Strengthened Communities: Objectives & Accomplishments

A clear devotion to our Edmundite principles and a firm commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion will enrich our community and help us reach outward to serve new populations. We will enhance collaborative energy and reinforce our commitment to essential staff and faculty who put our students in positions to thrive. To accomplish this, we will: 

  • Foster greater awareness of our Edmundite heritage and mission by enhancing programming and communication and hiring a Catholic ethicist on faculty 
    • Accomplishment: May, 2022: Catholic Mission Integration Task Force convened. Recommendations from the Committee are due September 30, 2022. 
    • Accomplishment: October, 2022: Human Resources hosted a Re-Orientation program designed to encourage staff and faculty to consider how we live our mission at Saint Michael’s. 
  • Advance a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging on our campus, especially with regard to the recruitment and retention of BIPOC students and employees 
    • Accomplishment: May, 2022: Howie LeBlanco hired as Director of Human Resources—Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 
    • Accomplishment: June, 2022: Choeden Lama hired as Assistant Director for the Center for Multicultural Affairs and Services 
    • Accomplishment: Fall, 2022—The Office of Human Resources established a departmental strategic plan that embedded philosophies and approaches of equity, inclusion, and belonging to people-centric efforts and initiatives. The plan is a living document that will be assessed and re-evaluated on an annual basis and will guide the work for the next several years. 
  • Create a task-driven team to review needs and implement reforms in organizational structures, operational procedures, and the professional experience of all staff and faculty 
    • Accomplishment: August 2022: Co-led by Tina Cioffi, Chair of the Staff Wellbeing Committee, and Howie LeBlanco, Director of HR for DEI, convened an Employee Wellbeing Task Force comprised of faculty and staff across various departments to discuss ideas and recommendations to enhance the employee experience for both faculty and staff. Recommendations, in alignment with the Office of Human Resources’ strategic plan, are anticipated in late November.  
  • Welcome more young people and community leaders to campus through expanded summer camps and community events