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

Solidarity for Racial Justice & Hispanic Heritage Month

 

Honoring and respecting humanity is integral to living the mission of the Congregation of Holy Cross and our faith. With the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops designating Friday, September 9th as a Day of Prayer for peace, the Center for Social Concerns and Multicultural Student Programs and Services called for the Notre Dame Community and Nevada fans to join us in standing for Solidarity for Racial Justice.  More than one hundred and seven faculty, alumni, administrators, graduate and undergraduate students and campus visitors processed from Geddes Hall to the Jesus statute with the inscription “Come to Me” ending at Father Sorin’s statute.  Victims of the senseless violence that has plagued our Nation over the past two years were lamented throughout the thirty minute service. Thank you to those who joined our Solidarity for Racial Justice campaign. During the remainder of the fall semester, you are invited to attend events sponsored by numerous departments in support of the campaign. The next is the Book Club, where we will read Citizen by Claudia Rankine.  If you are interested in join the club, contact Kyle Lantz at the Center for Social Concerns. You should note that Ms. Rankine is scheduled to visit campus January 2017.

 

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Thank you to the companies, Notre Dame Departments and DC of ND clubs for participating in the 2016 MSPS Picnic. The afternoon was filled with good music, performances and meeting new friends and connecting with old ones. Congratulations to the winners of the numerous door prizes provided by PWC, Accenture, and KPMG.

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On September 21st MSPS’ first Hispanic Heritage event, the Interrace Forum, focused on Latinas in the Media: Stereotypes and Critiques. The attendees will be challenged to think more critically about the messages sent by media.  The first event of the MLK Study of Race Series is the Diane Guerrero Lecture. Ms. Guerrero, actress in Orange is the New Black and Jane the Virgin, will talk about her immigration reform advocacy work and growing up with undocumented and later deported parents. Please welcome Ms. Guerrero at 7:00 p.m. in DeBartolo 102 on September 26. As part of our Diversity in the Arts initiative, MSPS is sponsoring a dinner and theater trip on November 11 to see Hamilton in Chicago. Students will be eligible to enter the lottery to purchase tickets by attending designated events. Ms. Guerrero’ lecture is the first opportunity, the second will be October 10 at the lecture featuring Dr. Terrell Strayhorn, professor and director of the Center for Higher Education Enterprise at the Ohio State University.  Other opportunities will be noted in the MSPS newsletter. Tickets will only be sold via the lottery process.   If you have any questions, please feel to contact the office by emailing: msps@nd.edu or calling 574-631-6841.

We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events.

Peace,

Iris Outlaw ` 90 MSA

Director