Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

The mission of Housing and Residence Life is to foster residential communities that inspire and empower student learning and growth. Live. Learn. Grow.

Equity and Inclusion Statement

Housing and Residence Life values diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are committed to cultivating on-campus environments that promote a welcoming and inclusive climate for students, provide opportunities for reflection and learning, and challenge systems of oppression. We recognize that students in our communities may hold multiple marginalized identities and are impacted by intersecting forms of oppression and discrimination. Students living in residence halls who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+, women, gender non-conforming, and other marginalized identities may face microaggressions, interpersonal discrimination, structural and systemic forms of oppression, and other identity-related challenges. Housing and Residence Life strives to actively combat these challenges through peer and staff support and an intentional residential curriculum to create an environment in which all students can live, learn, and grow

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee

Housing and Residence Life has several committees that professional staff chair and sit on to help move the department forward. Founded in 2020, the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee is charged with reviewing and proposing departmental practices, coordinating efforts to support the ongoing expansion and development of team members’ understanding and skills regarding equity and inclusion, and engaging staff in learning opportunities throughout the year.

Affinity Groups

Housing and Residence Life hosts affinity groups for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ student staff members throughout the year or as needed. The purpose of these groups is for like-identified students to have a space to talk, process, and reflect while building community and a support network for themselves and each other. Student staff members should ask their supervisor for more information about these groups if they are interested in participating.

Personal Pronouns

You may hear a staff member introduce themselves with their name and pronouns, or you might have seen a staff member’s pronouns listed in their e-mail signature. We do this to combat assumptions that people might make about a person’s gender identity based on their appearance or name; but also respecting and acknowledging someone’s pronouns helps to create a more inclusive environment. Housing and Residence Life values sharing our pronouns to normalize learning about gender pronouns in our residential environment. Some of the information here was inspired by this site, where you can learn more about what personal pronouns are and why they matter.

Land Acknowledgment

Housing and Residence Life acknowledges and recognizes, with respect, that the land we are on today is the ancestral homelands of the Chitimacha, Houma, and Chahta Yakni (Choctaw) Nations and peoples. We also acknowledge the land we stand on is embroiled with the history of enslaved peoples. This acknowledgment embodies Housing and Residence Life’s commitment to inclusion and understanding of our institutional history and responsibility to continue learning.

Tulane University as a whole acknowledges and pays tribute to the original inhabitants of this land via Tulane University Land Acknowledgement Statement