From: Office of Equity & Inclusion Date: April 1 Subject: The IDEA Newsletter!
THE IDEA newsletter
April 2025, ISSUE NO.20
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 educational opportunities and initiatives that help to improve campus climate at Loyola.
The Silver Celebration is an end-of-year celebration recognizing students from the class of 2025 who have demonstrated a deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and justice within our campus community.
During the evening, three exceptional students will be presented with Loyola’s Equity and Inclusion Award for their dedication to cultivating a community of belonging. Through their advocacy, compassion, and curiosity, they are departing Loyola’s campus having made it a more inclusive and equitable place for future Greyhounds.
The celebration is open to all members of the class of 2025, and dinner will be provided! Business casual attire is suggested.
When registering, attendees will also have an opportunity to select ALANA, Cultural & Heritage, Disability, First-Generation, International, and LGBTQ+ graduation cords in recognition of their journeys and accomplishments.
ALANA Cord: with a silver, black, and gold graduation cord, we celebrate the accomplishments of our students of color and/or students who have served in a leadership role within any of the ALANA student organizations.
Cultural & Heritage Cord: with a silver, green, and white graduation cord, we celebrate our graduates whose culture, heritage, and/or faith traditions have influenced their academic success and personal growth.
Disability Cord: with a silver, red, blue, green, and gold cord, we celebrate the achievements of graduates who have successfully navigated their academic journeys with disabilities, including, but not limited to physical, invisible, mental health, sensory, and neurodivergent disabilities.
First-Generation Cord: with a silver and orange graduation cord, we celebrate those graduates who are in the first generation of their immediate family to receive a bachelor's degree and have successfully navigated the complexities of higher education to the completion of their degree this May.
International Cord: with a silver and cyan graduation cord, we honor our Class of 2025 International Graduates.
LGBTQPIA+ & Allies Cord: with a silver and lavender graduation cord, we celebrate the accomplishments of our queer-identifying graduates as well as those students who have demonstrated active allyship with the LGBTQPIA+ community during their time at Loyola.
How to Participate:
If you would like to be included in this year's celebration, please RSVP and complete the registration form no later than Friday, April 11th. When you RSVP, you'll also be asked a series of questions to ensure we properly recognize you at the event.
Not Able to Attend In Person?
RSVP "Not Attending—Reserving Cords Only." After the Silver Celebration, a follow-up email will be sent confirming the location for pickup.
Questions?
Please contact Rhona Little at rlittle1@loyola.edu
Nominate a Student for Loyola's Equity and Inclusion Awards
The Office of Equity and Inclusion, in partnership with the Student Development Division, is excited to host the 2025 Silver Celebration. This event is an end-of-year celebration honoring students from the class of 2025 who have demonstrated a deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and justice within our campus community.
During the evening, three exceptional students will be presented with Loyola's Equity and Inclusion Award for their dedication to cultivating a community of belonging. Through their advocacy, compassion, and curiosity, they are departing Loyola's campus having made it a more inclusive and equitable place for future Greyhounds.
To nominate a graduate or undergraduate student from the class of 2025, please complete the nomination form by Thursday, April 3.
Join the Undergraduate Diversity Advisory Board!
The Diversity Advisory Board (DAB) is a dedicated group of undergraduate students committed to amplifying student voices on matters of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ). Serving as liaisons and problem solvers, board members work in collaboration with the Office of Equity and Inclusion to advance the university’s mission of equity and help cultivate a community of belonging for all students.
Applications are now open! Apply by Friday, April 11 for a chance to be part of this impactful student leadership opportunity.
For more information, please contact Rhona Little.
As part of Loyola's Cura Conversations Series, join us for an informative session on Developing Proactively Supportive & Trauma-Informed Environments. Centering members of the LGBTQ+ community, join us as we explore ways to make Loyola affirming for all in relation to physical space, interpersonal interactions, and policies and practices. Learn how to foster a campus culture that affirms and supports LGBTQ+ individuals and creates inclusive physical spaces that promote belonging and safety.
This session will provide an overview of how colleagues, students, and campus community members bring with them all of who they are and all that they have experienced. Lunch will be provided!
Hosted by The Office of Equity and Inclusion, The Thrive Center for Student Success, The Counseling Center, Campus Ministry, and The Office of Human Resources. This lunchtime dialogue series addresses critical topics through the lens of compassion, curiosity, and care. Open to all members of the Loyola Community!
The Office of Equity and Inclusion is on Instagram! Follow us at @LoyolaEquityInclusion for updates, events, and insights on fostering an inclusive campus community. Join the conversation and be part of the journey towards equity and inclusion! 🌟
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 Jace Blehar, York Road Commerical Corridor Intern; Stephanie Bravo, Case Manager in the Office of Student Support and Wellness Promotion (SSWP); Janet Preis, Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences (SLHS) Department Chair.
Jace Blehar (He/Him)
York Road Commerical Corridor Intern
Jace Behlar is the York Road Commercial Corridor Intern for the Center for Community, Service, and Justice (CCSJ). As part of this role, he is responsible for planning, recruiting, and organizing events along the corridor to encourage CCSJ students to engage with the local community. These events include York Road community days and the business crawl.
Jace also encourages people to engage with other CCSJ events such as Coffee and Court, an event hosted by CCSJ and the Counseling Center. Coffee and Court is a great way to learn about current legal decisions guiding the country.
Outside of CCSJ, he is also a member of the DEIJ and Community Outreach committees for SGA, where he helps plan and volunteer at events like Family Fun Day, food drives, and the anti-human trafficking carwash.
Jace's passion for DEIJ work stems from his experiences at CCSJ and the significant impact he has witnessed this work create. While many fields allow individuals to make a difference in people's lives, DEIJ work is particularly well-suited to foster positive change that will last for years to come. Through his involvement at CCSJ, Jace has contributed to enhancing the entire York Road corridor and has supported numerous students and community members in their efforts to make a positive impact in their own communities. Being part of the improvements in people's lives has always been one of his top priorities, and DEIJ work has enabled him to pursue that passion effectively.
Stephanie Bravo (She/Her)
Case Manager in the Office of Student Support and Wellness Promotion (SSWP)
As a case manager in the Office of Student Support and Wellness Promotion (SSWP), Stephanie is responsible for providing support to students who may be struggling with a range of emotional and/or social-related health concerns. By using a student-focused approach, she aims to have every interaction rooted in the utmost respect for a student's unique identity, perspective, and life experience.
Stephanie's passion for DEIJ work comes from her education. As a first-generation college student and a second-generation Latina born and raised in New Jersey, she has experienced firsthand how higher education, particularly Catholic higher education, has opened doors and paths that she would have never discovered – intellectually, professionally, and personally. As a proud graduate of a Vincentian Catholic University in NYC, she recognizes the same values in Jesuit higher education, rooted in a faith that does justice, in forming people for and with others, people of solidarity who promote the common good within their communities and beyond.
It is this conviction of caring for all people, not just some, that drives her work. She also sees her passion for DEIJ work rooted in the conviction that her job is not simply a job. It is a vocation, a calling to form the next generation of ethical leaders. She sees her work as rooted in what Jesuits call a theology of accompaniment – a journeying together through their academic experience, walking alongside them as they encounter difficulties and challenges, as well as discovering their own passion and vocation in life. It is a great privilege for her to do this work.
Janet Preis, Ed.D., CCC-SLP (She/Her)
Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences (SLHS) Department Chair
Janet Preis is the Chair of the Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences (SLHS) Department and an Associate Professor. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses, including SP 102 (Messina): Introduction to Human Communication, SP 103 (Messina): Introduction to Communication Disorders, SP 303: Sociolinguistics, and SP 643: Autism Spectrum and Social Communication Disorders.
For the past five years, the SLHS graduate program has implemented a curriculum in culturally responsive and sustaining practice for all of its students. This work begins with reflection exercises before students enter the program in August, preparing them for an all-day interactive workshop led by exceptional faculty and second-year students during orientation. The work continues throughout the graduate students’ entire first year with monthly meetings in small groups on at least eight different topics to support culturally responsive and sustaining practice.
Janet notes this initiative with special pride as it was born from a student thesis she led in 2020 (i.e., Training Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Students in Anti-Racist Praxis by Mairin Srygley) and operationalized through work she completed during her sabbatical (AY 2021-22). Although the work is currently led by her exceptional colleagues in the SLHS department, Janet continues to be active in this work primarily through her support and actions as SLHS Department Chair, and by presenting at different times to the graduate class, Introduction to DEIJ in SLP when they arrive for orientation, and again in their spring semester specific to SLP practice (i.e., Culturally Responsive Practice in SLP).
Some of Janet's research work and presentations specific to DEI include:
Manuscript in process: A Year-Long Curriculum in DEI: Lessons Learned and Future Directions
Preis, J. (November 2023). Attitudes, Knowledge, and Skills Towards Racial Equity in CSD: A Comparison Across Groups. Paper presentation at the annual meeting of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Boston, MA.
Cultural responsiveness is integrated into all of Janet's courses through course content on culture and communication (SP 102S, SP 103S, SP 303), implications of cultural lens on assessment and intervention (SP 643), and the intersection of language, communication, and culture (SP 303). Additionally, she continues to revamp the SP 643 (Autism & Social Communication) course with a regular feature of ‘mainstream gaze’ on each topic taught, asking students (and herself) to consider the autistic lens for each area of the course. Specifically, the autistic community’s voice is at the center, especially regarding issues of controversy (e.g., ABA therapy, pragmatic language intervention, lack of publications used as evidence).
Janet's passion for DEIJ work is primarily motivated by her privilege as a white, cisgendered, able-bodied, economically solvent woman working in a field dominated by the same. This privilege allows her the space to practice and co-learn with her students and colleagues about being in the world with and for others in a just and peaceful way. As she prepares to leave Loyola (she is retiring in December 2025), she understands the profound impact that Loyola’s Jesuit values have had on her development, awareness, and actions, as these are integral to her for living and teaching in a just and inclusive manner. Janet also believes that her passion is fundamentally motivated by love and her embodied awareness that she is part of a greater good interconnected with all other beings, no exceptions. This profound and simple awareness is the ground for her to keep her intentions similar to what she believes the Jesuits refer to as their way of being: to be attentive, to be reflective, and to be loving.
IDEA Resources
Below are links to initiatives, support networks, and campus updates, that help to foster inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility across Loyola.
EVENT
Bunting Peace and Justice keynote talk - Alexandrine Benjamin
Alexandrine Benjamin will do keynote talk contextualizing current gang violence in Haiti, a screening of her latest short film N'ap Boule (20 min.), as well as a Q&A with the audience.
Join us for the 26th Annual BSA Fashion Show. The show, Alter Ego: Cities of Soul, highlights important Black cities and regions through music, dance, and fashion. The BSA Fashion Show has become one of Loyola's biggest events and you don't want to miss it!
Get your ticket today by either visiting the Loyola Box Office, or purchasing your tickets online through Audience View(https://loyolaevents.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=1581).
EVENT
Bloom & Balance: A Wellness Experience for Women of Color
Join MOSAIC and the Counseling Center for a partial-day wellness experience centered on reflection, relaxation, restoration, and community. This program is designed for students who are invested in the well-being of Women of Color, inclusive of trans, cis, nonbinary, and gender expansive identities.
SAGDAW is Loyola's annual LGBTQ+ Pride week. This week of events is a collaboration between LGBTQ+ Student Services, The LGBTQ+ Experience, and Spectrum. SAGDAW started in 2002 as a way for queer students to be visible on campus, educate the community on LGBTQ+ issues, and gather as a proud community.
Loyola is host to a variety of trainings, activities, and events throughout the year, many of which foster engagement and open dialogue surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion. Below are upcoming events taking place across campus.
If you would like to contribute relevant news items, events, professional development opportunities, or community updates and accomplishments, please send them to rlittle1@loyola.edu
4th Floor Programming Room
