Office of Diversity and Inclusion

LIFT SU:

Inclusive Excellence Action Plan for Racial Equity and Antiracism 2020-2021

Listen and learn    Impact through intentional action   Fail forward    Transform together

We commit to the principles of LIFT SU and the following action plan to drive institutional change toward racial equity. We will prioritize affirmation of and allyship with our Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) community at Seattle University, and take strategic action to address systemic racism and impact throughout the institution. The top 5 priority areas:

1. Recruitment and Retention of BIPOC Students  
2. Bias Prevention and Campus Climate Care 
3. Recruitment and Retention of BIPOC Faculty and Staff  
4. Narrative Through Art and Symbols  
5. Build Capacity and Invest in Infrastructure

These action steps are a further evolution of the 2016 comprehensive blueprint -- Task Force on Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Final Report and Recommendations (2016), and aligns with the university’s Strategic Directions adopted by the Board of Trustees in January 2020.  

A message was sent to the SU Community on 10/16.

Read the official announcement to learn more.

The Way Forward

In this second annual report, we continue to tell the story of inclusive excellence at SU. The report highlights some signature moments from last academic year including our ongoing efforts to engage and evolve prior to the wave of social movements around racial injustice, and our commitment to listen and respond to the national and institutional calls to action, particularly those of our students.

You will see our Jesuit values and impact reflected in the voices of some of our students and colleagues who generously share experiences of these unprecedented times. Importantly, this report captures the climate and context of the last several months as we look ahead to pursue LIFT SU: Inclusive Excellence Action Plan for Racial Equity and Antiracism.

The report contains embedded hyperlinks for ease of reading and deeper reflection. For example, view Dr. Alvin Sturdivant’s memorable Red Talk from last season, “I Am Enough: Resilience in a World that Says You Don’t Matter.” His words ring salient given our current reality.

Thanks to the Marcom team for their partnership with ODI to bring the vision and content to life.