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Saint Louis University

Undergraduate School

Mailing Address
1 N Grand Blvd
St. Louis, Missouri 63103
Phone
(800) 758-3678
Email address
admission@slu.edu
School Information
"Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic universities. SLU, which also has a campus in Madrid, Spain, is recognized for world-class academics, life-changing research, compassionate health care, and a strong commitment to faith and service." The university enrolls over 12,800 students, has over 2,300 faculty, and offers 180 academic programs across its 14 schools. (Source: https://www.slu.edu/about/index.php) (Source: https://www.slu.edu/about/key-facts/index.php)
General Information
Update May 2021: in order to attain a Bachelor's of Arts or a Bachelor's of Science, all undergraduates are required to complete 6 credit hours (2 courses) in Cultural Diversity. See below for details. Media reports in May 2021 indicate that Saint Louis University has ended its American Studies degree program, but no confirmation is yet available. The university created a Bachelor's in African American Studies as a full degree program in May 2021. Saint Louis University invested significant financial resources to promote the study of anti-racism. The university invested $1.7 million into its new “Institute for Healing, Justice and Equity”. Further updates are to be expected, as the center opens and continues its work. See developments below:

Actions Taken

Admissions Policies
  • Moved to a test optional admission process for all undergraduate students as part of a three-year pilot program (as part of its expanded diversity efforts).
Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
  • Mandated all Vice-Presidents and Deans participate in Crossroads Anti-Bias, AntiRacist Education workshop.
Curriculum Changes and Requirements
  • Students must complete one three-hour course from the Diversity in the U.S. list and one three-hour course from the Global Citizenship list.
Political Actions and Support for Anti-Racism
  • As part of "Events Planned to Commemorate Occupy SLU Anniversary," the university is having a "So You Think You're An Activist: Activism 101" event, where participants will "learn how to commit to anti-racism efforts, be comfortable in your discomfort, and amplify your voice and those of others."
Program and Research Funding
  • University invested $1.7 million into the “Institute for Healing Justice and Equity”.
Resources
  • The Department of Campus Ministry curated "Prayer Resources Addressing Racism," which include Ibram X. Kendi's "How to Be an Antiracist" and Robin DiAngelo's "White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism."
  • The university's Cross Cultural Center provides "co-curricular and educational experiences that broaden knowledge of multiculturalism and social justice." It's been described by its director as "a consulting and programmatic space focused on fostering diversity, equity and inclusion on campus."
  • The university's Division of Diversity and Innovative Community Engagement provided a "Defining DEI" guide that contains "definitions of common terms around diversity, equity and inclusion."
  • The university held a "virtual symposium entitled 'Reimagining Public Health in a Post-Pandemic Era'" that accepted submissions on "Fostering a social justice and anti-racist lens for public health" (among other topics).
Symbolic Actions
  • Hosted Ibrahim X. Kendi, author of How To Be An Anti-Racist, as keynote speaker for its 2020 Social Justice Lecture.
Last updated April 10th, 2023
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