Inclusive Excellence

Statement of Purpose

The Office of Inclusive Excellence fosters efforts to define, cultivate and support an inclusive educational community and workplace environment aligned with the St. Mary’s mission and its Catholic and Marianist identity. The office is committed to promoting community building and partnering to serve the common good. The work is guided by the St. Mary’s mission, the Characteristics of Marianist Universities, and Catholic Social Teaching focused on the shared tenets of understanding, appreciation and respect for human dignity and cultural differences.

Inclusive Excellence Initiatives

• 

  Celebrating Hispanic/Latinx Culture and Identity
  Sept. 15 to Oct. 15

  The Hispanic Heritage Month Committee invites the St. Mary’s University community to a variety of campus events celebrating the month. For more information, contact Margaret Cantu-Sanchez, Ph.D. at mcantusanchez@stmarytx.edu. 

  Sponsored by the Mexican American Studies Program, Office of Inclusive Excellence, Center for Catholic Studies, Greehey School of Business, St. Mary’s School of Law, and the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

  Sept. 11 to 17 

  St. Mary’s University commemorates National Hispanic-Serving Institution Week. 

  Sept. 12 to Nov. 12 

  Fotoseptiembre Exhibit: “The Harmony of Emulsion” 
  Blume Library Operating Hours | Blume Library, Art Gallery 

  Thursday, Sept. 14 

  Hispanic Heritage Month Kickoff Event
  University Center (UC), Conference Room B 

  9 to 9:15 a.m.
  Opening Reception 

  9:15 to 10:15 a.m.
  Building a Hispanic-Serving Institution Through Title V Initiatives and Beyond 
  Featuring Jason Pierce, Ph.D.; Margaret Alarilla, Ed.D.; Gary Ogden, Ph.D.; Betsy Smith, Ph.D.; and Jennifer Zwahr-Castro, Ph.D. 

  10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
  The Past, Present and Future of St. Mary’s as a Hispanic-Serving Institution 
  Featuring Margaret Cantu-Sanchez, Ph.D.; Gerald Poyo, Ph.D.; Stella Silva, Ph.D.;  
  Arturo Vega, Ph.D.; and Belinda Román, Ph.D. 

  Monday, Sept. 18 

  Choco Meza Civic Engagement Event 
  UC, Conference Room A 

  Noon to 2 p.m. | Lunch and Speaker Panel 
  Tus Derechos: The Status of Voting Rights in Texas and the U.S. 
  Moderated by Charles Cotrell, Ph.D. (B.A. ’62, M.A.’64), President and Professor Emeritus 
  Featuring George Korbel, Civil Rights Attorney; Melissa Havrda (B.A. ’01, J.D. ’07), City of San Antonio District 6 Councilwoman; and Al Kaufmann, J.D., Professor of Law 

  2 to 3 p.m. 
  Civic Engagement Workshop: Learn How to Register Your Community to Vote 

  3:15 to 4:15 p.m. 
  Community Engagement Presentation: CliftonStrengths and Civic Engagement 

  Wednesdays, Sept. 20, Sept. 27 and Oct. 4 

  Merienda Marianista 
  3:30 to 5 p.m. | Cotrell Learning Commons, Contreras Student Lounge 

  Build fellowship and enjoy a snack break on Wednesday afternoons to celebrate our Marianist family spirit. Pastries, coffee and tea will be available. 

  Thursday, Sept. 21 

  Transforming a Hispanic-Serving Institution
  Featuring Lorena Escoto Germán, Dominican American Educator 
  1:30 to 3:30 p.m. | UC, Conference Room B  

  Friday, Sept. 22 

  Fotoseptiembre Artist Reception 
  4 to 5:30 p.m. | Blume Library, Art Gallery 

  The Department of Art invites you to the annual Fotoseptiembre Art Exhibition featuring photographer Liz Potter: “The Harmony of Emulsion.” All are welcome to attend. 

  Tuesday, Sept. 26 

  Anzaldua Borderlands Celebration and Reflection 
  12:30 to 1:50 p.m. | UC, Conference Room B 

  Learn about the importance of American scholar Gloria Anzaldua’s book, Borderlands, La Frontera: The New Mestiza. 

  Thursday, Sept. 28 

  “Why Would I Mispronounce My Own Name?”  
  Featuring Irma Herrera (B.A. ’71), Solo Performer, Social Justice Activista and Attorney  
  7:30 to 8:30 p.m. | Treadaway Hall, Guadalupe Chapel 

  Enjoy Irma Herrera’s one-woman play about the importance of respecting others’ names and heritage, followed by an engaging conversation. 

  Friday, Sept. 29 

  Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Emerging Leaders’ Summit* 
  8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. | Alumni Athletics & Convocation Center 

  *Registration is required. Students can register via Handshake by Friday, Sept. 15.  

  Lin Great Speakers Series: Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Art of Solidarity 
  Featuring Nichole M. Flores, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Virginia 
  3:30 to 5 p.m. | Sarita Kenedy East Law Library, Law Alumni Room 

  Flores will offer an account of a “political theology of Guadalupe,” or a theological and aesthetic framework for interpreting Guadalupe’s meaning and significance for our 21st-century democracy in the United States. 

  Monday, Oct. 2

  Latinx Unidos Employee Affinity Group Mixer 
  4 to 5:30 p.m. | The Pub at St. Mary’s 

  Stop by for community building, fellowship, snacks and beverages.

  Thursday, Oct. 5 

  Greehey School of Business Panel 
  Noon to 1 p.m. | UC, Conference Room B 

  Hear from a panel of Federal Reserve employees about their role in our society and employment opportunities for students. 

  Fifth Annual O’Connor Lecture and Reception: Mexican Americans at St. Mary’s University: Education, Activism and Ethnic Identity, 1960s to 1970s 
  Featuring Gerald E. Poyo, Ph.D., O’Connor Chair in the History of Hispanic Texas and the Southwest  
  3:30 to 5 p.m., Lecture and Discussion | Sarita Kenedy East Law Library, Law Alumni Room 

  5 to 6:30 p.m. | Sarita Kenedy East Law Library, Law Alumni Room 
  Reception 
  Visit bit.ly/oconnor-reception to RSVP. 

  Friday, Oct. 6, and Saturday, Oct. 7 

  Lawtina Network Summit 
  Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. | St. Mary’s University School of Law 

  For more information and registration, visit the Lawtina Network Summut web page.

  Wednesday, Oct. 11 

  Hispanic Heritage Month and Latina Scholarship Lecture 
  2 to 3 p.m. | Location to be determined 

  Featuring Yolanda Chavez Leyva, Ph.D., Director of the Institute of Oral History and Associate Professor of History, University of Texas at El Paso. 

  Noche de Cultura 
  3 to 7 p.m. | The Quad 

  Enjoy an evening of music from conjunto musician Juan Tejeda, mariachis, food trucks, salsa lessons, poetry and more. 

  Tuesday, Oct. 24 

  Hispanic-Serving Institutions Beyond St. Mary’s University 
  3 to 5 p.m. | UC, Conference Room B  

  Join us for a conversation on a broader understanding of Latinx diversity. 

  Schedule of events

• Hispanic Heritage Month Resources

  From the beginning, St. Mary’s, as a Catholic and Marianist University, has been rooted in its mission to serve Hispanic students. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), the University enrolls a majority of Hispanic students while serving a broad range of diverse students in a multicultural environment. Read more about our Hispanic-Serving history.

  This year HSI Week is observed Sept. 11-17, leading up to the start of Hispanic Heritage Month which is celebrated every year from Sept. 15 to October 15. Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to recognize and celebrate the many contributions, diverse cultures, and extensive histories of the American Hispanic/Latinx community.

  Afterlife by Julia Alvarez
  American Poison: How Racial Hostility Destroyed Our Promise by Eduardo Porter
  American Street (YA) by Ibi Zoboi
  Among the Whites: Notes from an Unfinished Education by Jennine Capo Crucet
  Becoming Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Opportunities for Colleges and Universities by Gina Ann Garcia
  Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
  Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis
  Chica, Why Not?: How to Live with Intention and Manifest a Life That Loves You Back
  Children of the Land by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo
  Chola Salvation by Estella Gonzalez
  Daughters of the Stone by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa
  Dominicana by Angie Cruz
  Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
  El Norte: The Epic and Forgotten Story of Hispanic North America (El Norte: La Epica Y Olvidada Historia de Norte America Hispana) by Carrie Gibson
  Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
  Finding Latinx: In Search of the Voices Redefining Latino Identity by Paola Ramos
  For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts by Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodriguez
  Funeral for Flaca by Emilly Prado
  Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
  Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) in Practice: Defining “Servingness” at HSIs by Gina Ann Garcia
  How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
  I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sánchez
  In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
  Knitting the Fog (Tejiendo la Niebla) by Claudia D. Hernandez
  Like Water for Chocolate (Como Agua para Chocolate) by Laura Esquivel
  Make Your Home Among Strangers by Jennine Capó Crucet
  Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
  Mother/Land by Ananda Lima
  My Broken Language by Quiara Alegria Hudes
  Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez
  Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America by Maria Hinojosa
  One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
  Open Veins of Latin America (Las Venas Abiertas de America Latina) by Eduardo Galeano
  Our America: A Hispanic History of the United States by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto
  Pedro Paramo by Juan Rulfo
  Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
  Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh
  Speculative Fiction for Dreamers by Alex Hernandez, Matthew David Goodwin, and Sarah Rafael Garcia
  The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
  The Hispanic Republican: The Shaping of an American Political Identity, from Nixon to Trump by Geraldo Cadava
  The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
  The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
  The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Senora Reyes
  The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
  The Taste of Sugar by Marisel Vera
  The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
  The Zoot Suit Riots by Charles River Editors
  Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair (Veinte Peomas de Amor y una Cancion Desesperada) by Pablo Neruda
  Violeta by Isabel Allende
  When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago
  Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
  You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation by Julissa Arce

  Books
  Antes Que Cante el Gallo
  A Better Life
  Beef (short)
  Cesar’s Last Fast
  Coco
  El Norte
  Encanto
  Even in the Rain
  Executive Order
  Frida
  Gotta Kick It Up!
  I’m Leaving Now
  I’m No Longer Here
  In The Heights
  In The Time of The Butterflies
  Innocent Voices
  Instructions not Included
  La Llorona
  Los Sures
  McFarland USA
  Mi Familia
  Nothing Like The Holidays
  Quinceanera
  Real Women Have Curves
  Residente
  Rita Morena
  Roma
  Selena (PG)
  Sin Nombre
  Stand and Deliver
  Stolen Education
  The Book of Life
  The Children of Giants
  The Graduates
  Under the Same Moon
  Vampires vs. The Bronx
  Viva

  Movies
  All Things Latina
  Alt Latino
  Barrio Chef
  Cerebronas
  De Pueblo, Catolico y Gay
  Diversifying
  Hyphenated with Joanna Hausamann and Jenny Lorenzo
  La Brega
  Las Doctoras
  Latina to Latina
  Latino USA
  Latinos Out Loud
  Latinx in Power
  LatinX on the Rise
  Level Up Latina
  Life as a Gringo
  Pod Save the People
  Que Pasa, HSIs?
  Radio Ambulante
  Sound Opinions: Latin Music’s Ascent, Opinions on Prince and Billie Eilish
  Tamarindo
  Tres Cuentos Literary Podcast
  Unbreakable Latina

  Podcasts

• 2023 Calendar of Interfaith Observances

  As an inclusive community, we recognize our members have a variety of faith practices and days of observance. Awareness of these differences strengthens our community through respect and compassion.

  Download the calendar

• Helping Individuals Enhance Intercultural Competence

  The world we live in is comprised of people from many cultures. Any given day we may interact with individuals from our own culture and/or different cultures. We rely on our personal knowledge, skills, and attitudes to think, act, and communicate effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds. Intercultural Competence is one’s ability to make sense of and respond to cultural differences.

  At St. Mary’s, we recognize the importance of intercultural competence as a key to inclusive excellence. To help each individual on their personal journey, we offer the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) assessment tool and developmental plan to students, faculty, and staff.  IDI aligns closely with our mission to create leaders for the common good.

  IDI assesses intercultural competence –the capability to shift cultural perspective and appropriately adapt behavior to cultural differences and commonalities. After taking the assessment, IDI generates profiles on an individual’s intercultural competence paired with an Individual Development Plan (IDP) –a detailed blueprint for the individual to further develop their cultural competence.

  For more information, email inclusion@stmarytx.edu.

• Employee Affinity Groups

  St. Mary’s University values diversity and recognizes the importance of all individuals feeling connected to our community, regardless of their personal identities. As we continue to foster an inclusive campus work environment, the Office of Inclusive Excellence is pleased to sponsor affinity groups for employees and has established guidelines for employees seeking to form an Employee Affinity Group (EAG).

  These voluntary, identity-based groups may be formed around demographic characteristics (such as, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or ability) as a way to bring together employees with a shared purpose. In addition to networking with individuals from similar and often marginalized communities, EAGs empower members to contribute to the education of our campus community, give back to the local community, and be an active voice for change.

  Learn more on Gateway

• Hear the Name, Say it Right with NameCoach

  At St. Mary’s, we value each individual and believe correct name pronunciation is a sign of respect. To continue fostering inclusion, in the classroom and beyond, we are providing faculty, staff and students access to the NameCoach platform which will allow each person to record the correct pronunciation of their name. 

  Ideas for using NameCoach

  Before a meeting, listen to name recordings if you are unsure of pronunciations
  Ask students you work with to record their name and to use the recordings to learn their peers’ names
  Share the Nivedhan video and have a discussion
  Talk within your work team to discuss ways you might use Name Coach
  Share the story of your name as an icebreaker and way to get to know each other 
  Remind students of the NameCoach recordings as a resource before and during group work
  Get started

• Language Resource Directory

  The purpose of the Language Resource Directory is to provide contact information for faculty and staff who need assistance communicating with campus visitors during regular business hours. We requested assistance from faculty and staff who speak multiple languages and are willing to be listed in an online directory,  and as a result, we have contacts for 11 languages: Arabic, French, German, Hindi, Kannada, Korean, Persian (Farsi), Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Tamil.

  Access the directory

  The directory is available for students, faculty and staff of the University.

• Resources

  Students, faculty and staff can find comprehensive lists of organizations for diverse populations and resources to learn about systemic injustices and other cultures.

  Explore resources

  The resources are available for students, faculty and staff of the University.

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge the San Antonio River as Yanaguana, (Spirit Waters in Pajalate) as the source of life for this city and commit to protecting her, all her tributaries and connected waters and this land called Texas as Somi Sek to the Esto’k Gna people who are called Carrizo-Comecrudo by the Spanish, today and for future generations.

We acknowledge this place known as San Antonio as the traditional homeland of many Native American peoples who are called Coahuiltecan by Spanish records. 200 tribes/bands/clans were documented in historical records and include the Payaya, Auteca Paguame, Jarame, Pompopa, and Borrado, as well as other aboriginal peoples such as the Carrizo-Comecrudo who continue to carry their traditional lifeways.

We acknowledge these Indigenous various communities as the traditional people of this land now called San Antonio, Texas.

We acknowledge this homeland that would later include Comanches and Lipan Apaches in the 1700s, as a place that is now home to nearly 30,000 Urban Indians spanning from tribes across the North, Central, and South America who continue to sustain their traditional languages and customs.

• Advisory Board

  Cody B. Cox, Ph.D.
  he/him
  Associate Professor of Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior
  Greehey School of Business
  ccox9@stmarytx.edu

  Léo Benavides
  Counselor
  Office of Student Financial Assistance
  rbenavides1@stmarytx.edu

  Mike Martinez Jr., J.D., M.S.I.S.
  Director Sarita Kenedy East Law Library and Professor
  St. Mary’s University School of Law
  mmartinez17@stmarytx.edu

  Verónica Contreras-Shannon, Ph.D.
  Professor and Program Director – URISE
  Department of Biological Sciences
  vcontrerasshann2@stmarytx.edu

  Wendy D. Martinez
  she/her/hers
  Assistant Dean
  Office of Residence Life
  wmartinez@stmarytx.edu

  Jenee Margo Gonzales, J.D.
  Chief Development and Communications Officer
  Community In Schools of San Antonio
  jgonzales@cissa.org

  Janet Guadarrama
  Executive Director of Human Resources, Title IX Coordinator
  Office of Human Resources
  jguadarrama2@stmarytx.edu

  Paul X. Uhlig, Ph.D.
  Professor and Chair of Mathematics, Marianist Educational Associate
  puhlig@stmarytx.edu

  Andre Hampton, J.D.
  Professor of Law
  St. Mary’s University School of Law
  ahampton@stmarytx.edu

  Marlon Furlongue
  Associate Athletics Director, Compliance and Internal Operations
  Athletics
  mfurlongue@stmarytx.edu

Contact Us

Office of Inclusive Excellence
St. Louis Hall Suite 105
210-436-3616
inclusion@stmarytx.edu