DEI Taskforce

Saint Mary’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Taskforce formed in the spring of 2017.

Under the leadership of then Associate Dean of Students Jennifer Rundles, the a student branch and a faculty/staff branch of the taskforce was established. The taskforce dedicated its first year to gathering data about Saint Mary’s strengths and areas for growth through the National Association of Independent Schools’ Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM). Based on the data collected through the AIM survey, the taskforce developed an action plan emphasizing professional development and curriculum around topics such as implicit bias, facilitating difficult discussions, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and equity.

In 2019-2020, the student branch of the DEI Taskforce developed the Inclusion Ambassador program to build bridges across the school community and further ensure student input on diversity and inclusion at Saint Mary’s. The ambassador program was implemented in the fall of 2020 with 14 inclusion ambassadors.