Xavier University of Louisiana

Xavier will "use a racial equity lens to assess/audit internal policies and practices on matters such as financial aid and scholarships, funding, code of conduct processes, tenure and/or promotion guidelines, merit evaluation, and committee and leadership appointments."

Xavier's Fellow for Diversity and Inclusion ensures that the school can "bring external consultants to train Division heads and Department chairs on issues centered on diversity and inclusion" as well as host workshops and seminars on diversity.

Xavier's Center for Diversity and Inclusion offers over 50 training programs, one of which is known as the Catalyst Leadership Summit which teaches students to "create more inclusive events and programs for the campus community."

Xavier leads the Smooth Transitions program, a mentorship program which teaches students to work on "cultural competency" and "culturally responsive and culturally restorative engagement."

Xavier has a Bias Education and Advocacy Team.

Xavier has a professional development training program for "building an inclusive team" where participants will "identify one action you can take and one action your department/division can take to promote a more inclusive culture."

Xavier has a professional development training program on microaggressions.

As part of its strategic plan, Xavier will "provide opportunities for faculty and staff to advance their cultural proficiency with respect to intercultural and race-related competencies (e.g., awareness, communication, engagement) and exposure to inclusive pedagogical models that will enhance the learning of all students."

Xavier University of Louisiana has a PK-16 Education Equity initiative, where it seeks to "change the preK-16 educational landscape by partnering with educational equity experts and Xavier students and faculty to set them up for success and leadership with a focus on equitable outcomes for children of color." Specifically, "restorative practices training and programming will be developed to advance equity in educational policies and practice, limit bias, improve cultural humility, and increase the number of educators of color in the school system."

The XULA STrIDES mentoring network "Meet your Village!", hosted by the Center for Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, is a workshop series targeted towards issues arising from intersectionality that "can be adequately addressed for incoming female faculty". The workshop also serves as a space to "address institutional barriers including but not limited to racism, sexism, and work-life balance."

Xavier will "ensure that all faculty have access to appropriate resources to support their efforts to make sound and informed decisions about course materials, pedagogy, curriculum, and assessment that contribute to diversity-related and anti-racist teaching and learning" and "assist faculty in their resolve to establish a multicultural curriculum that promotes racial justice."

As part of its strategic plan, Xavier will "enhance the diversity and inclusion components across the curriculum and in co-curricular learning experiences for undergraduates from the first year to the senior year."

Xavier made a commitment to "reposition the University's marketing and communication assets to effectively communicate Xavier's diversity, equity, and inclusion story and plans to become an anti-racist university. Audit the University’s communications and content to ensure representation of our diverse constituent base."

In 2016, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded Xavier with a $500,000 grant for curriculum revisions for diversity.

Xavier's Gilead Scholars program selects incoming freshmen to be "Scholars for Equity in Justice". During their undergraduate years, scholars "deepen their understanding of social justice, applied research, and equity policy issues by engaging in year-long projects in partnership with community residents, community organizers, and faculty."

In November 2023, Xavier and other HBCUs began a partnership with Entergy's Power of Prosperity initiative to address the racial wealth gap and build a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable workforce. The program provides students and their families with free access to financial support and through a donation of $700,000, 1,500 freshman at Xavier and other HBCUs can participate in this program.

Xavier has a Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education. The center seeks to "mitigate the disparities that exist in health and health care disparities that disproportionately impact underserved communities with a goal to achieve health equity."

In June 2023, Xavier announced that it was one of 20 recipients of Gilead Sciences' Racial Equity Community Impact Fund (RECIF), which was launched to support high-impact organizations working to tackle racial inequities affecting Black communities across the US. RECIF initially provided $10 million in grants to 20 organizations over a three-year period, with the funds supporting organizations dedicated to community advocacy and mobilization, social justice, and educational innovation.

Xavier will "assess the current model of community safety to ensure that campus police policies and activities on Xavier’s campus are anti-racist."

Xavier has a "racial equity resource manual."

Xavier's Stained Glass Initiative was established as an initiative that "includes projects that further our efforts to dismantle anti-Black racism, establish racial truth, and contribute to repair, healing, and reconciliation."

Xavier's Aspiring Anti-Racist Allies program is for "self-identified white staff, faculty, alumni, and students at Xavier University who want to become anti-racist, anti-supremacist allies and examine their own ideas about race and racism."

Xavier's library offers "resources for racial justice and reconciliation."

Xavier created "Heart to Heart Conversations" which encourages dialogue on racism, diversity, and inclusion.

On September 29, 2023, Xavier University of Louisiana hosted an educational equity summit titled "The State of Black Education: Solutions to Achieving Educational Equity."

Xavier has an Office of Inclusion and Social Justice.

In August 2022, Xavier's Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education (CMHDRE) partnered with Gilead to launch a new health equity collaboration.

Xavier's Civic Engagement Living Learning Community is designed to facilitate a collaborative environment where students can further develop their civic identity via being "trained and empowered to identify systemic inequality and actively participate in creating social change." Students attend four "Civic Sessions" a semester and will "gain organizing experience" through site-visits, mentorship, guest speakers, and community projects.

From April 1-2, 2022, Xavier hosted a talk titled "Racial Justice and the Demands of Discipleship: Realizing Pope Francis' Vision for the Church."

Xavier made a statement saying, "As members of Xavier’s leadership team, we condemn racism in all its manifestations and pledge to work toward establishing and sustaining an anti-racist culture at Xavier University, whereby each member of the campus community feels a sense of belonging, being supported and being enabled to succeed." To accomplish this, the university commits to "take responsibility for educating ourselves about power, white privilege, white supremacy, and systemic racism, as well as for understanding and working to undo our own complicity in systemic racism."

In 2020, Xavier held a town hall discussion on systemic racism in response to the death of George Floyd.

On May 15, 2020, Xavier announced that it received the 2020 Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion in International Education Award.

Xavier has an employee book club on diversity and inclusion.

As part of its strategic plan, Xavier will "support and promote research and scholarship related to diversity and inclusion."

On June 29, 2023, Xavier's President issued a statement in response to the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action which states, "The likely result will be a decline in representation of underrepresented students in many higher ed institutions. Throughout the history of this nation to this very day, equity of educational opportunity and access has not been afforded to all Americans. This impoverishes the nation in depriving her of the talent manifested in the minds of so many. Now is the moment to which we are called to imagine a way forward that assures equity and justice."