Southern Methodist University

SMU's Office of Diversity and Inclusion reports "directly to the President" and "guides and supports University policies and practices that foster inclusive admission, recruiting, hiring and promotion practices,"

In 2020, in a document titled "Moving Forward Together: The University Response to the Black Unity Forum’s Action Plan," SMU stated the following: "Effective immediately, the University will match, up to $500,000, fundraising efforts by the Black Alumni Board of the SMU Alumni Board for scholarships or student financial support . Moreover, as a part of the leadership and public phases of a new comprehensive fundraising campaign, SMU will utilize its best efforts to raise $10 million by 2028 (the end of the next campaign) to support the needs of underrepresented, socioeconomically disadvantaged, and first-generation students."

On June 29, 2023, SMU's President issued a message regarding the Supreme Court's decision on race-based admissions which reads in part as follows: "[Let] me reassure you of SMU’s dedication to our mission and core values – including our commitment to an inclusive student body, faculty and staff...Despite the implications this ruling may have on policies and practices at SMU and every other college campus in America, we will continue to be a welcoming and supportive community. We will determine how the specifics of the high court’s ruling will affect the consideration of race in our enrollment efforts. We will meet this challenge while continuing to build a community that mirrors our global society – a campus where every Mustang is valued and feels a sense of belonging." 

SMU's Office of Diversity and Inclusion reports "directly to the President" and "oversees SMU's Cultural Intelligence and anti-bias training."

Through the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Cultural Intelligence Initiative at SMU serves as an "educational resource to the entire campus" and provides "opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to learn and successfully implement the principles of cultural intelligence..." The Office creates "workshops, resources, [and] non-credit bearing courses for campus and individual use."

In a 2020 document titled "Moving Forward Together: The University Response to the Black Unity Forum’s Action Plan," SMU stated that the Athletic Department would "require all student-athletes, coaches, and staff to complete CIQ@SMU implicit bias training by the end of 2021."

SMU’s curriculum "requires every student, regardless of major, to take a three-hour course focused on human diversity."

SMU's Bias Education and Response Team outlines its reporting process and states, "If you observe or experience an incident of bias, we encourage you to file a report online through the Bias Incident Reporting Form...."

SMU's Office of Diversity and Inclusion offers a training course for search committees titled "Searching Intelligently" and states, "Grounded in the principles of CIQ [Cultural Intelligence], this mandatory course for faculty search committee members reviews SMU's faculty search model; offers insights for strengthening the networking and candidate cultivation process; and evaluating candidates."

In a 2020 document titled "Moving Forward Together: The University Response to the Black Unity Forum’s Action Plan," SMU stated the following: "The University will require all incoming staff and faculty members – tenure track or adjunct – to complete CIQ@SMU’s implicit bias training and standalone module on microaggressions no later than the end of fall 2021. Furthermore, all existing faculty and staff members will be required to complete CIQ@SMU’s implicit bias training and the standalone module on microaggressions by December 2021."

The Connect Mentorship Program at SMU is a "year-long mentorship program aimed at retaining students of color at SMU." The Program "helps incoming students of color become effective, successful, and engaged members of SMU through peer mentoring."

In a 2020 document titled "Moving Forward Together: The University Response to the Black Unity Forum’s Action Plan," SMU stated that "Beginning in November 2020, the Chief of Police and appropriate staff will meet quarterly with the new Community Advisory Board to provide perspectives on issues related to race and campus policing."

The Moving Forward Together February 2023 update reported that the "SMU Police Department’s Community Engagement team and PCAB organized meetings with Association of Black Students (ABS) leaders to discuss policing on campus and the relationship between SMU Police and students."

The Black Unity Forum at SMU is an organization comprised of leaders from its affiliate groups which "serve the black students, faculty, staff, and alumni of SMU." In 2020, the BUF created its Action Plan which "highlights the commitments, goals, and criteria" it deems as "paramount to the success" of the black community at SMU.

On September 7, 2023, SMU held an event titled "We Won't Go Back: Sustaining Movements for Social Justice After Affirmative Action" as part of the Bridge Builders Lecture Series.

SMU's Office of Diversity and Inclusion states, "Reporting directly to the President, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion guides and supports University policies and practices that foster inclusive admission, recruiting, hiring and promotion practices, and oversees SMU's Cultural Intelligence and anti-bias training."

In 2020, the Dean for the Meadows School of the Arts at SMU issued a statement titled "Black Lives Matter at SMU Meadows" which reads in part as follows: "Racism is, and has been, systemic in America's institutions, including our own, for generations. We can and must do better than sharing a social media post here and there...We must continue to examine and rethink the systems that oppress Black people and other people of color...To start, I have personally made a donation to a GoFundMe project called SMU Black Lives Matter."