Appointment of the University Council on Equity, Inclusion and Intercultural Awareness

To: The University Community

From: Thayne M. McCulloh, D.Phil., President

Subject: Appointment of the University Council on Equity, Inclusion and Intercultural Awareness

Date: January 25, 2016

Over the past twenty-five years, Gonzaga University has developed and sponsored numerous programs and activities that have had, as their primary focus, a deeper, broader awareness of the importance of racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity at GU. The work of faculty, staff, students and administrators has focused on the lived experience of students and community members; increasing awareness of discrimination and ways of combating it; efforts to support students of diverse heritage and identity; and the importance of developing greater levels of intercultural sensitivity and competence through our academic and student development programs for the various constituencies of the institution. Despite these efforts -- as last November’s “Community Conversation” once again underscored -- incidents motivated and/or informed by racism, bias, and cultural insensitivity have occurred and continue to occur at Gonzaga, adversely affecting the lived experience of individuals and preventing the University from achieving the fullness of its mission as a Jesuit, Catholic and humanistic educational institution.

As I have previously indicated, it is my belief that systemic change in this critical dimension of our experience can only occur when the institution makes an active, intentional decision to create robust structures and embed these as a part of its governance -- structures that will afford it the opportunity to engage in continuous, comprehensive reflection, action and evaluation. The Council on Equity, Inclusion, and Intercultural Awareness is an example of such an entity. This Council, the formation and membership of which I am announcing today, will play an active role in working to assess the current “state of affairs” and propose institutional strategies for education, support, and intervention -- with the goal of increasing the level of intercultural awareness and sensitivity, providing an educational experience supportive of all people, and decreasing incidents of discrimination at Gonzaga.

In conjunction with the announcement of this Council, I am taking this opportunity to announce the decision to appoint Dr. Raymond Reyes, Associate Academic Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, as a regular member of the President’s Cabinet. Together with Chris Purviance, Assistant Director of Human Resources - Office of Equity & Inclusion, Dr. Reyes will Co-Chair the Council which will meet monthly during the regular academic year. I am grateful to the following individuals for their willingness to serve and represent the divisions of which they are a part:

I very much look forward to the work of this Council and thank each member in advance for the contributions they will make to it, and in turn to our community.