Dear members of Accessible Futures,
You may be aware that DePaul University President Rob Manuel has been leading a community vision process called Designing DePaul. The university has released a Progress Snapshot from the Designing DePaul process and
asked the DePaul community for feedback before the final report is published. I have attached a copy of the Designing DePaul Progress Snapshot, and you can also read it here:
https://offices.depaul.edu/president/designing-depaul/progress-snapshot/Documents/Designing-DePaul-August-2023-B.pdf
Designing DePaul fails to address disability justice and Disabled inclusion
The Designing DePaul Progress Snapshot outlines the
goal of increasing rates of graduation and retention for at-risk DePaul students, specifically listing initiatives to eliminate the achievement gap between LatinX, Black, White, and Asian students at DePaul. However, the Progress Snapshot
fails to acknowledge the similar
achievement gap of Disabled students (the report doesn't mention disability even once!), and
fails to list any initiatives to address Disabled inclusion in any way.
Your feedback is needed by September 30th
President Rob has
asked that the community provide feedback on the Designing DePaul Progress Snapshot
before September 30th. We have provided a template further down in this email for you to share feedback regarding Disabled inclusion and the Disabled achievement gap, which you can adapt to include your own perspective and experiences. The Designing DePaul Progress Snapshot discusses the achievement gap in Chapter 1, and you can provide feedback on Chapter 1 here:
https://offices.depaul.edu/president/designing-depaul/progress-snapshot/Pages/feedback01.aspx
From the Designing DePaul Progress Snapshot:
"Even though we can proudly claim that our retention rates outperform the national average, we are not satisfied with the thought that some students are unable to thrive at DePaul, and others may leave the institution without us having fulfilled our contract with them. Data indicates that students from black and brown households are at the highest risk of that outcome. To that end, we consider it our duty to identify inclusive programs that are already helping students so we can scale them, advance new ideas that target at-risk groups, and discontinue approaches that may be hindering any student’s ability to succeed."
Furthermore, the Designing DePaul Progress Snapshot envisions a future where:
- DePaul has "installed tools to proactively identify students at risk of being marginalized or left behind while at DePaul," and the university has "developed successful and scalable interventions that put them back on the path to success."
- "The achievement gap between LatinX, Black, White, and Asian students at DePaul is eliminated."
These are noble goals from the university, and DePaul should similarly strive to eliminate the achievement gap between Disabled and non-disabled students.
Please join us in telling President Rob to include Disabled students in the final Designing DePaul report.
The most effective feedback would
tell President Rob why this issue is important to you personally; here is a template to edit to get started:
Dear President Rob,
My name is [name], and I am a [student/faculty/staff] at DePaul University. Disability justice and Disabled inclusion at DePaul is very important to me because I am [Disabled, an ally, etc.].
[Please add more specific details about why disability justice and Disabled inclusion is personally important to you.]
I was reading the Designing DePaul Progress Snapshot, and I was alarmed that the report does not address the graduation and achievement gap of Disabled students in the same way that it nobly attempts to address the achievement gap between LatinX, Black, White, and Asian students at DePaul University. In fact, I am shocked that the Progress Snapshot does not even once mention disability or Disabled inclusion whatsoever, especially considering Disabled students gave feedback during the Designing DePaul process, and considering that you personally have previously discussed how important Disabled inclusion is to your vision of DePaul University as the national model of higher education.
For the final Designing DePaul report, please include themes of disability justice and Disabled inclusion, and please include eliminating the achievement gap between Disabled and non-disabled students as one of the goals of the Designing DePaul vision.
DePaul University cannot become the national model for higher education if it does not first become the national model for disability justice and Disabled inclusion.
Thank you for taking this feedback into account as your office finalizes the Designing DePaul vision. I believe that DePaul University can better include Disabled students, faculty, and staff, but only if leaders such as yourself get behind that shared vision of disability justice and Disabled inclusion.
Sincerely,
[name]
Again,
please customize this template with your own experience and perspective. Personalized feedback is much more effective than everyone submitting exactly the same script. Again,
feedback must be submitted by September 30th, and once you have written the feedback you wish to share, you can submit it here:
https://offices.depaul.edu/president/designing-depaul/progress-snapshot/Pages/feedback01.aspx
Finally, you can also send feedback directly to President Rob using his direct email address,
RLM@depaul.edu. You can also send feedback directly to President Rob's Chief of Staff, Arbin Smith, who is also Vice President for Strategic Initiatives; Arbin's direct email address is
arbin.smith@depaul.edu.
Please forward this email to anyone else at DePaul who cares about disability justice and Disabled inclusion.
Thank you for everything you do to advance disability justice and Disabled inclusion at DePaul University!
Warmest regards,
David Hupp
Treasurer, Accessible Futures DePaul