The End Hate at Notre Dame movement is focused on relieving the broad structural burdens affecting racial minority, LGBTQ+ and low income students on Notre Dame’s campus. Our principles match Notre Dame’s Principles of Diversity and Inclusion:
- Respect the dignity of every person.
- Build a Notre Dame community in which all can flourish.
- Live in solidarity with all, particularly the most vulnerable.
This document describes the goals of the movement. I. Institutionalize diversity and inclusion structures and programsA. Create the Office and vice president of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the President’s Leadership Council.- Candidates for the office must write a diversity statement as part of their application in order to demonstrate a commitment to promoting marginalized groups.
- The search committee’s candidates for the office must be interviewed by diversity student groups (Diversity Council, Department of Diversity & Inclusion, Black Student Association, PrismND, etc.).
- The approval of the vice president of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion must include the cosignature of diversity student groups.
B. Develop a program for diversity similar to the rigor of GreeNDot certification. The purpose of such a program is to combat racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, xenophobia and ableism on campus.- The certification of such a program should be promoted and incentivized through University programs. The program must be promoted through First Year of Studies and Welcome Weekend programming. Similar to the Sex Signals program, Moreau classes should offer extra credit for completion of the program. Hall of the Year points should be awarded for those who complete the program. Student leaders, such as those invited to attend TeamND, should be certified prior to or during their leadership term.
- The curriculum of such a program should be drafted with the help of and approved by diversity student groups.
GreeNDot training is pushed and incentivized across campus. We support the same standardization of diversity training for each residence hall through the department of Multicultural Student Programs and Services to promote cultural consciousness and awareness of the power dynamics, which stem from demographics, at play in the world and on campus.II. Diversify curriculum A. The Core Curriculum should include at least one course with an international/ethnic studies attribute.B. All candidates for Notre Dame faculty positions should write a diversity statement as part of their application in order to demonstrate a commitment to promoting marginalized groups. The selected candidate for the provost position should have a strong record of cultural competence. Cultural competence is key in building empathy for marginalized folks. No course or program of study should have a view limited to white, western and/or male voices. We demand that people who are of Color, Indigenous, Black, queer, or not male are represented in the authorship of major required readings. Diversifying the canon helps eliminate the violence of only privileging white scholarship. Everyone should see themselves represented in coursework.III. Replace parietals with quiet hoursA. Quiet hours should be mandated during the hours of midnight to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday and 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. No loud gatherings are permitted during these times. All student visitation of all residence halls is permitted during quiet hours.B. The University should create and formalize an overnight visitor system that does not exclude members of any gender, in order to preserve the safety of dorm residents.Parietals trap students in unsafe situations. Experts agree that homosocial environments increase the risk of sexual assault. “Male controlled environments,” such as those in men’s dorms after parietals, create “rape-supportive culture.”Students of all genders should have the opportunity to visit their peers. Students of color and LGBTQ+ students often find community outside of their dorm. While it is important to preserve privacy and quiet hours for sleep, there is no reason that same-gender students should be permitted in dorms other than their own while opposite gender students are not. A number of Catholic universities allow opposite sex visitors during nighttime hours, including Georgetown University, Loyola University Chicago, Loyola Marymount University, Villanova University, Gonzaga University and Santa Clara University. IV. Call it out when you see itA. A Statement of Inclusivity must be added to every course syllabus across departments, encouraging students to report all incidents of bias, discrimination and/or harassment so that the University can take appropriate action to assist the students involved and improve the campus climate.
B.
Speak Up ND should be promoted in Moreau, Building Community the Notre Dame Way and in the Statement of Inclusivity to ensure students a means for maintaining anonymity in the reporting process.C. Statements of Inclusivity and promotion of Speak Up ND should be implemented in all Welcome Weekend programming for all dorms.D. Senior-level administrators should exhibit a level of accountability for campus climate by publicly denouncing hate speech and tolerance of such which is pertinent to dialogue surrounding incidents that caused End Hate at ND.There must be protocol for bringing awareness of incidents of racism, queerphobia and classism to the forefront. Caring for the health, safety and well-being of individuals is a top priority at Notre Dame. All confidential and non-confidential resources, including campus support services, should be actively made known to the whole campus community.V. AddendumAfter extensively deliberating with members of the Native American Student Association, we intend to simply stand with the NASAND community by supporting in their already existing endeavors. It is our hope that marginalized voices across our institution continue to have the spaces to advocate in the most conducive way towards their goals and we are thankful for their continued guidance. In closing, members of the End Hate at Notre Dame Movement are willing to aid in the process of implementing any of the above initiatives in any way that seems appropriate. This may involve student advisory groups for diversity coursework, diversity training programs, and Speak Up ND, considering committees that already exist. However, this work should not be evaded by senior-level University executives, for it is their expertise paired with will and motivation for the common good that will lead Notre Dame into a new era of true inclusivity. End Hate at ND
Matthew Bisner
sophomore
Savannah Joye
freshman
Lorena Morejon
sophomore
Matthew Schoenbauer
senior
Ben Testani
senior
Kyle Weingartner
junior
Darrien Yafai
senior
Jan. 19
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
