THE IDEA newsletter

FEBRUARY 2024, ISSUE NO.10

Office of Equity and Inclusion Updates
IDEA Spotlights
IDEA Resources
Campus Highlights and Events
Community Engagement Opportunities
HR Trainings and Workshops

The IDEA Newsletter!

The IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility) Newsletter is a monthly newsletter that is designed to curate the diversity, equity, and inclusion opportunities, resources, and initiatives that help to improve the campus climate at Loyola. As a hub, the Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) strives to become a University-wide resource for diversity, equity, and inclusion with many campus partners.

To read past issues of the IDEA Newsletter, please visit:
https://www.loyola.edu/department/equity-inclusion/about/idea-newsletter

Office of Equity and Inclusion
Updates

The 31st Annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Convocation

The Office of Equity and Inclusion would like to thank everyone who attended the 31st Annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Convocation. Whether in person or online, we hope you enjoyed your experience and gained valuable insights from our guest speaker, Dr. Freeman Hrabwoski III.

A recording of the convocation is now available on YouTube. If you have any questions, please reach out to Rhona Little at rlittle1@loyola.edu.

Photo credit: Larry Canner

Safe Zone Trainings

Safe Zone at Loyola University Maryland fosters an affirming environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans & gender non-conforming, queer, pansexual, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQPIA+) members of the University community and their allies. In support of the University's mission to promote intellectual excellence and ethical leadership in the Jesuit tradition, Safe Zone at Loyola:

Cultivates dialogue, understanding, and fellowship among all University community members around LGBTQPIA+ issues and contributions
Sponsors designated Safe Zones around campus that offer safety, support, and confidentiality for LGBTQPIA+ students and their allies
Offers training to faculty, staff, administrators, and students on how to fully welcome, support, and value LGBTQPIA+ people and perspectives in the University community

Becoming Safe Zone trained at Loyola is a three-step process and sessions should be completed in order.

Session 1: LGBTQPIA+ Awareness:

Session 2: Allyship (must have completed Session 1)

Session 3: Creating LGBTQPIA+ Affirming Spaces (must have completed Sessions 1 & 2)

For more information, please reach out to Rhona Little at rlittle1@loyola.edu.

IDEA Spotlights

In each newsletter, the Office of Equity and Inclusion highlights individuals within Loyola who are working to make our campus an inclusive and welcoming place for all people. In this edition, we are spotlighting Alyssa De La Cerda, Director of DEI for the Greyhound Ambassadors; John Kiess, Associate Professor of Theology; and Mary Beth Mudric, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies.

Alyssa De La Cerda posing for a photo while wearing a black blazer

Alyssa De La Cerda (she/her)

Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Greyhound Ambassadors

Alyssa De La Cerda is a sophomore at Loyola University Maryland, double majoring in International Business and Sustainability Management. Since her first semester at Loyola, Alyssa has served as a member of the Undergraduate Diversity Advisory Board. Through collaboration with other student leaders and the Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI), she has played an active role in amplifying and addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion issues affecting students.

She is also on the Executive Board for The Greyhound Ambassadors and serves as the Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. While she seeks to make Loyola and her local community more inclusive in all her various roles, her time with the Greyhound Ambassadors and the Diversity Advisory Board has been incredibly important in her DEI work. These roles have given her connections with like-minded people, placed her in positions where she can make real notable changes, and allowed her to play her part in building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment here at Loyola.

Alyssa is also the Vice President for the LoyolaVotes Ambassadors, a resident assistant for first-year students in Campion Tower, and a model in the upcoming 2024 BSA Fashion show.

When asked what motivates her passion for DEIJ work, she said, “Many things motivate my passion for DEIJ work. In my many roles throughout campus, seeing signs (no matter how seemingly small) of a more connected, welcoming, and socially aware student body and university always excites and emboldens my passion. It drives me to know that I’m creating a more welcoming university for all the future students I see daily in the Admissions Office. There are so many potential Loyola students I see each day, of many different backgrounds, all of whom deserve to be at an institution that truly stands for justice and equity at all levels. It makes me really happy to know that I’ve played an important role in building such a place and hope to continue that in all that I do at Loyola and beyond.”

John Kiess, Ph.D. (he/him)

Associate Professor of Theology

Dr. Kiess is Associate Professor of Theology and teaches courses at the intersection of religion, ethics, peacebuilding, and social justice. Some of his recent courses have included TH310D The Ethics of War and Peace, TH318D Bioethics and Social Justice, and HN499 The Examined Life.

His roles at Loyola have included directing the Office of Peace and Justice and serving as co-chair of the President’s Task Force Examining Loyola’s Connections to Slavery. The task force consisted of faculty, administrators, students, and members of the GU272 descendant community, and was charged with initiating and guiding a university-wide examination of Loyola’s connections to slavery and its ongoing legacies. Their final report was released Jan. 17 and is available here.

Dr. Kiess currently chairs the Task Force Implementation Team, which is working to implement the recommendations of the report and coordinate a number of campus events facilitating further discussion and engagement with the report’s findings. These include a performance of Here I Am by GU272 descendant Mélisande Short-Colomb (March 19-20) and a lecture by Rachel Swarns entitled, “The 272: “The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church” (March 21). More info on these and other events can be found here.

He also serves on the Interfaith Advisory Board and steering committee of the Karson Institute for Race, Peace, and Social Justice. Within the Theology Department, he chairs the departmental DEIJ subcommittee. Beyond the university, he serves on the Anglican-Roman Catholic Theological Consultation in the USA (ARC-USA), an ecumenical dialogue aimed at deepening ties between the Episcopal and Roman Catholic churches.

Dr. Kiess’s interests in theology, ethics, and peacebuilding were shaped through several formative years as a community worker in Charlottesville, VA and research fieldwork in Northern Ireland and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He recently completed a translation of the writings of Christophe Munzihirwa, S.J., a Congolese, Jesuit priest who was martyred for his advocacy for refugees during the volatile period between the Rwandan genocide and the First Congo War. The collection is entitled Our Greatest Weapon is Love, and will be published later this year by Cascade Books.

When asked what motivates his passion for DEIJ work, he said, “Part of what I love about teaching theology is that religious traditions, at their best, are always reaching higher and pushing forward to ever more welcoming forms of belonging and being together. Whether framed in terms of the Kingdom of God, the beloved community, or the magis, I am motivated by visions of collective life that challenge us to be more just, more inclusive, and more open. I am inspired by the ways my Loyola colleagues and students work to make this university just such a place.”

Image of Dr. Mudric smiling and wearing leapord print eyeglasses

Mary Beth Mudric, Ph.D. (she/her)

Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies

As the Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Mudric’s primary responsibilities involve working with our first-year and sophomore students to promote academic success. She describes her work as being cross-collaborative because in order to support students in meaningful ways, multiple resources are required. Her job is to be aware of these resources, guide students toward beneficial decisions, and offer realistic encouragement along the way. Whether a student is taking a leave of absence, appealing an academic dismissal, or considering a different major, her goal is to preserve the student’s sense of self-worth and dignity through the process.

As we are still in the process of returning to life after a pandemic, students are navigating their college journeys in new ways. Dr. Mudric believes it is her job to meet these students in the middle, and not necessarily where they are. She believes it is critical to balance empathy and accountability, provide the tools to help our students thrive, and offer enough encouragement to get them to the finish line.

Dr. Mudric is also grateful to work with colleagues on many first-generation student initiatives. Almost 26% of Loyola’s incoming first-year class (2027) identify as first-generation, while 18% of Loyola's total undergraduate student body identify as first-generation. Although not all first-generation students contend with the same challenges, they do have one common denominator. First-generation students lack the benefit of their parents’ college experiences, which consequently yields fewer skills and tools for them to navigate through and succeed in college.

Loyola has made strides in recent years to incorporate an asset-based framework for working with our increasing number of first-generation undergraduate students. In fact, in February 2022 Loyola gained national recognition for our commitment to first-generation student success by being selected as a FIRST-GEN FORWARD institution by the Center for First-generation Student Success, an initiative of NASPA and the Suder Foundation.

On an institutional level, Dr. Mudric is particularly proud of Loyola’s demonstrated dedication to supporting first-generation students. These efforts include: Hand-written letters to every incoming first-gen student, Hope Unleashed Retreat, ONE FAMILY: First-Gen Pre-fall program, national first-gen day college celebration, first-gen family weekend: siblings’ weekend, Spring Bling, Navigating the FAFSA Program, Scholarships and Fellowships Speaker Event, Career Center Networking Event, First-gen Listening Session, First-gen Hounds Alliance, First-Gen Student Success Working Group, and First-gen Allies.

Her overall goal is to provide comprehensive scaffolding for first-generation students so they flourish academically, socially, spiritually, and emotionally at Loyola and acquire a sense of self-confidence that will allow them to thrive beyond graduation. On a personal level, she appreciates knowing each student’s story, being part of their journey through Loyola, and celebrating them at graduation.

When asked what motivates her passion for DEIJ, she said, “Our first-gen students hold a very special place in my heart. There is no feeling like meeting a student at summer orientation, checking in with that student each week and hearing about the student’s family traditions, challenges, heartaches, and hopes, connecting that student with the most amazing colleagues one could hope for, and then watching that student walk across the stage at commencement. I get chills just thinking about such moments. It is these experiences, these relationships, and these successes that motivate me to learn more, work harder, and appreciate the deep level of dedication that our community has to our students and their overall well-being and success in college.”

Do you know someone who you think should be featured? To submit a nomination for the IDEA Spotlights, please fill out this form.

IDEA Resources

Below are links to resources, initiatives, support networks, and campus updates, that help to foster inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility across Loyola.

ALANA Services

MAN2MAN, Sister to Sister, and Hora De Cafe Con Leche are back this semester!

MAN2Man: Join ALANA Services for their second MAN2MAN session of the Spring Semester happening on Tuesday, February 6th at 5 PM in the Center for Intercultural Engagement (CIE). Questions? Contact Dennis at dvelez@loyola.edu

Sister to Sister: Be sure to mark your calendars and save the date for the next Sister to Sister session taking place on Thursday, February 8th from 5-6:30 PM. Questions? Contact ALANA Services at ALANA@loyola.edu.

Hora De Cafe Con Leche: Are you a native or fluent Spanish speaker? Are you looking for a place to practice your Spanish? Do you enjoy some cafe con leche? The next Hora De Cafe con Leche session will take place on Friday, February 23rd at 3 PM in the SGA Conference Room (Student Center, Third Floor). Preguntas? Contact Dennis at dvelez@loyola.edu

The Death of Innocence: A Youth Justice Forum and Fair

Join the Center for Community, Service, and Justice (CCSJ) for Death of Innocence: A Youth Justice Forum and Fair, taking place on Thursday, February 1, 2024 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm in McGuire Hall.

The event will feature a panel of legal experts and community activists discussing the treatment of youth in American society, the impact of our digital world on children, the intersection of race and class in our youth legal system, and how we can best support the well-being of all young people.

Students who attend will have the opportunity to meet representatives from community and advocacy organizations, explore internship and job opportunities, and take part in a community advocacy action.

Snacks and refreshments will be served during the reception from 7:30 - 8:30 PM. All are invited to attend!

EVENT

Death of Innocence: Youth Justice Forum and Fair

Thursday, February 1
6:00pm - 8:30pm

McGuire Hall West, CCSJ - Humanities Building, Suite 142* (adjacent to Diane Geppi-Aikens Field) YRI - 5104 York Road (small building with the green awning), Baltimore, MD 21210, United States
Link

Table Of Contents

The IDEA Newsletter!

Office of Equity and Inclusion Updates

The 31st Annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Convocation

Safe Zone Trainings

IDEA Spotlights

Alyssa De La Cerda (she/her)

John Kiess, Ph.D. (he/him)

Mary Beth Mudric, Ph.D. (she/her)

IDEA Resources

ALANA Services

The Death of Innocence: A Youth Justice Forum and Fair

Fresh Check Day

Julio Fine Arts Gallery: strikeWare Art Exhibit

Anti-Semitism: A Teach-in for the Loyola Community

Interfaith Services

On-Campus Interfaith Worship Spaces

Off-Campus Interfaith Worship Spaces

Additional Resources:

Campus Highlights and Events

Community Engagement Opportunities

HR Trainings and Workshops

People-Centric Leadership - Webinar

Setting Healthy Boundaries - Webinar

Getting Comfortable with Conflict (Supervisors/Leaders) - In Person

Employee Assistance Plan Overview - Webinar

Office of Equity and Inclusion
Updates

Anti-Semitism:
A Teach-in for the Loyola Community