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School of Psychology

Mission and Diversity

Mission Statement

In keeping with the Jesuit, Catholic, liberal arts tradition, the School of Psychology educates students in the science of behavior and mental processes with sensitivity toward the diversity of all people so students may use psychological knowledge and insight to address human concerns.

Diversity Statement

Xavier University’s School of Psychology embraces and values the contributions of diverse people, inclusive of, but not limited to people of all races, cultural/ethnic groups, nationalities, citizenship statuses, sexual orientations, gender identities, socioeconomic backgrounds,  spiritual beliefs and practices, physical and mental abilities, and age groups. We aim to inspire, educate, and prepare our students by supporting, nurturing, and developing the attitudes and skills to competently serve our diverse community, with special emphasis on social justice.

The Psychology Diversity Advisory Committee (DAC)

In support of the School of Psychology's mission and diversity statement, the efforts of the Diversity Advisory Committee (DAC) aim to: assess the climate of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within the School of Psychology; act as a resource to promote and disseminate information and resources related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; advise and make recommendations to the School of Psychology related to issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.  This committee is comprised of faculty, staff, and graduate students from the IO and PsyD program.  There are currently three faculty members, one staff member, and 16 graduate students on the committee. For more information, contact co-Chairs Dalia Diab (diabd@xavier.edu) and Jen Gibson (gibsonj6@xavier.edu).

XU School of Psychology DAC reaffirms: Every Black Life Matters

In the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing in early summer 2020, Xavier University’s president, Father Graham, condemned the event and provided historical context: “The most recent names on that line before George Floyd’s were those of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. And stretching back before Timothy Thomas, in 2001—how many exactly? Who and when? For that line extends through the mass incarceration of today to the heyday of lynching to the chattel slave system of the antebellum United States whose legacy our country has yet to outgrow. Seems in fact—too often—to be unwilling to outgrow.”


Soon after, the University initiated numerous efforts and actions specifically supporting antiracism, consistent with Xavier’s broad commitment to diversity and inclusion. A banner was placed outside Bellarmine Chapel to visibly demonstrate Xavier’s commitment to racial justice and black liberation. It declared: “Racism is a sin. Black Lives Matter.”

On January 30, 2021, unidentified persons cut this banner in half and vandalized the surrounding campus with stickers promoting the messages of an extremist group. In another recent statement, Father Graham calls us to action: “Where one banner [is] cut down, let us raise fifty more.”

Here is ours:
 

We, the graduate students and faculty members of the Diversity Advisory Committee in the School of Psychology at Xavier University release this statement reaffirming our commitment to foster a just and racially equitable campus community. We stand in solidarity with all Black individuals at Xavier, in Cincinnati, nationally, and internationally against hatred and anti-Black racism. We re-commit ourselves to demonstrating our institutional values of solidarity, kinship, justice, and love through our words and actions. In the face of growing division and dissension in our country, we state unequivocally:

Every Black Life Matters.   

Campus Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Resources