Office of Equity and Inclusion
Updates and Upcoming Events

Loyola at the JEDI-CCE Institute

Members of Loyola's Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI), Student Life, and Center for Community, Service, and Justice (CCSJ) attended the inaugural Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) - Civic and Community Engagement (CCE) Institute on October 20th at Morgan State University. Hosted by Transform Mid-Atlantic, the institute provided Loyola an opportunity to join 14 other colleges and universities in conversations around the work required to advance JEDI-CCE across our campuses and communities. Loyola representatives looked at initiatives and programming offered around JEDI-CCE, assessed and evaluated those initiatives, and developed an action plan for Loyola's campus and community partnerships.

Pictured from left to right: Dr. Gia Grier McGinnis (CCSJ), Stepf Richie Diaz (Student Life), Pat Cassidy (CCSJ), Lemoine Joseph (CCSJ), and Rhona Little (OEI).

New Gender Inclusion Resource Page

The Office of Equity and Inclusion has a new Gender Inclusion webpage that includes resources gathered from campus partners such as Academic Affairs, Counseling Center, LGBTQ+ Services, Title IX and The Women's Center. This is not an exhaustive list; however, it offers a beginning place for community members to learn about gender diversity and inclusion.

Save the Date: Martin Luther King, Jr., Convocation

IDEA Spotlights

In each newsletter, the office of equity and inclusion will highlight individuals within Loyola who are working to make our campus an inclusive and welcoming place for all people. In this edition, we are spotlighting Jessica David, Coordinator of BIPOC Mental Health Services, Counseling Center; Qi Shi, Director, Center for Equity, Leadership, and Social Justice in Education; Tobi Olaniyi and Jasmine Diaz, Co-Directors, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Student Government Association.

Jessica David, Ph.D. (she/her)

Jessica David is one of the newest members of the Counseling Center staff and serves as the Coordinator of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Services. While Jessica’s position title is new, Counseling Center staff members (former and current) have championed the effort to support, affirm, and advocate for systemic changes that benefit students of color at Loyola for many years. Within her role, Jessica is a licensed psychologist and collaborates closely with campus partners including ALANA Services, International Student Services, and the Office of Equity and Inclusion to promote programming and initiatives created to support BIPOC students. Jessica currently serves as one of the co-facilitators of Empower and as a mentor of Sister to Sister, two affinity spaces for students of color that are run in collaboration with ALANA Services.

Jessica identifies as a Black, queer, able-bodied ciswoman who believes we all have the capacity to lead lives full of meaning and purpose. As a first-generation college graduate, she is passionate about supporting young adults as they navigate their journey of self-exploration, growth, and discovery to live more authentically. Jessica is a firm believer in ‘paying it forward,” acknowledging that it was because of the help, guidance, and support that she received throughout her college career that she was able to experience success. This commitment fuels her passion to support students of color in the present day.

In addition to supporting the mental health of Loyola students, Jessica has specialized training working with Division I college athletes and is committed to addressing issues of social injustice and supporting communities that are most significantly impacted by systemic oppression.

Qi Shi, Ph.D. (she/her)

Associate Professor, School Counseling
Director, Center for Equity, Leadership, and Social Justice in Education

Dr. Qi Shi serves as the Director of The School of Education’s Center for Equity, Leadership, and Social Justice in Education (CELSJE). The Center provides a collaborative space to the community for engaged research and the promotion of impactful work in the areas of equity, leadership, and social justice in education. On October 6th, CELSJE officially launched with its first event under the “Equity in Education” series, Black Educators and School Reform, featuring Dr. Camika Royal, author of Not Paved for Us: Black Educators and Public School Reform in Philadelphia, and a panel of distinguished scholars and activists in urban education.

Dr. Shi is looking forward to the center's second event in the Equity in Education series: Community Schools Virtual Panel Discussion: Learn from (and Planning for) Research on Community Schools, co-hosted by CELSJE and the Baltimore Educational Research Consortium (BERC) on November 8, 2022. Dr. Qi Shi, with two faculty fellows Dr. Stephanie Flores-Koulish and Dr. Leah Saal, and Dr. Lisa Schoenbrodt, professor of Speech Language Pathology will also introduce the Center and present three research projects in a panel at the ICUE conference on November 3, 2022, in Cancun, Mexico.

Dr. Shi is making a concerted effort to publicize CELSJE not only within Baltimore, Maryland but also nationally and internationally. The CELSJE welcomes educators, community members, students, and allies through a forum of professional learning, research, engaged scholarship, political action, and community involvement to amplify our collective voices, advocate for multiracial and multicultural human rights, and advance justice in education.

Tobi Olaniyi (he/him) and Jasmine Diaz (she/her)

Co-Directors, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Student Government Association

Tobi Olaniyi and Jasmine Diaz serve as Co-Directors for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Loyola's Student Government Association (SGA). In their roles, Tobi and Jasmine serve as liaisons between any registered student organization that promotes cultural, social, religious, gender, race, sexuality, ability, and political awareness. They meet frequently with student organizations, faculty, and administrators to ensure that students feel heard and cared for at Loyola. They also support student events through co-sponsorship, financial contributions, and promotional assistance to allow for greater awareness and engagement across campus.

In addition, Tobi and Jasmine are responsible for planning activities that promote diversity and incorporate the whole community. Some of their upcoming initiatives include:

• BIPOC Coalition: a coalition of administrators and faculty committed to supporting, assisting, and mentoring minority students. This coalition will also work with offices such as the Office of Financial Aid, Title IX, and the Career Center to brainstorm ways to advertise their services to minority groups on campus.
• DEI Coalition: a coalition of presidents from all registered student organizations that fall under the DEI umbrella. The coalition will provide presidents with formal and organized resources and will allow for more efficient communication between student groups and SGA. The coalition will also include professional staff who would serve as advisors and mentors for the presidents.
• DoBetter Panel: In collaboration with SGA’s Director of Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Education, the Title IX Office, the Women’s Center, and the DoBetter Loyola campaign, this panel will allow students to ask questions and learn more about Loyola’s policies, processes, and resources for sexual and gender-based violence and misconduct.
• Financial Aid Panel: Scheduled to take place in Spring 2023, the financial aid panel will allow students to engage with staff from the Office of Financial Aid; the panel aims to promote a more transparent understanding of the financial resources and opportunities available to Loyola students.

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, support networks, and organizations that can help foster inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility initiatives. Please note, this is not an exhaustive list; if you would like to submit an item, please email Rhona Little.

Counseling Center's 24/7 Confidential Mental Wellness Resource

The Counseling Center has several tools and resources for students to use independently, whether they are in-between counseling sessions or just looking for ways to address their mental health and wellness in general. One of those resources is Togetherall, a 24/7 confidential peer-to-peer mental wellness resource, free to all enrolled Loyola students. Topics can be discussed anonymously and in addition to commonly identified mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, academic concerns, and relationship concerns, including those related to identity-based trauma and stress. Students can register here today.

New Publication from Loyola's Communication Department

Faculty from Loyola University Maryland's Communication Department authored a peer-reviewed journal article, "Addressing Diversity Across the Communication Curriculum: A Case Study." This paper was published in the Teaching Journalism and Mass Communication journal in July 2022 and presents a case study on how faculty at a medium-size communication program address diversity across the curriculum, particularly in their courses that are not diversity-designated. Using qualitative survey responses and reflexive thematic analysis, this case study shares methods and ideas for incorporating diversity in skills and theoretical courses and required specialization, and elective courses. Faculty authors included Masudul Biswas, Elliot King, April Newton, and Nguyen Nguyen.

Communication Department's Accessibility Workshop and Training for Faculty

The Communication Department has created a required accessibility workshop on Moodle for all Communication Faculty. Erin Richardson, a member of the Communication Department's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility committee, has led the creation of this workshop. In the future, such accessibility training will be a part of the new faculty onboarding process in the Communication Department.

Additional Resources:

• Accessibility at Loyola

• ALANA Programs and Initiatives

• Anti-Racism Resources

• Commuter Student Resources

• Disability Support Services

• First Generation Student Success

• Inclusive Scheduling Calendar

• LGBTQ+ Services

• Multilingual Student Resources

• Report Bias

• Student Athlete Support Services
  
   

HR Trainings and Workshops

Unconscious Bias and Microaggressions

Everyone has unconscious bias. It means that our brains are predisposed to making quick judgments based on deeply rooted subconscious attitudes. Every employee brings this bias with them into the workplace. It shapes the way we think, act, and interact with others. While these deep-set attitudes are difficult to eliminate completely, it is possible to raise awareness of our bias and discover strategies to move towards conscious action. Facilitated by KEPRO.

• Date: 11/8/2022 from 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Location: Online Webinar
• Registration link is here.

Preventing Workplace Harassment

This program examines this topic, in detail so all employees are prepared if they experience any related situations at Loyola. Presented by HR Representatives.

Sponsored by Human Resources

• Dates: 11/16/2022 from 11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
• Location: 4th Floor Program Room 
• Registration link is here.

Emotional Intelligence for Success

Recognizing feelings in oneself and others, managing emotions, and balancing thoughts and feelings are beneficial traits to have. These traits are associated with emotional intelligence (EI) and can improve the chances of leading a successful life. The session will examine the impact of emotional intelligence on one’s life. Participants will learn that by recognizing the feelings of family members and co-workers, and responding in a balanced, rational way, they can improve relationships and collaborate more effectively. The session also examines new brain research on emotions and the battle between the emotional and the thinking brain. Facilitated by KEPRO.

• Date: 12/6/2022 from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
• Location: Online Webinar
• Registration link is here.

LinkedIn Learning Modules

• Drive Organizational Change for DEI
• Be an Inclusive Organization People Won’t Leave
• What is diversity, inclusion, and equity?
• DEI in a new normal
• Become aware of unconscious bias

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


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