The Office of Diversity and Inclusion fosters and helps create a sustainable university-wide culture that promotes diversity, equity, inclusion and engagement as essential values aligned with the Felician Franciscan mission and heritage. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion supports the Felician Franciscan mission and heritage by delivering programs that promote and celebrate the oneness of humankind, by encouraging student organizations to form alliances with each other and by empowering students to become culturally responsive.
Our goals are to enhance student engagement, promote an appreciation of diversity, inclusion and respect for persons of all cultures, races, backgrounds, beliefs and experiences, prepare students who will advance as industry-ready members in a multicultural workforce that engage in service for the common good and prepare students for a career in an inclusive global economy.
Madonna University lives out its Catholic and Franciscan mission and values by creating and maintaining an environment where all persons are treated with understanding and respect. The University regards diversity and inclusion as guiding principles. Diversity calls upon individuals to know how to relate to qualities, conditions, and identities that are different from their own and from the groups to which they belong. Members of the University community are expected to respect others inclusive of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, socioeconomic status, age, physical abilities, cognitive abilities, family status, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and/or religious tradition.
The University community guarantees the freedom of individuals to explore their evolving self- identity in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. The University ensures that all persons can participate in and have access to the everyday life of the institution. This deepens the understanding and appreciation of the individuality and circumstances of everyone. Inclusion is essential for the creation of a welcoming environment that promotes respect, hospitality, peace, and justice. At Madonna University, the commitment to diversity and inclusion emanates from the Franciscan values of respect for the dignity of each person, concern for the disadvantaged and oppressed, and reverence for life. In concert with Ex Corde Ecclesiae and Catholic Social Teaching, we maintain that all faiths and all people are welcome here.
Madonna University will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
DEIB Workshop: Deeper Dive into Critical Race Theory
1:30 - 2:30 pm - Room 2401
Main Event: A Community Conversation about Belonging Based on the Principles of MLK
1:00 - 3:00 pm - Welcome Center Great Room
MLK Service Opportunity: Care Projects
Create care packages for those in need within the organization. "What are you doing for others?"
11:00 am - 3:00 pm - Room 1104
The Human Perspective
3:30 - 5:30 pm - Madonna University Library
MLK Candlelight Pilgrimage
Beginning at 5:15 pm - Kresge Hall
MLK Movie Night
4:00 - 6:00 pm, 7:00 - 9:00 pm - Room 2207
Write an essay on the following prompt:
We live in a world where we're great at expressing how WE feel, what WE need and prefer, etc. As technology and generations have evolved, our society has become more focused on "I, me and mine". But what about your neighbor? What about others? And more specifically, what about others who disagree with you?
Dr. King once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?"
There are two sides to a coin, one opposing and one affirming any issue or topic. Take a moment to choose a social topic that resonates with you (ESG/DEIAB, Affirmative Action, Police Reform, etc.,). Then:
1. Present your position on the topic of your choice
2. Thoroughly present the opposing position to yours
3. Detail your well thought out middle ground or compromising solution, and why you think this would work best for the community at large, taking into account much consideration for the position opposite of yours.
Essays should be submitted to mlk@madonna.edu no later than January 16, 2025.
The winner of the $500 gift card grand prize will be announced the week of January 20th. Essays must be original work to be considered for the grand prize. All essays must state the student's name, student ID #, and email address and should be 1,200-1,500 words in length, written in 12-point font, double spaced, with 1-inch margins.
We are looking for striking images that represent Madonna University's core values, such as our Catholic and Franciscan mission, our commitment to treating all people with dignity and respect, and embracing diversity and inclusion. These original images should capture the spirit of Madonna University, the Civil Rights Movement and that honor this year's essay theme: "What are you doing for others?"
Entries will be judged based upon originality, clarity, creativity, and compliance with photo requirements:
1. All photos must be original (photographs of photographs will not be considered)
2. Be high resolution (ideally no less than 300 dpi)
3. Have a size between 2550 px wide by 330 px tall (1300 dpi) and 1257 px wide by 1650 px tall (150 dpi)
4. Between 5 MB - 10 MB in size
5. JPEG file format
6. Include a 500-1,000 word caption on how your photo aligns with the theme of this year's essay.
All photos should be submitted no later than January 16th to mlk@madonna.edu.
First prize ($350 gift card), second prize ($100 gift card), and third prize ($50 gift card) will be announced the week of January 20th.
The Native American tribe that inhabited the general area which includes what is now known as Livonia, Michigan, before European settlers arrived, were the Potawatomi people. Historical records indicate that a Potawatomi village named "Pojomaka" was situated somewhere in the Livonia area, and Chief Tonquish, a prominent Potawatomi leader, is associated with this village.
A Land Acknowledgement or Land Recognition is a formal statement, often given orally at the beginning of organized events, celebrations, or activities. It recognizes, respects, and affirms that there is an irreducible and ongoing relationship between Indigenous people and the Land. Land Acknowledgements are especially important in contemporary nation-states, like the US and Canada, in which the political structures are based on settler-colonialism and the expropriation of Lands from Indigenous peoples. Land Acknowledgements serve to illuminate ongoing Indigenous presence, as well as recognize and counter settler-colonial legacies of violence and Land expropriation.
This statement can be used as is, or if you can find ways to connect it to your specific field of study, you may do so. This statement can be present in your syllabus and read before presentations or events.
