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HAVE AN IDEA FOR THE INCLUSION BULLETIN? SUBMIT IT TODAY
A Word from Dr. Ande Diaz, Chief Diversity Officer
Many on our campus recently observed Holy Week and Easter Sunday (Roman Catholic), some people are observing Ramadan (month of Muslim fasting and prayer), and others celebrated Holi (Hindu) the start of spring, which is the season of hope and new beginnings.
With so much religious and ethnic conflict in the world, it is good to pause and reflect on what we can do to embrace all faith traditions. One of my favorite spaces on campus is the Multifaith Prayer Room. Stop by when you need a pause, a breath, or just a moment to align your head and heart. Everyone is welcome. I like to drop my shoes on the rack and chant “Om, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti”, a Buddhist and Hindu invocation of peace.
This issue of the bulletin, spotlights Marilu McCambly Torres a woman leader on campus. Next, because inquiring minds want to know, we are pleased to provide an update on DEI in the Core – our curriculum revision processes at the college. Also, how much do you know about the TRIO Program? Program director Chris Lee gives us some context. Lastly, this issue includes details on the President’s Innovation Reception on April 23. R.S.V.P. now!
Spotlight on Diversity
Where is home for you?
I grew up in Reading, PA a small to medium size industrial city with a diverse community, similar to Manchester. It’s in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, so despite growing up in a Puerto Rican household with the language, food and music of my heritage, I was also influenced by some of the traditions and foods of the German and Dutch communities. It wasn’t uncommon see an Amish buggy driving on the side of the road. These experiences gave me an early appreciation for other cultures.
What do you think the college is doing well in terms of progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion? What can we do better?
We have made great improvements on campus over the years, and more recently with the implementation of programming such as Visibility Day, TRIO and our recognition as a “First Gen Forward” designation. Recent emphasis on fundraising for financial aid scholarships is also making a difference. I hope this can be expanded to include a future summer bridge program. I’m also excited to see an increase in BIPOC and LGBTQ+ professionals.
Being a Latino professional on campus, it allows me to form a network of people with
similar backgrounds and experiences to my own, which is invaluable to someone who is not a native New Hampshire resident.
As you know we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of women at Saint Anselm
College; what are your reflections as you bring Anselmians for the class of 2028 right now and for you personally?
Nothing excites me more than to see Saint Anselm College celebrating the efforts and contributions of women over the last 50 years on campus. Although I’m not an alum, it’s an honor to work with women who have paved the way for our future nurses, business leaders and human services advocates. It gives me great pride to speak with young women at college fairs and high school visits about our rich history and how they can make an impact on our campus through clubs such as Women in Business, Koinonia, Seton Society, and the Student Nurses Association.
How can you in your role contribute to making Saint As a more inclusive community?
As an admission counselor with the title of Coordinator of Diversity Recruitment, it is my life’s work to make our campus more diverse and inclusive and bring more students to campus. We offer a bus trip for prospective students from Boston and an overnight visit for admitted students - allowing them to engage with our BIPOC and first gen students to see how they could be a part of our community. All of our counselors promote our inclusiveness as an expression of our Catholic mission and Benedictine spirit.
DEI in the Core
Upon the recommendation of the College’s Academic Financial Operational Review group, the College is undergoing a curricular review process. Four committees were created and were directed to review a common foundation of The Liberal Arts Task Force report, the Anselmian Journeys pilot, the Financial Operational Review report, and the DEI in the Core report that emerged from the DEI Action Plan.
As part of this expansive curricular review, Saint Anselm College will be explicitly embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion in our Core. This will happen through the broad work of campus colleagues. The College-Wide Outcomes Committee is working to include adding an outcome on equity, inclusion, and inter-cultural competence. While the exact form is still in development, having an explicit outcome like that will be new for the college.
As Christine Gustafson, chair of the College-Wide Outcomes Committee, noted, “It was clear in all of the reports we consulted, as well as in the feedback from faculty and the community, that creating an equity and inclusion focused college-wide outcome was imperative. Our committee found that, while the precise language of this outcome is somewhat challenging to draft, the content flows quite naturally from our educational mission and our Catholic, Benedictine values.”
A big part of the Core is the first-year experience, currently the signature Conversatio program. As part of the revision process, student input was gathered through 47 class visits where students were asked to provide their feedback and vision for the program.
Aubrey Scheopner Torres, director of Conversatio and chair of the First-Year Experience committee, reports, “It has been extremely helpful hearing students’ honest feedback about what is working well, what needs to be revised, and how we can make the program even better.”
Faculty recognize the importance of a curriculum that shapes Anselmians for the future, and they are devoting their time and talent to making sure we are preparing all our students to live, work and study in a global society.
Did You Know?
Topic: TRIO - Student Support Services (TRIO Scholars)
TRIO History
President Lyndon Baines Johnson, who as a young man taught children in a Texas elementary school, later included the Upward Bound program in the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act, part of his War on Poverty. A year later he signed the 1965 Higher Education Act which included the Talent Search program. For the first time, the federal government would help low-income students reach for educational equity and enter college. In addition to these two programs, in 1968, Student Support Services was rolled out as part of the Higher Education Amendments.
Together, the three programs became known as “TRIO” but grew to include four more student programs that followed over the next few decades: Veterans Upward Bound, Educational Opportunity Centers, the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Program, and Upward Bound Math/Science.
Adapted from: (https://coenet.org/coe-and-trio-programs/)
TRIO - Student Support Services (TRIO Scholars) at Saint Anselm College
- A 4-year program that provides workshops, social & cultural events, and individualized support from professional staff to guide students throughout their college journey.
- Through participation in the program, students will gain a deeper connection with campus resources, faculty, staff, and peers to ease their transition to and through college life.
- Is designed to assist first-generation and income-eligible students.
Our Student Body
- Income eligible: 13%
- Eligible by being First-Gen: 23%
Submitted by Chris Lee, TRIO Program Director at Saint Anselm College
Happenings
- Wednesday, April 3 at 5:00 PM
Student Center: Social Justice Fair - Anselmian B.R.E.A.K. - Wednesday, April 3 at 6:00 PM
NHIOP: Women in the Public Square: Political and Civic Engagement - Thursday, April 4 at 7:30 PM
Event Space: Ramadan Educational Iftar w/Dr. Celine Ibrahim, sponsored by Muslim Student Assoc., Campus Ministry, and Intercultural Center - Tuesday, April 9 at 7:30 PM
Melucci Theater: Greg Cole’s book “Single Gay Christian”, sponsored by SEAL, Intercultural Center, and Campus Ministry - Tuesday, April 16, at 7:00 PM
Perini Hall: Community Cinema presents “Crazy Rich Asians”, sponsored by the Intercultural Center. - Thursday, April 25 at 12:30 PM
JOA Quad: TEDA Visibility Day