Advancing Social Justice
in Higher Education
Our Vision
We advance an inclusive and equitable society that provides access to education, lowers barriers to success, and creates opportunities for fulfillment and impact. We facilitate an inclusive, equitable, and just experience for all types of learners in their development as the next generation of leaders.
How We Define Social Justice:
We hold the fundamental belief that all people have the right to pursue economic, social, educational, and professional opportunity, that there is a shared responsibility to ensure that nothing stands in the way of that pursuit, and that this work stands on the four principles of equity, access, participation, and human rights.
How We’re Becoming a Multicultural Organization
#1
Inclusion
Ensure members of all groups are treated fairly, feel included, have equal opportunities, and are represented at all organizational levels and functions.
#2
Contribution
Leverage the institution’s diversity of knowledge and perspectives to shape its strategy, work, management, and core values for success.
#3
Responsibility
Become a university that seeks to enhance its competitive advantage by advocating and practicing social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion within and beyond the organization.
Understanding JEDI
Leading and advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion within and beyond our communities.
Designing an ecosystem that gives all members of the community access to their full potential.
Celebrating the richness of our different identities, perspectives, and experiences.
Facilitating the authentic participation of diverse members of our communities.
Adapted from Jackson and Holvino, 2008
What We Do to Advance Social Justice in Higher Education
- Grow Excelsior’s JEDI capacity, including leadership, faculty and staff readiness, through the introduction and exploration of a JEDI framework.
- Enhance Excelsior’s JEDI dialogue and communication through regular, facilitated conversation tours and leadership-workforce dialogue sessions.
- Strengthen Excelsior’s support to its underprivileged students and the engagement of the community in this endeavor through the development of identity/allyship communities. Learn more about our communities and Rope Teams.
- Facilitate students’ intercultural development through the integration of JEDI across the curricula.
- Review and enhance the JEDI of institutional systems, through applications of the Multicultural Organization Development Model and the mapping of JEDI strategies through a maturity model. View our complete strategic plan and our maturity model.
- Pursue or enhance partnerships that grow underprivileged students’ access to Excelsior’s education, and expand JEDI thought leadership.
- Enhance the recruitment and retention of Excelsior’s diverse workforce to better represent its students and to strengthen the organization’s decision-making and performance.
