As you have heard from Dean Cremers, there are many ongoing efforts across the College to advance diversity, equity and inclusion among our students, faculty and staff. Our Staff Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council has been working hard since forming in December 2020 to identify opportunities for conversation, but more importantly with a goal of instituting action and change. I write today to acknowledge the hard work, dedication and commitment of this team and to share the work that has been done as well as efforts underway.

The Staff D&EI Council’s purpose is to create and sustain an inclusive culture for all Mendoza staff by fostering an environment of dignity, respect and fairness that is grounded in our Catholic mission. This is accomplished under the umbrella of three subcommittees with collective but varying charges:

RECRUITING AND TALENT SUBCOMMITTEE: Co-chaired by María Stutsman y Márquez and myself, the subcommittee is charged with developing a strategic recruiting and hiring plan to deploy to all staff hiring managers across the College to broaden the pool of applicants. In addition, this team is responsible for increasing awareness and building connections to leadership and hiring managers to diverse talent. The subcommittee also identifies training and development opportunities to better prepare diverse staff for professional advancement.

In the next couple of weeks, a new staff hiring process will be shared with hiring managers with clear expectations and requirements for job postings, candidate pool makeup, selection committees and evaluations. As part of the selection process, subcommittee members will serve as Diversity Catalysts who facilitate dialogue with hiring managers and selection committees to ensure staff searches are conducted in an equitable manner. They also are charged with creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for candidates throughout the interview process.

CULTURE AND INCLUSIVITY SUBCOMMITTEE: Chaired by Amanda Jacobson, the subcommittee is focused on how we can exemplify our commitment to diversity and inclusion in our everyday interactions with our colleagues, faculty, students and the greater Mendoza community.

One of the first priorities for the team is to draft a D&I Statement of Commitment on behalf of the Council. The primary purpose is to signal the College's commitment to staff diversity, equity and inclusion in all that we do. I’m pleased to share that progress is being made toward crafting a statement that will honor the voices and perspectives of our community. We look forward to including this message in future staff job postings and other communications from the DE&I Council.

Additional priorities for the Culture & Inclusivity subcommittee include reviewing and making recommendations for enhancements to our Mendoza Exchange intranet’s DE&I webpage, engaging with and sharing the good work of its fellow subcommittees, and enhancing opportunities for storytelling that celebrates our differences and encourages understanding.

ENGAGEMENT & EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE: Chaired by Joan McClendon, the subcommittee is responsible for researching, creating and deploying diversity and inclusion learning opportunities through the sourcing and development of educational resources, courses, workshops and activities. The team recently introduced the College to its first Compassionate Listening Series to create the opportunity for meaningful dialogues and to deepen relationships among colleagues. Members of the first cohort met on Feb. 26 where they shared their voices and support for one another on key questions related to race and diversity at Mendoza in a safe space. In addition, the team is partnering with Carol Elliott and the Communications team to feature stories in Mendoza Exchange that celebrate our diverse faculty, staff, student and alumni achievements.

In addition to these efforts, the entire Council is establishing a pulse survey to identify gaps and opportunities, to measure progress and to ensure accountability for ongoing growth and development. The survey’s intent is to collect both quantitative and qualitative data in a confidential/anonymous manner throughout the year. The Council will also be partnering with College leadership to establish clear DE&I objectives and goals that will be shared across the College and with University leadership as part of our commitment to elevate and improve.

A special thank you to all of our committee members and to College Leadership for the commitment, time and passion invested to help us grow towards the future.

Recruiting and Talent: Kimberly Bakle, Phil Drendall, Nick Farmer, Martin Johnson, María Stutsman y Márquez, Lindsey McIntyre, Kara Palmer, Tahra Taylor and Janel Zakrzewski-Kuntz.

Culture and Inclusivity: Angela Byce, Christopher Hillak, Melissa Jackson, Amanda Jacobson, Kelli Kilpatrick, Santhosh Kumar Lakkaraju, Min Hee Myung, J.R. Nemelka, Ryan Retartha and Diego Wang.

Engagement and Education: Brian Connelly, Christine Gramhofer, Lisa Heming, Jen LaPrad, Joan McClendon, Jessica Noffsinger, Shelly Sterling, Teresa True and Wendy Walker.

This is a journey with so much work still to be done. Culture change requires the ongoing commitment and leadership of everyone within the College. We invite and encourage all to share their stories, provide input and recommendations to any member of the Council.

In Notre Dame,

Kara

Kara J. Palmer
Director of Administration
Office of the Dean
Mendoza College of Business
University of Notre Dame