2015 USD Fact Book

An Inclusive Community At its core, what does it mean to be a Catholic university in the 21st century? Of course, it means many things, but the message of love found in the Gospels can be understood as an urgent call to thought and action; all people are created by God, and deserve to be treated with dignity, empathy and compassion. When our campus community represents the diversity of human experiences, the breadth of God’s creation is reflected. When justice and solidarity are pursued inside and outside the classroom, we live out our mission. At the University of San Diego, we take this question seriously. Projects in the 1990s and 2000s targeted efforts to support diversity and develop cultural competence. Since then, the community has been inspired to institutionalize this work, creating the Center for Inclusion and Diversity (CID) in 2010. This center advances diversity and inclusive excellence across campus by providing leadership for collaboration, engagement and assessment. The 2020 Strategic Plan for Diversity and Inclusive Excellence originated in, and is managed by, the CID. Efforts involving the CID include the core curriculum revision, the development of co-curricular learning outcomes and planning, student success (retention, persistence and graduation) efforts, Olé Weekend, Living Learning Community (LLC), campus climate assessment, faculty and staff recruitment, and student recruitment and access issues. Events include monthly celebrations of inclusive excellence on campus, as well as collaboration in community engagement and Changemaker work throughout the year, and in national and international contexts. The evolution of thought that emerges from these and other efforts at the University of San Diego demonstrates that mindful discourse and thoughtful action to advance diversity are not just academic exercises, but hallmarks of academic excellence.

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