Student Belonging and Inclusive Excellence

Creating an Inclusive Campus

"Without community, there is no liberation." — Audre Lorde

Welcome to the Office of Student Belonging and Inclusive Excellence. Inspired by the Brothers of Holy Cross and in alignment with St. Edward’s mission, we recognize the inherent dignity of every single student. Our purpose is to foster student belonging by actively cultivating a respectful, inclusive environment that provides student support and encourages collaboration, learning and accountability across the student body. We fulfill our mission by educating the hearts and minds of students who will serve as future leaders within a global community, providing opportunities for all students to engage in experiential learning through critical and sometimes difficult dialogue, leadership development and service.

Overview

The Office of Student Belonging and Inclusive Excellence collaborates with campus partners and builds community, educating students to advocate for positive social change that benefits all of us. We support students in their formation as a whole person and provide holistic educational opportunities for the Hilltop. Our office exists to create respectful and supportive student spaces that foster student success and achievement, while intentionally valuing the identities of all students in our community.

It is the responsibility of the university community to guide students in the formation of the whole person. As stated in the university’s mission, “Students are helped to understand themselves, clarify their personal values and recognize their responsibility to the world community.” Below and within these pages, you will find our areas of focus along with ways to get involved.

Student Belonging

Student belonging is our primary focus through our sustainable and collaborative work to welcome, respect, and value all students who enroll at St. Edward’s. We know that students learn and perform better when they are involved, connected, and trust the community around them. We have assigned the term “student belonging” as a means to share with all incoming and enrolled students that we not only welcome students to the community, but also invite them to help us create a campus community rooted in shared values like respect, justice, peace, and responsibility.

In order to create a community where students feel valued, it is imperative to provide spaces where students can expect to feel respected, seen and heard. This sense of belonging is important to our office, and you will find many opportunities to connect.

Inclusive Excellence

Our office exemplifies inclusive excellence by furthering our rich Holy Cross tradition of meeting students where they are, practicing radical Catholic hospitality and facilitating celebratory and educational opportunities for our campus community. In order to excel in our inclusivity, we learn and utilize best practices to support student success and campus vibrancy.

We provide in-depth training and workshops for students and those who support students within our community. The purpose of our interactive workshops are to create a culture of appreciation, understanding, respect and care for all on the Hilltop. As we hold ourselves to a standard of inclusive excellence, we make training available and accessible to those who seek it. Such trainings include:

• Ally Trainings
• Inclusive Language Workshops
• Bystander Intervention Workshops
• Identity Development Workshops
• Customized Trainings Upon Request