“When I arrived, I was really focused on figuring out what does community look like for Black students at DePaul and how I could develop it further. I wanted to let our Black students know that they had their own space where they could come together, be themselves and know that they were safe. That was really important to me,” Francis says.
In year one, Francis hosted faculty and staff chats, so students would learn more about resources or mentors on DePaul’s campus. She created Halloween events, held Black History Month celebrations and ran open houses. Commuter students began popping in to hang out. She drew on her prior experience in the Texas A&M University Office for Diversity but was particularly excited to have a physical center to run at DePaul — and more opportunities to engage with students one-on-one.
Francis’ hard work paid off, says Jené Ashley Colvin, DePaul Ministry Coordinator for Christian and Interfaith Engagement.
“Ava’s energy and passion are followed up by brilliant execution. She’s also willing to learn, meet people where they are and say what needs to be said to advocate for students,” Colvin says.
Building on a foundation of community
Francis has added additional educational programs and planned even bigger center activities. These have included a Meet Black DePaul series of events to foster belonging among Black students, faculty and staff. She’s also hosted DePaul’s first Black Hair Expo. The event provides Black DePaul students with the opportunity to receive hair styling, haircare tips and Black haircare products free of charge from local, Black-owned haircare brands, businesses and professionals.
Junior Leeann Gladney is a community engagement assistant in the Black Cultural Center and works closely with Francis.
“Ava is someone who is dedicated to the Black students here at DePaul,” says Gladney, a psychology major with a concentration in industrial-organizational psychology. “Outside of the BCC, she works alongside
Sankofa and the
Black Student Union. She has been a safe space for many students. We can go to her for advice, questions, letter of recommendations or just to talk and giggle. The Black Cultural Center feels like the epicenter for the Black community on campus.”
Joining the Black Equity Initiative Committee
This academic year, Francis has brought her passion for supporting DePaul’s Black students to Designing DePaul’s Black Equity Initiative committee. The group is committed to transforming the experiences of Black students, faculty and staff on campus. Francis believes Designing DePaul’s BEI is a strong starting point to formalize equity efforts at the university, from funding to building multicultural spaces.
“It’s our committee’s goal to make changes that will benefit this demographic of people at DePaul,” she says. “And when I say ‘starting point’, this doesn’t mean people weren’t making progress before. Most committee members have been at DePaul much longer than I have, making big changes and doing incredible things to help our Black students, staff and faculty. Designing DePaul asks, ‘What other steps can we take?’”
The BEI committee is working on their Phase One Action Plan. The current objective is to address the immediate needs of Black students, faculty and staff through exploratory research, stakeholder engagement and the establishment of a data-driven framework for sustained improvement.
DePaul’s retention efforts are top of mind, too. “If you want to retain Black students and want to have a percentage of Black students that is even close to comparable to what the city or nation has, then you have to invest in staff and faculty who will make the students feel comfortable,” she emphasizes. “There will always be changes, whether in the world or at the institution, which affect the way we operate. But many initiatives we're thinking of — ways we want to support our community — will benefit and help DePaul represent the ideal in a couple years. We’re taking steps in the right direction.”