Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,
My tenure as the vice president for institutional diversity, inclusion and belonging started earlier this month. Like you, I recognize that we are navigating an uncertain time. While we’re still negotiating a lot of unknowns, as well as many national and global events that have affected our communities, our mission and commitment to ensuring education is accessible to all, including underserved and underrepresented communities, remain unwavering.
As someone who leads with love, centering people and their humanity is always at the forefront of this work. My personal values align so closely with our Catholic Vincentian values of personalism, service and social justice, and I feel great joy being a part of the DePaul community. Protecting the inherent human dignity of all, especially marginalized communities, has always been at the heart of my career. I am looking forward to creating the path forward, together with you, for that mission to live on. The opportunities to build community and overcome challenges outweigh any worries I might have.
In my short time here, I’ve had the opportunity to begin meeting students, staff, and faculty involved in programs focused on campus diversity, belonging, and justice initiatives. I’m impressed with what I see and am eager to partner with you in this work, as I believe we arrive at the best ideas together.
Listening sessions
During my first months here, I will be hosting formal and informal listening sessions to learn more and hear how students, staff, and faculty experience DePaul. More information about these sessions will come soon.
In addition to analyzing the quantitative data from these sessions, the qualitative insight I obtain from in-person conversations will be invaluable in shaping a shared vision and strategy for this work at DePaul, as well as how to implement that vision.
Request a meeting
To ensure accessibility and to get to know you better, I am happy to schedule a meeting with you! These are informal, can be one-on-one or small-group meetings, and in-person or virtual. They are scheduled based on our availability and will provide a place for me to meet you where you are, hear about your experiences at DePaul, and learn what matters to you. You can sign up via this request form:
Meet VP Matos.
I look forward to meeting you at one of the listening sessions, during a scheduled meeting or at the many engagement opportunities ahead. Thank you for your dedication to our mission and making DePaul a place where all can belong.
In community,
Dania Matos
she/her/ella
Vice President, Institutional Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging