INTERFAITH : Engagement , cooperation and / or dialogue across religious or worldviews differences that involves forming relationships , fostering positive attitudes and developing appreciative knowledge among people ( Adapted from University of Dayton Ohio )
INTERSECTIONALITY : A framework for conceptualizing interlocking oppressions based on the interconnected nature of historically and systemically oppressed , underrepresented and minoritized groups . As identities do not exist independently of each other , intersectionality makes visible the complex convergence of overlapping and interdependent systems of privilege and oppression . ( University of Dayton Ohio , n . d .)
INVISIBLE LABOR : The unrecognized work underrepresented faculty and staff members are called on to do by virtue of that status : mentoring students who see aspects of themselves in their professors , for example , or otherwise engaging in inclusion and diversity work . ( Adapted from Flaherty , 2019 )
MINORITIZED : Refers to members of the student body , faculty , staff , administration , parents , trustees , alumni and guests who endure mistreatment , and face prejudices that are enforced upon them because of situations and characteristics outside of their control . These may include race , religion / spirituality / faith , ethnicity , ability , national origin , immigration status , sex , gender identity , gender expression , sexual orientation , social class / socioeconomic status and language . ( This list is not exhaustive .)
PRIVILEGE : Names the advantages , favors and benefits conferred on members of dominant groups at the expense of members of marginalized , underrepresented or minoritized groups . It operates and conveys power on personal , interpersonal , cultural and institutional levels . The scope and depth are largely invisible to those who have it . ( University of Dayton Ohio , n . d .)
RADICAL MERCY : An assertive disposition that places Respect , Integrity , Service , and Social Justice in a Diverse World as central to one ’ s lifestyle and choices , especially as related to members of the GMercyU Community .
SOCIAL JUSTICE : The work to eliminate historic and systemic oppression and to build systems and cultures of human dignity where rights , accountability , equity , inclusion and access to the common good create conditions for people and communities to realize their full potential . ( University of Dayton Ohio , n . d .)
UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATION : Describes the extent to which the proportion of certain U . S . racial / ethnic groups relative to the total campus population fails to mirror their proportion in the broader U . S . population . For our purposes , the term underrepresented populations refers to members of the student body , faculty , staff , administration , parents , trustees , alumni and guests who self-identify with real and socially constructed human dimensions of race and ethnicity , including American / Alaskan Native , Black / African American , Latinx / Hispanic / Chicanx , Asian American , Hawaiian / Pacific Islander American , biracial or multiracial , and gender identification . ( University of Dayton Ohio , n . d .)
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I want my peers to feel safe in their learning environment so that they are able to be successful . Students should not feel uncomfortable in the space that they are learning in . The DEI training that I have taken helped educate me on how to empathize with others who have different backgrounds than me , and I feel that this has brought the Gwynedd Mercy community closer .
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– Olivia Dobson ’ 23
DEI is an important part of the doctoral courses I teach , which enables our students to spread Mercy values in their professional and personal lives . Being a part of actualizing DEI best practices into all aspects of GMercyU enables me to practice what I preach , live the Mercy mission , and support my personal values .
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Peggy Rosario , Ed . D ., Assistant Professor , Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Doctoral Program