Summer 2024 DEI Newsletter | Mount St. Mary's University (2024)

Welcome to the Summer 2024 newsletter from the Office of Equity and Success!

The newsletter serves as an educational resource for the Mount community regarding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) topics and informs you of DEI activities on campus. If there's a subject you would like to see addressed in a future newsletter, please email us at dei@msmary.edu.

Juneteenth: A Federal and Mount St. Mary's Holiday

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of the slavery in the United States. In recognition of this federal holiday, Mount St. Mary’s will be closed on Wednesday, June 19.

Videos about Juneteenth

Juneteenth Discussion with Kelly Navies from the National Museum of African American History & Culture (1:21)

Why Every American Should Learn about Juneteenth (3:00)

History of Juneteenth

When President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, declaring all enslaved people in Confederate States to be legally free, Union soldiers marched throughout the Confederacy to spread the news of freedom. Word spread slowly, however, especially to areas isolated from Union armies, such as the westernmost Confederate State of Texas. Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger led Union troops into Galveston, Texas and announced that more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were free by executive decree. The celebrations that followed the reading of the proclamation began the Juneteenth tradition that has lasted for 159 years and became a federal holiday in 2021. At the ceremony signing the holiday into law, President Biden said that “All Americans can feel the power of this day and learn from our history.”

Juneteenth Celebrations

Today, Juneteenth commemorations celebrate African American freedom and achievement and the ongoing fight for human rights and equity. They encourage reflection, rejoicing, continuous self-development, and respect for all cultures. It is a day, a week, and in some areas, a month marked with community events, family cookouts, community picnics, faith services, musical performances, and storytelling. This year, Juneteenth events in areas surrounding the Mount are taking place between June 15 and June 22. It’s worth a drive to join the celebration!

• Frederick, MD: 3^rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration and Community Day 2024 (June 15, 1 to 5 p.m.) | Juneteenth Celebration (June 19, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
• Westminster, MD: Juneteenth in Carroll County (June 22, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
• Hagerstown, MD: 2024 Juneteenth Celebration (June 15, 12 to 9:30 p.m.)
• Germantown, MD: Juneteenth: Freedom at the Rock (June 15, 12 to 10 p.m.)
• Harrisburg, PA: Juneteenth HBG 2024 (events from June 15 through June 21)
• Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African American History & Culture’s Juneteenth Community Day: Freedom, Movement, and Migration (June 15, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Juneteenth Resources

• National Museum of African American History & Culture: Juneteenth
• Juneteenth: The history of a holiday
• Juneteenth.com
• Juneteenth Flag and Meaning

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Faculty, Administrators and Staff Honored at DEI Awards Luncheon

In May, Mount St. Mary’s University hosted a luncheon to recognize faculty, administrators and staff who completed the requirements of the DEI Certificate Program launched in Fall 2022. The program, sponsored by the Office of Equity, Success, and Human Resources, is designed to support the Mount’s goal of welcoming all who seek to live, learn and worship at the university and to reinforce the University’s commitment to providing equitable opportunities for success for all members of the community.

Twenty-five employees earned the bronze-level certificate requiring completion of three workshops in the Social Justice Education Series and three additional DEI-related activities.

Twenty-one silver-level recipients completed six additional DEI-related activities and submitted a reflection on how they are applying what they have learned to their work at the Mount. (Please refer to the awards luncheon program for the names of the bronze and silver recipients.)

This year marks the first time the gold-level certificate has been awarded. Five recipients completed six additional DEI-related activities and developed, implemented, and assessed a DEI-related project on campus.

Jessica Boyer, director of the Phillips Library, completed a grant-funded project to redesign an area of the first floor in the library to improve accessibility. Christina Green, assistant professor of management, worked with the Women in Business Club to put on the Women in Business Symposium on March 8, 2024. Jonathon Hager, assistant dean of students and director of the Center for Student Involvement and Belonging, analyzed event attendance data from the PEAK app to make programming recommendations to improve students’ sense of belonging on campus. Emily Holland, student success librarian, conducted a grant-funded project to lead two student book discussion groups. Francis Lukban, director of the Center for Service (formerly Evening Services Manager in the library), planned, implemented, and assessed DEI training for student workers in the library. Green and Holland shared information about their gold-level projects during the luncheon.

Bryan Zygmont, Ph.D., dean of the College of Liberal Arts, and bronze and silver-level recipient, reflected on the impact of the DEI certificate program. "Participating in the program has been among my most impactful learning opportunities at the Mount. Although I began at a good starting point, I have realized that it was only that; a place to begin. I have a journey yet to go, and I look forward to continuing on this important path."

The luncheon also recognized six members of the 2023-2024 Faculty Equity and Success Institute, a year-long program in which faculty met weekly to deepen their knowledge, awareness, and skills in DEI and integrated this knowledge into their pedagogy and practice to address equity gaps and promote student success. Also honored were four employees who completed an eight-week online course from ACUE (Association of College and University Educators) entitled “Fostering a Culture of Belonging” that we gained access to through our membership in the CIC Belong program. (Please refer to the awards luncheon program for the names of these honorees.)

At the end of the program, Paula Whetsel-Ribeau, Ed.D., vice president and chief equity & people officer, recognized retiring President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. with the Venerable Mother Mary Lange Inclusive Excellence Award in gratitude for his inspiring leadership promoting an equitable and inclusive environment at the Mount.

"It was exciting to see a room full of employees being celebrated for their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. I am pleased at how the program has grown since its launch in Fall 2022”, said Rosie Bolen, director of diversity, equity and inclusion training and development. “We now have 63 employees who have earned a bronze, silver, and/or gold level certificate, and they are making an impact on campus culture.”

Workshops on six topics are being offered this summer - learn more about topics and dates. Mount employees can register on the Mount Employee Professional Development Listings page.

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Committee Spotlight: The Mount Inclusive Excellence Committee

The Mount Inclusive Excellence Committee (MIEC), established in 2013, aims to promote a campus culture where everyone is treated with dignity and respect and feels like a valued member of the university community. It is responsible for developing the diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic plan for the university. The committee reports to Mount Council and advises the president on DEI-related matters.

The committee, chaired by Paula Whetsel-Ribeau, Ed.D., vice president and chief equity & people officer, includes members from various campus constituencies, including the Center for Student Engagement and Success (Roy Battle and José Del Valle), Learning Services (Amber Barnhart), Marketing and Communications (Donna Klinger), Admissions (Molly Kennedy and Santiago Morillo), the Center for Service (Francis Lukban), Frederick Campus (Valerie Pearson), Finance (Tina Ryder), the Office of Equity, Success, and Human Resources (Amy Smith and Rosie Bolen), the Provost’s Office (Love Sechrest and Chastidy Thomas), Athletics (Natalia Woods), staff (Brenda McKeel), and faculty (Christina Green, Rachel Hartnett, and Jack Trammell). A student, Alijandra Wallace, also serves on the committee. The committee meets for 90 minutes twice a month.

"Listening to others' perspectives and ideas about DEI work at the Mount has been very enlightening, and getting to participate in all the work that goes on behind the scenes has been eye-opening."

José Del Valle
Student Success Coach

The MIEC has produced two DEI strategic plans (2014-2017; 2018-2023) and is finalizing the third one, which will incorporate the Women of the Mount Plan and initiatives continued from the DEI operational task force plan. All strategic planning addresses four objectives:

• Access and success. The Mount will continue to diversify its student body and students will achieve equitable outcomes and success.
• Climate and intergroup relations. The Mount will embody a welcoming climate and a more inclusive learning community, workplace, and campus environment.
• Education and scholarship. The Mount will define and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion through education and scholarship.
• Institutional viability and vitality. The Mount will have institutional viability and vitality through comprehensive development, continuous improvement, and active, intentional involvement with diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In addition to working on strategic planning, the committee sponsors and supports campus-wide events and engages in professional development work to improve their knowledge, awareness, and skills regarding DEI.

Committee members have remarked that it is one committee meeting that they genuinely look forward to. The committee enjoys fellowship and community while addressing difficult topics and planning important initiatives. José Del Valle, student success coach, has served on the committee since he started at the Mount in 2019. "Being a part of the committee has been an uplifting experience. Listening to others' perspectives and ideas about DEI work at the Mount has been very enlightening, and getting to participate in all the work that goes on behind the scenes has been eye-opening. I think MIEC should be very proud of all it has been able to accomplish."

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Contact Us

Please contact us if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future articles for the newsletter!

Contact the Office of Equity and Success