We have listed below some recent events meant to establish and encourage ongoing relationships. The list is meant to illustrate that we are doing this together as part of a community effort to keep racial justice at the forefront. We know that there is great interest on the part of so many to be involved in the various campus efforts. If we have missed an event or your name, and you would like it listed, please let us know by completing this form.

Summer 2020 Actions

June 2020

• Dialogue between Igwebuike student leaders and SCU Administration to discuss concerns of Black students expressed in an earlier petition. Joined by: 
• Kevin F. O’Brien, S.J., President
• Jeanne Rosenberger, Vice Provost for Student Life
• Margaret M. Russell, Associate Provost for Diversity & Inclusion 
• Philip J. Beltran, Director, Campus Safety Services
• Abrefi Adubofour ‘22 
• Naima Fonrose ‘20
• Alexis Lipscomb ‘22
• Kaylen Chase ‘23
• Brianna Menson ‘22
• Brianna Mireku ‘22
• Kennedy Myers ‘20
• Jasmine Rovaris ‘20
• Ranee Sanford ‘23
• Josephine Hulburd Schultz ‘20
• Leah Sparkman ‘21

• Meetings with the new Santa Clara Police Department (SCPD) Chief to establish more transparency and to discuss Santa Clara Police Department practices, procedures, anti-bias trainings, and relations between the SCPD and the University. Joined by:
• Abrefi Adubofour ‘22 
• Naima Fonrose ‘20
• Alexis Lipscomb ‘22
• Kaylen Chase ‘23
• Brianna Menson ‘22
• Brianna Mireku ‘22
• Kennedy Myers ‘20
• Jasmine Rovaris ‘20
• Ranee Sanford ‘23
• Josephine Hulburd Schultz ‘20
• Leah Sparkman ‘21
• Kevin F. O’Brien, S.J., President
• Margaret M. Russell, Associate Provost for Diversity & Inclusion
• Philip J. Beltran, Director, Campus Safety Services

• Meeting with the mayor of Santa Clara, Lisa Gillmor, to discuss mutual racial justice concerns in which Mayor Gillmor and the City Council have key roles to effectuate progress. Joined by: 
• Kevin F. O’Brien, S.J., President
• Lisa Kloppenberg, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

• SCU Athletics Department convened a gathering of Black undergraduate scholar-athletes to discuss their experiences and to create a plan of action. Joined by: 
• Renee Baumgartner, Director of Athletics
• Carl Reed, Assistant Athletic Director, Sports Administration & Student Services
• Kevin F. O’Brien, S.J., President
• Aldo Billingslea, Professor, Theatre and Dance Department
• Anthony (Tony) Hazard, Jr., Associate Professor, Ethnic Studies Department
• Margaret M. Russell, Associate Provost for Diversity & Inclusion 

• The Diversity & Inclusion subgroup of the Student Engagement COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery Working Group Team concluded its meetings and presented a report and recommendations for continuing to focus on racial justice amid the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic. Presented by: 
• Byron Howlett, Assistant Dean for Student Life (Chair)
• Jeanne Rosenberger, Vice Provost for Student Life

• Dr. Danielle Morgan, Assistant Professor in English was featured on JB & Co and interviewed by Jared Brownridge '17

• In honor of Juneteenth, we announced an administrative closure day and invited you to commemorate the holiday in your own way. We were encouraged that many of you used the Juneteenth holiday to attend readings and performances (e.g., Juneteenth: A Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation, by Aldo Billingslea), and to learn about the continuing impact of slavery, structural racial injustice and the roles we play in it.

July 2020

• The Athletics Department created the Athletics Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with the following students, alumna, staff and faculty:
  • Isaac Addai ‘21 
  • Trinity Billingslea ‘21
  • Lana Hollingsworth ‘22 
  • Sofia Jones ‘21
  • Sammy Needham ‘22 
  • Alex Scales ‘22 
  • Jalen Williams ‘23
  • Danielle Slaton ‘01
  • Carl Reed, Assistant Athletic Director (Chair)
  • Renee Baumgartner, Director of Athletics
  • Jessica Everhart, Associate Athletic Director
  • Donna Bolio, Executive Assistant to the Director of Athletics
  • Aldo Billingslea, Professor and Faculty Athletic Representative
  • Niall Angus, Head Coach, Men’s Tennis
  • Herb Sendek, Head Coach, Men’s Basketball

• The monthly “Community Conversations” organized by the Office for Diversity and Inclusion drew nearly 100 people online to focus on antiracism with reading and social media recommendations from staff, faculty, and alumni/ae. Speakers: 
• Joanna Thompson, Director, Office for Multicultural Learning; Director, Rainbow Resource Center
• Bernell Nevil III, Assistant Director, Office for Multicultural Learning; Assistant Director, Rainbow Resource Center
• Amanda Nolan, Alumna, Class of 2018 and current Counseling Psychology student
• Margalynne Armstrong, Associate Professor, School of Law
• Naomi Levy, Director, Office of Student Fellowships; Associate Professor, Political Science Department
• Alison Benders, Interim Dean, Jesuit School of Theology

• The website of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion was updated with a new Racial Justice Resources section that includes a rich new array of materials and resources about diversity, inclusion, and equity. Updated by: 
• Raymond Plaza, Director, Office for Diversity and Inclusion

• The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics featured programs and blogs related to systemic racism and police brutality. Organized by:
• Don Heider, Executive Director, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
• David DeCosse, Director of Campus Ethics Programs

• President O’Brien named Margaret M. Russell, Associate Provost for Diversity & Inclusion, among New Cabinet Appointments. In fall 2020, we will resume the search for the new Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

• SpeakOut -- The Institute for Democratic Education and Culture: The Office for Diversity and Inclusion sponsored 51 SCU staff and faculty members to participate in the SpeakOut Summer Institute. A number of other staff and faculty also attended. Participants will continue the dialogue after the Institute has concluded. Coordinated by: 
• Raymond Plaza, Director, Office for Diversity and Inclusion

June-July 2020

• The Engineering Diversity and Inclusion Council -- of Engineering students, staff, and faculty -- sponsored panels as part of their “Walking the Walk Together” series of discussions with STEM leaders. Hosted by:
  • Engineering Diversity and Inclusion Council students (Moderators)
  • Ricardo Padilla, Jr., Outreach and Diversity Programs Manager, School of Engineering

• A new Black Excellence Scholarship Fund Committee of faculty, staff, students and alumni was formed and met to discuss a new scholarship fund for Black students. https://mysantaclara.scu.edu/giving/BlackExcellence. The Black Excellence Scholarship Fund has been established and endowed with a commitment from the University and additionally has raised more than $23,000 (as of July 22, 2020) from faculty, staff, and alumni.

           The committee included:

• Mike Wallace, AVP of Constituent Relations
• Leslie Gray, President, Faculty Senate; Professor, Environmental Studies & Sciences
• Joanna Thompson, President Elect, Staff Senate; Director, Office for Multicultural Learning; Director, Rainbow Resource Center
• Raymond Plaza, Director, Office for Diversity and Inclusion
• Lorenzo Gamboa, Senior Associate Director, Undergraduate Admission
• Kendall Wulbrun, Assistant Director, Undergraduate Admission
• Danielle Morgan, Assistant Professor, English Department
• Anthony (Tony) Hazard, Jr., Associate Professor, Ethnic Studies Department
• Eli Latimerlo, Director of Development, Corporate and Foundation Relations, University Relations
• Emily Conrad, Sr. Administrative Assistant, University Relations
• Ciara Moezidis ‘21 President, Associated Student Government
• Isaac Addai ‘21 Igwebuike, Men’s Soccer
• Ekene Anene ‘21 Igwebuike
• Leah Sparkman, '21 Multicultural Center
• Helen Kassa ‘20
• Melina Johnson '01, M.A. '03 President, Alumni Board of Directors; Co-President, Black Alumni Group
• Ashley Dunn ‘12 Co-President, Black Alumni Group

• Anti-Racist Teaching Collective (ARTC) website launched: http://www.arteachingcollective.com/. The website was developed by a team of faculty and 2020 SCU graduates from the Ethnic Studies Department with support from the Faculty Collaborative for Teaching Innovation. Site creators:
• Jesica Fernández, Assistant Professor, Ethnic Studies Department 
• Allia Griffin, Lecturer, Ethnic Studies Department
• Khiely Jackson, BS ‘20
• Syndey Thompson, BS / BA ‘20

• The Faculty Collaborative for Teaching Innovation developed and launched the Creating Optimal Online Learning (COOL) program for over 330 faculty members to sharpen their skills for online teaching informed by inclusive pedagogy.

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