School of Leadership and Education Sciences

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Social Justice Initiatives

Curated resources to study systemic oppression and expand opportunities for the communities we serve

Diversity and Inclusion Impact Awards 2023

Hosted by The Center for Inclusion and Diversity, the Diversity & Inclusion Impact Award was created in 2021 to honor and recognize Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) experiences on campus. The award was established in response to an open letter written in 2020 by Black faculty members. It highlights the often under-recognized work by those who mentor members of the BIPOC community and contribute to cultural changes on campus and in the community.

Our six award recipients from the College of Arts and Sciences, Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering and School of Leadership and Education Sciences have all promoted a more inclusive and diverse campus climate through their work, mentorship and community connections.

“I want to thank the students, faculty and awards committee for this award — my work is only possible because of the support of people, programs, and grants here at USD. Since 2017, I have felt blessed to work with students, colleagues, and community members at a university focused on social justice. Many universities write about this in their mission statement, but USD gives us the opportunity to walk the walk.”

— Rebekka Jez, PhD - School of Leadership and Education Sciences, 2023 Diversity and Inclusion Impact Awards Recipient

In 2018, three flags were placed in Mother Rosalie Hill Hall to represent the Tribal Nations of ancestral origin among the School of Leadership and Education Sciences students and alumni.

We look forward to expanding and continuing this tradition. If you would like to see your tribal flag represented, we invite you to participate by including your name and tribal flag on our display. Please complete the form if you and your Tribal Nation are interested in supporting this project and would like to donate a 4-foot-tall by 6-foot-wide tribal flag to be displayed in Mother Rosalie Hill Hall.

S.T.A.R.S

SOLES Takes Anti-Racism Seriously

Within the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) we have been taking a reflective, systematic approach; beginning with an examination of the practices, policies and procedures across our departments, centers and institutions.

SOLES is dedicated to equity, inclusion and social justice and this dedication keeps us striving to do better for our students and the communities we serve. Part of that commitment is to address and support members of our community who may be subject to those biases at USD and within SOLES.

If you have been the victim of racist behavior, practice or policy that is impacting your access to academic engagement or success, community or professional development activities, or a sense of well-being, the S.T.A.R.S. team of advocates stands ready to assist you.

The following S.T.A.R.S. Advocate Connection Form can help you get connected.

* S.T.A.R.S. Advocates are obligated to report cases of prior or expected physical harm to self or others, as well as any suspected Title IX violations.

S.T.A.R.S. Advocate Connection Form

2022-2023

SOLES Book Club Selections

Welcoming all students, faculty, and staff to join the School of Leadership and Education Sciences Book Club.

Caste: The origins of our discontents by Isabelle Wilkerson

Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched, and beautifully written narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings.

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The Indigenous People’s History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

The centuries-long genocidal program of the US settler-colonial regimen has largely been omitted from history. Acclaimed historian and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz offers a history of the United States told from the perspective of Indigenous peoples and reveals how Native Americans, for centuries, actively resisted expansion of the US empire.

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The Making of Asian America: A history by Erika Lee

In the past fifty years, Asian Americans have helped change the face of America and are now the fastest growing group in the United States. Award-winning historian Erika Lee reminds us, Asian Americans also have deep roots in the country. The Making of Asian America tells the little-known history of Asian Americans and their role in American life, from the arrival of the first Asians in the Americas to the present-day.

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The African American and Latinx People’s History of the United State by Paul Ortiz

Paul Ortiz's African American and Latinx History of the United States provides an essential frame for understanding how freedom struggles dating back to the eighteenth century inform today's entrenched inequality and systemic racism across diasporas.

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Resources

Honoring the present moment, our current theme will focus on race and anti-racism in higher education. Below are curated resources around this theme including readings, videos, book club selections, podcasts and initiatives.