Fall has arrived

 

 

The first half of the semester was filled with excitement, education, call for humanitarian support and relaxation. First Year students descended onto campus filled with enthusiasm and curiosity. They began pursuing their niche and determining how they would begin their legacy at ND.  Where would they start?

Some took advantage of the Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrations offered by departments. Las Cafeteras, guest of MSPS conducted a workshop on Friday, September 22, Changing the World: One Story at a Time. The group provided a history lesson regarding social justice efforts. That evening students attended their concert sponsored by MSPS and Legends. The attendees sang and danced the evening away to music addressing social change and fun. The students were able to unwind prior to their first round of exams.

During this same period, natural disasters hit Florida, Texas, Mexico and the Caribbean. The compassion of the ND student body went into overdrive.  Student Government, clubs and Latinx Graduate Association of Notre Dame began collecting funds and supplies for those affected by the hurricanes and earthquakes.  These initiatives will be ongoing and I highly recommend making the sacrifice to help those who have been negatively affected.

On October 13, Fall Break officially began. This is the time for everyone, students, administrators and faculty to relax, get refreshed and rejuvenated.  Unfortunately, some students have midi-terms after break, this week gave them time for uninterrupted preparation or at least at a less intense pace.  Fortunately for students who opted to remain on campus, they had a chance to dine with a few of the University’s Board of Trustee members, Wednesday evening. Thank you to the local alumni who joined us for dinner and the Black Alumni of Notre Dame Board for hosting the event.

You should be primed for the remainder of the semester. November 1st, begins the celebration of Native American Heritage Month.  On November 9th, MSPS will host a dinner as a precursor to the screening of More Than a Word documentary.  The screening occurs on Tuesday, November 14 at DPAC with the directors providing a talk back. Watch for the publicity noting the time and place for both events.

In December, we will sponsor our Holiday Celebration event as you gear up for finals. Decorating of cookies, games of various holiday traditions will be played and refreshments.

I look forward to seeing you. Stop by to say “Hello” or just “chill.”

Peace,

Ms. Iris

Iris Outlaw `90 MSA

Director

New Beginnings

     

  August 21, 2017 Eclipse 

Welcome Home Classes 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.  The campus has been undergoing significant modifications throughout the summer.  The changes range from facilities to the University’s infrastructure and training. This includes new Student Development Team hires.

Spring semester, Student Affairs partnered with First Year of Studies and the Athletic Department to sponsor the inaugural Student – Athlete Transition initiative. Multicultural Student Programs and Services (MSPS) assisted with the curriculum development. MSPS conducted workshops for the spring and summer cohorts. These students are excited to explore their co-curricular interests in conjunction with their academic pursuits.

Multicultural Student Programs and Services established a new position, Assistant Director for Diversity Education, Outreach and Assessment.  I am pleased to introduce Paige Jackson from the University of Mount Olive, who will serve in that role. Prior to her arrival, she served as the director of Student Conduct and Freshman Seminar adjunct instructor. She will coordinate the MSPS diversity education initiatives, which includes working closely with the Multicultural Commissioners, and our professional develop program, Breaking Through Barriers (BTB). If you are interested in becoming a Diversity Ambassador, come to the information session Wednesday, August 30 at 7:00 p.m. or email: Paige.Jackson@nd.edu.  Please stop by MSPS to welcome Paige to the ND/MSPS Family.

     Multicultural Reception Panelist

During the training for student leaders representing Housing, Welcome Weekend and Team ND, we emphasized “Radical Hospitality” and the work of St. Andre Bessette, the Saint of Hospitality.  We are called by our Holy Cross mission to welcome all into our community and the Notre Dame family.

We, the MSPS staff, look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events. Our annual Welcome Back Picnic will be Tuesday, September 12 from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on North Quad.  There will be food, music and MSPS swag.   This year, our Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Study of Race Series has a new twist. Watch our newsletter to see its’ unveiling as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.  For musical buffs, Diversity in the Arts will attend a play in December. We have limited deeply discounted tickets, so students watch for our advertisement.

Have a Blessed Year and Welcome Home,

Iris Outlaw, `90 MSA

Director, MSPS

Spring and Awards Culminate the 2016 – 2017 Academic Year

With the arrival of spring, the robins returned to Notre Dame.  High school prospects visited the campus and undergraduates basked in the sunshine between the days of liquid sunshine.  During the end of the academic year, we saw bookstore basketball games, awards ceremonies, and students partaking in academic conferences on and off-campus.

Congratulations to the 2016- 2017 Student Leadership Awards winners. The announcements at the April 10th event acknowledged the following MSPS leaders: Ms. Jessica Pedroza for her work giving a voice to the voiceless – Irish Clover and Rev. A. Leonard Collin C.S.C. Leadership Awards and Xitaly Estrada recognized as one of the outstanding Student Leaders. I would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the rectors, who supervised the winning halls, Elaine DeBassie – Farley Hall and Eric Styles- Carroll Hall. Both were humbled and mentioned their students did all the work.

 

Thank you to the student leaders for the 2016 – 2017 academic year. Your efforts in leading your respective clubs has not gone unnoticed. Your signature events continued to enrich and educate the Notre Dame community.  We applaud the efforts of the formal and informal leaders, who rose to address controversial issues and topics. You represented student activism and how it is implemented at Notre Dame from forums to demonstrations.  Seeking opportunities to hear opposing views and voice yours is paramount in the collegiate experience and one of the purposes of institutions of higher education is intellectual engagement.

MSPS is an advocate for providing leadership development opportunities for students. It is important to enhance your leadership skills. Taking advantage of professional conferences from ACC Student Leadership Conference to the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity is a beginning. The Multicultural Pre-Medical Society sent a cohort to the Student National Medical Association Conference in Atlanta, Georgia over Easter Break. The MPMS representatives attended Pre-Med track sessions focused on preparedness for the medical school application process. Student Activities Office took several ND students to the 2017 ACC Student Leadership Conference.  MSPS took Carrera Brown, Adriana Cantos, Yuko Inoue to NCORE in Fort Worth, Texas. Their reports will be featured on the MSPS website throughout the summer.

Lastly, take time to enjoy your summer break. Get some R & R, if you are attending summer school stop by in July to meet our new assistant director for Diversity Education, Outreach and Assessment, Paige Jackson.

Peace,

Ms. Iris Outlaw `90 MSA

Director, MSPS