in Catholic and other faith traditions but also nurture an environment where every participant is regarded as an equal.

Employees are encouraged to participate in our many DEI related programs such as SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity). SEED is an employee educators program sponsored by the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and is a peer led cohort that aims to create conversations communities to drive change around DEI.

The Initiative Toward Intercultural Growth and Community aims to cultivate a more culturally competent St. Thomas. It leverages the IDI and accompanying intercultural tools toward growing cultural competency as an individual, unit, and institution. To date, approximately 300 students, staff, and faculty have participated in this initiative. Per the IDI LLC website, “The IDI is a psychometric instrument based on the Intercultural Development Continuum (IDC). As an assessment tool, the IDI measures an individual's or group's progression along a developmental path of increasing complexity in making sense of and responding to cultural differences. The IDI measures both one’s mindset and skillset which allows individuals and groups to better understand successes and challenges related to their intercultural interactions.”

We trained facilitators for community healing circles to address racial incidents that occur. We also have a subscription to LinkedIn Learning and Diversity and Cultural Education is one of the top topics that our employees access.