Announcing SLU鈥檚 New Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Sept. 23, 2020
Dear Members of the SLU Community
Today I write to announce the members of the committee I mentioned in my message earlier this month. As I let you know then, while our leadership team has been committed to making SLU a more equitable, inclusive and diverse place, 2020 has been an ongoing, stark reminder of the importance of this commitment. We heard just as much from broad swaths of our community: students, alumni, faculty, staff and community members. In particular, we heard clearly from our Black community.
This committee will be charged with:
- Reviewing and assessing our progress towards implementing the Clock Tower Accords
- Developing recommendations to supplement and enhance Accords goals
- Developing recommendations to address the concerns brought to us by Black students, staff, faculty and alumni
- Developing a structure to discern our future goals, paths, and timelines to completion
The members of this committee are:
- Dr. Daniel Blash, Vice Dean of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Chief Diversity Officer for the School of Medicine
- Jori T. Brewer, President, Black Student Association
- Belinda Dantley, J.D., Director of Inclusion & Diversity Education, School of Law
- William P. Johnson, Dean, School of Law
- Dr. Michael F. Jones II (鈥�16), President, The Black Alumni Association
- Dr. Debie R. Lohe, Interim Vice President, Student Development
- Dr. Rub茅n Rosario Rodr铆guez, Professor, Theology
- Dr. Jonathan Smith, Vice President, Diversity & Community Engagement
- Dr. Christopher Tinson, Director, African American Studies
This committee will work on an accelerated timeline to produce a report with recommended priorities and actionable next steps delivered to Dr. Pestello by the end of the fall term. I do not imagine, however, that this committee will disband upon the production of that report. The speed of this work, as I mentioned previously, is done in the spirit of King鈥檚 鈥渇ierce urgency of now.鈥� Maintaining some form of this body beyond the fall semester will be done in recognition of the fact that this work, in order to be successful, must be sustained, long-term work.
I will close in the exact manner that I did a few weeks ago: 鈥淟et us capitalize on the urgency and devotion moving through the OneSLU spirit right now. Each one of us, whether you have considered it or not, is a shareholder in this critically important work. We share a mutually linked fate. Join me in working to make ours a fully inclusive, equitable, and just community 鈥撯�� one in which all of us can be proud.鈥�
In solidarity,
Jonathan Smith, Ph.D.
Vice President for Diversity and Community Engagement