The AJCU Conference on Diversity and Equity (CDE)
Mission
Responding to the Jesuit call to stand in solidarity for and with others, the Conference on Diversity and Equity strives to ensure access and success of underrepresented students, provide professional guidance, and educate on diversity, social justice and equity.
Vision
AJCU CDE will be recognized as a leader in generating and promoting best practices regarding diversity and equity in higher education by actualizing magis to meet the challenges/demands/needs of an ever-evolving learning environment.
2016 Theme
This year’s theme, “Mission Matters: Moving from Strong Words to Courageous Actions,” provides the framework for the annual meeting amid the critical backdrop of what is taking place on college campuses across the country and in our broader communities. We are inviting the submission of proposals that address relevant and related topics.
History
Founded in 1981, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) established the Conference on Multicultural Affairs (CMA) to provide a forum for diversity/multicultural affairs professionals and students from Jesuit universities and colleges across the United States to share information relative to students of color.
CDE is hosted annually on the campus of an AJCU member institution. The summer conference brings together colleagues of all areas of campus to discuss the broad range of issues that significantly impact the education of students of color in Jesuit institutions of higher education. In so doing, we endeavor to assist Jesuit institutions to identify those issues that are of the most immediate concern to their constituencies and develop strategies to effectively address those issues.
Regions
The CDE is composed of four regions: Northeastern, Southerwestern, Midwestern, and Western. Each region has a representative, and each Jesuit college or university in the respective region has a campus representative.
CDE Structure & Board
The CDE Executive Board consists of a chair, vice chair and parliamentarian, secretary, treasurer, information officer, regional representatives, archivist, historian emritus, and board advisors. The annual meeting site coordinator also attends all board meetings. Within the framework of its organizational structure, the CDE establishes ad-hoc subcommittees which normally are short-termed in duration.