DePaul University Newsline > Sections > Campus and Community > DePaul hosts Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul for dialogue on higher education

DePaul hosts Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul for dialogue on higher education

Faculty and staff engage in dialogue on immigration and supporting students 


Nearly 200 faculty and staff gathered in Lincoln Park last Tuesday to hear from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul about immigration policy. Raoul, an esteemed DePaul alumnus, and President Robert L. Manuel discussed how state and local governments are approaching new federal policies and how DePaul can provide meaningful support to our community.  


Faculty and staff then engaged in dialogue in small groups, sharing their concerns and identifying strategies and resources. This is the first in the President’s Dialogue Series: The Future of Higher Education, which will serve as a platform for our community to discern how we can best live out our Catholic, Vincentian mission. 

“We're invited by our mission to care for others and provide hospitality in the most difficult situations,” Manuel said. “Please know that we will, within the confines of the law, use every capacity we have to help those in need during this time.”   

In light of the recent executive orders regarding immigration, Raoul said he takes comfort in constitutional protections. He encouraged faculty and staff to familiarize themselves with “Know your rights” training and materials. He also emphasized the importance of higher education in this moment to combat polarizing rhetoric. “I look at universities as a laboratory for what we lift up as dialogue,” Raoul said.  

The Dialogue Collaborative planned the small group discussions and facilitated along with staff from the Office of Mission and Ministry.  Elissa Foster, chair of the collaborative, shared that conversation transforms into dialogue when what emerges belongs to all who participate and would not have been possible without input from all.  

More than 150 comments and ideas were submitted through online surveys and notes. While many expressed fear and uncertainty, some also voiced feeling energized by coming together to discuss in community. There were calls for more support for marginalized students, and training on laws and resources for faculty and staff to know how to best advocate for their students.  

Manuel said ideas and comments from community members would be shared with leadership, including his Cabinet, Joint Council and the Board of Trustees to inform decision making at the university. 

Student Affairs, Mission and Ministry, and the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity shared information and resources for undocumented and international students in January. Information for faculty and staff related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on DePaul University property can be found here.  

The next session in the President’s Dialogue Series for faculty and staff will cover diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education on Feb. 27 at noon in Lincoln Park. The event is meant to spark meaningful conversation and deepen our collective understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing higher education. More information about the next session will be shared with faculty and staff soon.  ​