AdvisingHandbook

OFFICE OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

INTRODUCTION Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College believes a thoughtful and reflective perspective of diversity educates and empowers all who work and study here to be advocates human dignity. Diversity, equity and inclusion encourage and challenge our community to broaden our worldviews, focusing not only on intellectual growth but also personal development. Even as students will learn the technical skills of their major, they must also learn to cultivate the ethical and civic responsibility, that prepares them to apply their knowledge. By educating the whole person, we engage students to think more deeply about the world with a genuine concern for the welfare of others, which results in action to benefit society. These aspirations around human dignity and responsibility are put into practice as we continue to appreciate and support all aspects of diversity, equity and belonging. Striving toward a culture of excellence, we initiate actions and encourage our campus community to embrace an inclusive community through education, dialogue, research, self-reflection, and engagement. SMWC acts as a catalyst to create an environment centered around respect, personal responsibility, and recognition of the value of all individuals. FAITH AND MISSION Guided by our Catholic foundation, the College is compelled to uplift and celebrate all diversity, and strive to be a just, and inclusive institution. Catholic social teaching is grounded in fundamental scriptural beliefs that all people – without regard to race, religion, social condition, ability, ethnicity or nationality – are created in the image of God. Therefore, everyone is invaluable and worthy of respect as a member of the human family. To violate human dignity is to dishonor God the creator of all. This teaching rejects any form of discrimination, personal or systemic. At the heart of our mission lies social responsibility. We translate our mission and faith into action by promoting principles of social justice, inclusion, empathy and dialogue with knowledge and virtue. These values are embedded in the spirit of The Woods, contributing to a sense of belonging and empowering students to become equitable and inclusive leaders. The curriculum and faculty encourage students to question assumptions, to be accountable for how our actions and decisions impact others, and to examine systems to make them more just. Through this responsibility, critical thinking and analysis, students will come to appreciate others for their culture and complex identities in an interconnected world. DIVERSITY We define diversity in its broadest sense as a range of individual differences including learning styles, life experiences and personality and group/social differences including age, class, race and ethnicity, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, language, culture, national origin, religious commitments, (dis)ability status and political perspective. In this environment, we