Dear Faculty and Staff,
In the face of ongoing change, what continues to be clear at DePaul is that we are a community who care deeply for one another. This care was evident in the conversations and feedback shared at the recent President’s Dialogue series event, Building Belonging.
Many of you shared what belonging means to you: feeling accepted; recognizing the strengths and uniqueness each person brings to our community; and feeling welcome in any room. You also shared the importance of feeling safe and being valued and celebrated for one’s authentic self. These expressions align closely with our Catholic, Vincentian values and are invaluable to our work moving forward.
In addition to your thoughts on belonging, faculty and staff provided feedback on how we can continue to fulfill our mission. Some ideas echo those shared in the previous session, and you will find our thoughts about some of these recommendations below.
A recurring theme in these conversations is the need for support around mental health and wellbeing, both for ourselves and our students. The next session in the President’s Dialogue Series will be Building a Culture of Community Care. We will focus on the intersection of mental health and community care in higher education and the workplace, particularly in a time of uncertainty and rapid change.
The session will be April 16 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. in the Lincoln Park Student Center, 120 A/B. We will have a panel discussion followed by small group dialogues and activities as well as a resource fair. Internal and external partners will bring resources and information for faculty and staff to support themselves and their families, as well as resources for all of us to support our students’ mental health and wellbeing.
Thank you for the continued care and support you provide for all members of our DePaul community. Take care of yourself. Take care of each other. Take care DePaul.
Sincerely,
Robert L. Manuel
President
Dania Matos
Vice President for Institutional Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging
Insights from the Feb. 27 Building Belonging session:
Living the mission
At the dialogue session, some faculty and staff encouraged us to leverage our Catholic, Vincentian mission in ways large and small – from the words we use to communicate to how the mission guides our reaction to changing policies.
DePaul was founded to provide access to higher education for underserved immigrant communities in the city of Chicago. Our commitment to such equity and access will continue to be a common thread of our mission.
Communications
Similar to the first dialogue session in January, many faculty and staff requested clear communications about changes to federal policy. We understand the reassurance regular communication can offer in times of uncertainty. We will continue to keep our community informed when new information emerges about federal policy that has a direct impact on the university.
As we shared in February, discussions with community members directly affected by changes may be more urgent than a university-wide communication. If you or a
member of our community is in distress or need of help, and they are not receiving the support they need, please reach out to us. We pledge to communicate to the university when we have new knowledge or information to share.
Outreach and Collaboration
Feedback from faculty and staff at the dialogue session also focused on collaborating with Lincoln Park and broader Chicago neighbors, our alumni and other Catholic institutions.
We’d like to uplift an opportunity from the Steans Center to advance community well-being, social impact and educational access. The center is hosting bi-weekly orientation for new and returning community partners with their Academic Service-Learning team: “Through course-based collaborations, hands-on service-learning experiences, and project-based initiatives, our Academic Service Learning team works to strengthen community capacity while providing students with transformative, real-world learning opportunities.”