Our Core Values of Diversity and Inclusion
Message from the President
November 13, 2015
Dear LMU Community,
The events of this past week provide a powerful reminder of the importance of a national dialogue concerning diversity and inclusion on college campuses. I am so proud that our own ASLMU has added their voice to the conversation in a letter to students. I applaud their efforts and write to address you about a core value of our university: fostering a community where diversity, inclusion, respect, and open dialogue are at the center of everything we do.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak with a class of first year students, where we explored the responsibilities of universities to make the educational environment open to and supportive of all. Racially biased incidents have no place in our community. Whether they are as small as a defaced sign or as hurtful as an epithet yelled at a student, these actions profoundly hurt us all. Our students’ safety is a highest priority. Any incident that takes away from their sense of physical or emotional security must be addressed promptly and effectively. At LMU, we have developed an infrastructure of care and concern that affords students, faculty, and staff a way to redress grievances or right an injustice. Among the services available are:
- Public Safety
- Ethnic and Intercultural Services
- Office of Intercultural Affairs
- Student Psychological Services
- Campus Ministry
- Student Affairs Dean’s Office
In addition, the Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT), a committee of high level administrators, takes action on any and every incident brought to them, and the Ethics Reporting Line, a confidential reporting tool, supports LMU's commitment to integrity.Systematic oppression is difficult to uncover and even more difficult to eliminate. That is why we need to talk with each other, learn from each other, and grow together. Progress is founded on healthy engagement, even disagreement, and the compromise that results. I have a deep and abiding confidence in each of you to respect one another. We are guided by our Catholic, Jesuit, and Marymount traditions of discernment, action, and seeing God in all those we encounter. We do not always get it right, but in the spirit of the magis, we always strive to do better. Service of faith and the promotion of justice are who we are at LMU in our hearts, our minds, and our souls.
With sincere appreciation and thanks for the important work we will continue to do together,
Timothy Law Snyder, Ph.D.
President