Every Voice

Greetings Adelphi University,

With the start of this new academic year, I am honored to embrace my recently expanded role as Vice President for Student Affairs and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Adelphi and welcome you to Fall 2023 at Adelphi.

With my first edition of Every Voice, I want to emphasize a most important point: you belong here. Belongingness is the human emotional need to be accepted by a group—whether family, friends, coworkers, a team, an affinity group, or something else.

Our community is committed to recognizing and honoring what makes each student, faculty member, staff member and alumnus of Adelphi unique, interesting, different, vibrant and human. If, at times, you feel isolated or skeptical—due to world events, personal situations or an individual incident—you still belong here. And, if you're ever struggling to feel connected, please reach out; my office will connect you with Adelphi opportunities and resources that can offer support.

With my colleague, Chotsani Williams West, Adelphi's new assistant vice president for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, we look forward to serving our Adelphi community, engaging with you, and strengthening DEIB at Adelphi. I have worked in higher education for nearly 30 years, including living and working abroad while supporting students’ personal and professional successes in diverse communities and institutions. My commitment to sustaining Adelphi’s mission and strategic priority of being a globally engaged, equitable, inclusive, and welcoming university is unwavering and steadfast.

We have many DEIB achievements to celebrate, but the new academic year is an opportunity to renew and assess our commitment to having an inclusive and just community where everyone feels valued, affirmed, and has a strong sense of belonging. I’m excited about leading the work ahead across academic and non-academic departments, including student organizations.

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15 and is an invaluable occasion to celebrate our Hispanic and Latinx community members' contributions, achievements, and rich cultural heritage. I encourage your participation in the month's programs and activities that help foster unity, appreciation, and cross-cultural engagement.

Let’s make it a great year and strive to make our campus a model of inclusive excellence.

Our University’s HSI Task Force helps guide, track and advance our progress toward our Momentum 2 commitment of becoming a designated HSI. Sandra Castro, PhD, associate dean of undergraduate programs in the College of Professional and Continuing Studies, is co-chair of the task force.

"Adelphi is committed to serving Latinx students and creating a sense of belonging for their academic and professional success,” said Castro. “This is a necessary precursor to becoming a Designated Hispanic Serving Institution. In addition to making our University accessible to more Hispanic students who desire higher education, we are actively building a network of resources at Adelphi that will help ensure they thrive here, graduate and experience social mobility in the future.”

In 2019, Adelphi launched our Hispanic Community Partnership Program to help expose more Hispanic high school students to college life. This free summer readiness program continues to develop and expand. It now includes virtual attendance options and a Financial Literacy for Higher Education workshop for parents and families.

The task force is focused on advancing 10 priority areas: Latinx policy inclusion, Latinx support and institutional commitment, Latinx academic life, Latinx curriculum and classroom practices, Latinx student life, Latinx recruitment and retention, First-Year success, Latinx counseling and health, family engagement, and building Latinx networks.

We’ll share a full update on this work during Hispanic Heritage Month—stay tuned!

Not only did I have fun, I expanded my horizons, learned so much, made new friends, and I know my life has changed. I will never forget how well you took care of me and my fellow students. I cannot forget the valuable lessons and social issues I was exposed to. I hope we can continue to grow and learn and spread kindness! Thank you!"

— Lynabby Bigord shares a note of thanks to program leaders for the 2023 alternative break experience in Morocco

Read more about Alternative Break at Adelphi.

The Jewish High Holidays blend joy and solemnity, feasting and fasting, prayer and inspiration. Each autumn includes the solemn Rosh Hashanah, or Jewish New Year, followed by Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, and concludes with the festive Sukkot and Simchat Torah.

On September 7, the Office of DEIB, Interfaith Center and Chabad Jewish Student Group hosted a lunch and learn with Adelphi's Jewish chaplain, Rabbi Yankel Lipsker. Community members explored the history and meaning of the Jewish festivals.