Dear SCU Community:

As February begins, we recognize the multitude of events unfolding around us—locally, nationally, and globally. Amid feelings of uncertainty, fear, unease, and consternation, please remember SCU's unwavering commitment to community. We deeply care for you, are here to accompany you, and appreciate your vital contributions to our community and the communities you live in and serve.

Every act of kindness, service, and generosity, no matter how small it may seem, makes a tangible difference and impact in our world. We hold you in our hearts and pray for your encouragement, strength, and peace during this time.

In alignment with the Executive Vice President and Provost's message, the university is taking proactive steps to provide support, particularly throughout the upcoming week and beyond. We urge you to prioritize your self-care and utilize the various resources available to you during this period.

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UNIT UPDATES

I. Inclusive Excellence Division 

• During the month of February we are celebrating Black Joy and a number of events and activities are taking place throughout the SCU community. These events are open to all members of the SCU community. An updated listing of events can be found at: https://www.scu.edu/diversity/heritage-month-celebrations/black-joy-month-/ 
• The Winter Quarter Diversity Forum will take place on Monday, February 9th from 5:30pm - 7:30pm in the CA Mission Room in Benson. The quarterly diversity forums are open to the entire campus community and are in partnership between ASG, the MCC and the University.

• We are honored to bring back Dr. Khalid el-Hakim and the Black History 101 Mobile Museum on the SCU campus. The display will be available in the de Saisset Museum, February 10th from 10:30am - 3pm, with a formal presentation from 12:30pm - 1:30pm. Dr. el-Hakim will be engaging with different SCU classes on Monday, February 9th.
• Free Books still available - opportunity to pick up your copy of either How We Heal: A Journey Toward Truth, Racial Healing, and Community Transformation from the Inside Out, or Our Differences Make Us Stronger: How We Heal Together, authored by La June Montgomery Tabron, President and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Feel free to stop by the Inclusive Excellence Suite in Nobili 120 from 10am - 5pm.
• Shá Duncan Smith, Vice President for Inclusive Excellence will be holding Office hours this quarter on Tuesdays from 2- 3PM, in Nobili Hall, Suite 120 (first floor). Please sign up for a 15 minute slot by using the following link: https://calendar.app.google/aqnTd2bWeXvMWboR8.

II. LEAD Scholars Program

We hope you will join us for these events in February!

• LEAD Symposium 2026 - This signature LEAD event highlights the academic excellence, critical inquiry, and leadership of our first-year LEAD Scholars as they present their research projects with support from the English Department. Come engage with students, connect with fellow community leaders, faculty, staff, and supporters, and celebrate the brilliance of our first-generation scholars. Your presence helps honor their achievements and builds a strong network of support that continues to uplift our students.
  • Thursday, February 19, 2026 I 4:00–8:00 PM
  • SCU Learning Commons/Library
  • RSVP here by 2/12/26
• LEAD Networking Night - Join us for LEAD’s Annual Networking Night — an evening connecting LEAD Scholars with alumni, professionals, and campus partners who share a passion for supporting first-generation college student success. Enjoy light refreshments, meaningful conversations, and the opportunity to help our students build their professional network in a welcoming and community-centered space.
  • Friday, February 27, 2026 I 5:00-7:00pm
  • Mission Room, Benson Memorial Center
  • RSVP here by 2/20/26

• LEAD at San Quentin - Last month, LEAD had the meaningful opportunity to bring students to San Quentin to participate in the Marin Shakespeare Company’s social justice prison program alongside individuals who are incarcerated. Through shared dialogue, performance, and reflection, students engaged in powerful conversations about humanity and legacy. This experience was made possible through a valued collaboration with the English Department and the leadership of Dr. Maura Tarnoff. We are grateful for this partnership and for the chance to support learning that extends far beyond the classroom.  
• Additional Updates:
  • Ricky Bajwa and Paz Medina, both Assistant Directors of Student Advocacy in LEAD, have left their positions with the program. We greatly appreciate their commitment to our students and to LEAD and wish them the best in their future endeavors. 
  •  In January, we also offered a Vision Boarding event to start off the new year, and an Immigration Landscape Update presentation in collaboration with the Undocumented Students and Allies Association and the Law School. 
  • In February, we will also offer a Valentine’s Day event for LEAD Scholars to make care packages for themselves and loved ones, a reiki session, game night and other events to bring the LEAD community together.

III. Multicultural Center (MCC)

• Are you a Faculty/Staff member? Do you want to get more involved with the MCC? Join us on February 11 from 12 - 1:30 pm in Shapell Lounge for our first-ever MCC Faculty/Staff Open House to learn about the MCC, Upcoming Events, and our Resident Student Organizations. 
• Join us for our Quarterly Diversity Forum in collaboration with the Department for Inclusive Excellence and Associated Student Government! The event will take place on February 9th from 5 - 7:30 pm, and we will start in the CA Mission Room for updates! Submit any questions here!

	QPOCA, USAA & SUNNIES are hosting their annual Queer Quince featuring the theme of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on Saturday, February 7th from 6pm - 9pm in Locatelli Center.  Tickets available at the door. All are welcome.
	Our Asian Pacific Islander Student Union is hosting their annual Night Market on February 21st from 9 pm - 12 am on Alameda Lawn. Stop by for food, music, and games! Food Scrips will be sold in Benson leading up to the event.  All are welcome.
	Our Undocumented Students & Allies Association is hosting their annual Gala on February 28th from 6 - 9 pm in Locatelli. Tickets can be bought here! All are welcome.
	Together for Ladies of Color is hosting their first(!!) Culture Show on March 6th from 6 - 9 pm in Locatelli. Tickets can be purchased here!  All are welcome.

• If you have any questions or would like to connect, reach out to scu-mcc@scu.edu 

IV. Office of Accessible Education (OAE)

• New accessibility tool! SCU has recently procured Grackle Workspace, a series of extensions for Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Grackle provides an automatic accessibility checker and helps us create more accessible content. For more information, please see Create Accessible Google Docs with Grackle, and please start using Grackle to check the accessibility of your Google Docs before sharing with others.
• With it already the halfway point of the quarter, never too early to start thinking about your preparations for finals.
• If you have any questions, please email us at OAE@scu.edu and we will do our best to help you.
• James Marik, Director of the Office of Accessible Education and Heather Stephan, Assistant Director of the Office of Accessible Education, have transitioned out of their positions. We greatly appreciate their commitment to our students and to the Office of  Accessible Education and wish them the best in their future endeavors.

V. Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX

• Our team has grown! Kassandra Alberico, our new Director of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Coordinator started on August 1, 2025, and Hea Jung Atkins, our new EO/TIX Investigator started on December 8, 2025. Reach out to titleixadmin@scu.edu if you or your department would like to set up a meeting or training with any member of our team.
• As a reminder for your reporting options, anyone can report alleged misconduct at any time to the EO/TIX Office. For Responsible Employees making required referrals and all other reporters who would like follow up, please fill out the Maxient reporting form. For anonymous reporting, please fill out the EthicsPoint reporting form (please note filling out this form does not fulfill a required referral). If you have any questions about how to report or what happens after a report is filed, please contact the office via email at titleixadmin@scu.edu or by phone at (408) 551- 3043.

VI. Office for Campus Climate and Belonging

NEW NAME: The Office for Diversity and Inclusion is now the Office for Campus Climate and Belonging. While the name has been adjusted, the focus of the work and its commitment to community and belonging have not changed. If you have any questions, please reach out directly to Ray Plaza (rplaza@scu.edu).

• The sign-up information for the Faculty & Staff Winter 2026 Quarter Safe Space and UndocuAlly Workshops is now available. Please select the date and time that works for you. All workshops will be held via Zoom.
• The next Community Conversations will take place on the last Wednesday of February (February 25th) from 12 - 1pm via Zoom. First established in Fall 2019, the Community Conversations is an effort to provide spaces where SCU community members can have honest, open and respectful dialogue and engagement around a variety of topics. This is a co-sponsored initiative with Human Resources and Mission & Ministry. A separate email announcement will be sent in regards to the focus of each Conversation.

• Legacies of Colonialism is a new faculty speaker series in collaboration with Dr. Rohit Chopra from the Department of Communication. The legacies of colonialism project, a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary initiative, seeks to examine the historical, economic, political, social, and cultural impact of colonialism. The first speaker in the series will be Dr. Ananya Chakravarti, Associate Professor of History at Georgetown University. She will speak on the topic of “Caste, conversion and the (post) colonial fashioning of Konkani” on Thursday, February 12, 2026 from 3pm - 4:45pm at the de Saisset Museum. 

VII. Office for Multicultural Learning (OML)

• Lunar New Year - Celebrate the Year of the Horse during our SCU Lunar New Year Celebration! Lunar New Year marks the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. The holiday’s origins are in China (Chinese New Year) and is widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia and other countries. The event will have activities hosted by student groups and lion dancers. All are welcome!
• Thursday, February 12 
• 4-5pm on the Benson Plaza near Shapell and the campus bookstore

• Hair Love: A Workshop for Feminine Hair - Curly? Thick? Straight? Long? Short? Whatever your hair type, learn strategies for self maintenance and showing your hair some love. This workshop will feature insights from Tay Morrow, founder of San Jose based Gogo Glam. All are welcome.
  • Wednesday, February 25
  • 5-6:30pm in SCU Library Taping Room A 

• OML Book Club - Black Swans of Harlem - Join the discussion for this quarter’s OML book club on February 26. The Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby tells the story of a pioneering group of five Black ballerinas, the first principals in the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Limited quantities will be available - RSVP to request your copy.
  • Book Club Discussion
  • February 26, 2026
  • 2-4pm at 832 Market Street (OML)

• Training and Workshops - Are there topics related to identity, culture, and inclusion that your SCU unit could further explore? What aspects of LGBTQ+ identity are unfamiliar but relevant to your work? What exactly is racial justice and equity? OML/RRC staff lead workshops, training and other development opportunities for the SCU community. Submit a Training Request Form to connect with an OML/RRC staff member.

VIII. University Ombuds

• The University Ombuds is a confidential, informal, and neutral resource. The ombuds supports faculty and staff by providing a safe, confidential space to talk through concerns, identify goals, and explore options. Whether you are facing conflict, interpersonal challenges, or simply need a sounding board, the ombuds is here to listen with no obligation.
• The ombuds can help by sharing communication skills to strengthen your ability to navigate difficult conversations and enhance your overall effectiveness. The ombuds provides mediation for individuals or groups, or facilitation for dialogue and team building. You can participate in circles and workshops that unpack communication challenges and all for exploration and practice in skill-building. Interactive Workshops can be tailored to your needs, just ask the ombuds.
• Ready to connect? If you need a confidential, no-obligation consultation, contact the Office of the Ombuds at ombuds@scu.edu; dgalan@scu.edu; 408-551-3542

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COMMUNITY AND BELONGING RESOURCES FROM THE LIBRARY

The library is celebrating Black History Month with a book display. Our POPular Reading Committee has partnered again with the Black Student Union, Igwebuike, for this collaboration. The display highlights African American authors and their stories. Special thanks to Igwebuike Co-Chairs Sofia Ervin Agudelo and Jalen Paige, along with their board, for providing the book selections and the display concept, “In Unity, There Is Strength.”

*To access the SCU library resources off-campus you must login with SCU username and password. 

eBook Recommendations:

The other-conscious ethics of innovative Black poetry:  This monograph identifies and investigates the other-conscious ethics in black avant-garde poetry since the 1980s. Drawing on a long tradition in the African Diaspora of ethical writings that put the Other first, this work shows how black poets writing in an avant garde or experimental vein in the United States push language to its limits to reveal how poetry can address and exemplify ethical postures towards other people. This other-centered vantage allows the poets to incisively comment on some of this period's most pressing ethical issues, including postcolonial and racialized violence, the history of slavery and segregation in America, and the expansion of human consciousness. The writers involved in this study include Nathaniel Mackey, Erica Hunt, Will Alexander, Harryette Mullen, and Mark McMorris.

Home to Harlem: Home to Harlem, was published in 1928 during the height of the Harlem Renaissance. McKay portrays Harlem post-WWI through two Black migrants to New York: Jake, a Southern-born African American longshoreman who deserts the U.S. army and returns to his home in Harlem; and Ray, an educated Haitian immigrant. With his innovative use of Black dialects, McKay portrays a complex world of Black people, both native-born and immigrant, who navigate a dynamic society in the midst of radical change. 

Black Firsts: 500 Years of Trailblazing Achievements and Ground-Breaking Events - A celebration of achievement, accomplishments, and pride! The first African American president, U.S. senator, and the first black lawyer in the Department of Education. The first black chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and the first African American commissioned officer in the Marine Corps. The first black professors in a variety of fields. The first African American advertising agency. The first African American Olympian. The first black pilot for a scheduled commercial airline. Revel and rejoice in the renowned and lesser-known, barrier-breaking trailblazers in all fields―arts, entertainment, business, civil rights, education, government, invention, journalism, religion, science, sports, music, and more.

Streaming Media Recommendations: 

Kanopy - A streaming video service containing thousands of videos from leading producers around the world, including PBS, BBC, California Newsreel, A&E, and more. 

• Black History Month Collection on Kanopy
• How It Feels To Be Free: How It Feels to Be Free takes an unprecedented look at the intersection of African American women artists, politics and entertainment and tells the story of how six trailblazing performers—Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Diahann Carroll, Nina Simone, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier— changed American culture through their films, fashion, music and politics. (1 hr 53 mins).   

Music Online: American Music- This streaming music database provides over 1 million tracks reflecting the music of all American ethnic groups and regions, from the Revolutionary War to the present.

• Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) - The Temptations 

Librarian’s Spotlight

Dominique Dozier, Student Success Librarian:  Discover our Library Guides (LibGuides) as a helpful starting point for research and exploration. With guides for classes, subjects, and topics, they bring together trusted resources to support teaching, learning, and inquiry across our campus.

*Collaborate with the POP Committee on an upcoming library display for a heritage month or theme. Please fill out the form.  

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SPOTLIGHT: MLK DAY OF SERVICE

A special thank you to the SCU students, faculty and staff that participated in the MLK Day of Service event with Our City Forest on Monday, January 19, 2026. Nearly 30 trees were planted in Rainbow Park in West San Jose by all of the volunteers from the local community.