Last week, The Xavierite had the opportunity to speak to Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, Carrie Schade, and education professor, Dr. Kathleen McInerney, about a new committee they want to form on campus called The Provost’s Task Force on Vulnerable Populations.
Both Schade and McInerney would co-chair this new group.
“The Provost’s Task Force on Vulnerable Populations is a grassroots committee that began as an idea of a concerned faculty member,” they stated.
The idea of this task force was formed by the provost in the fall of 2017 with the purpose of addressing current issues facing Saint Xavier students.
When asked how the Task Force would benefited students, Schade and McInerney said, “The Task Force focuses on better ways to address equity and access for all students, serves to raise awareness of the types of concerns our students face, and works to serve SXU students in a meaningful and compassionate way.”
They then went into detail by saying, “The types of concerns include: food and housing insecurity; lack of family support; uncertainty about DACA or family immigration status; challenges faced by students of color, those with disabilities and other underrepresented populations; and many other contemporary student concerns.”
Schade and McInerney then mentioned the issues the Task Force are currently planning to address, “The Task Force has a number of specific issues currently under discussion, or in planning, including a food pantry and related food insecurity resources, enhancing access to community social services and increasing academic support.”
Schade and McInerney will be hosting a webinar on Thursday, April 19 at 2 p.m. in ACC 103 called “A Vision for Equity: Campus-Based Strategies for Committing to Equity and Inclusive Excellence.”
The webinar will be an hour long and will be followed by an open discussion.
Schade and McInerney hope students will attend.
When asked why students should get involved, the co-chairs responded with, “Students are the experts on their needs and concerns and are the voices we need. It is a collaborative effort at the university; one which we can all work toward.”
Schade and McInerney ended the interview with one last piece of information to share:
“We are called to the work of this task force as it is part of our Mission and our demonstration of Mercy. The work is based on compassion, respect, and hospitality. We feel inspired and compelled to serve and work toward solutions that will assist and support our students and their future success. We are very early in the work of this task force, but are looking forward to growing new initiatives in service to our students.”
For more information on the Provost’s Task Force on Vulnerable Populations, contact studentaffairs@sxu.edu.
Caesar Torres
Deputy Editor in Chief