Three St. Bonaventure students have been named to the Presidential Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Senior Rafael Quezada and juniors Marisol Woods and Trishelle Murphy were appointed by President Dr. Dennis DePerro based on recommendations from commission chairs Dr. Matrecia James and Dr. Kimberly DeSimone.

“These students were highly recommended after we sent out a request for recommendations to deans, faculty, and Student Affairs,” James said. “All three students have agreed to serve on the commission. They are excited to be involved and we look forward to the fresh perspectives they’ll bring to our table.”

In August, 10 SBU employees were named to the commission, whose focus is on creating sustainable initiatives that permeate that campus culture over the long term.

“We can’t be so consumed with rushing to push out programming and administrative messages at times of crisis just to satisfy a belief that those things alone will correct systemic problems,” DePerro said.

“This commission’s focus is on strategic planning with specific, measurable, achievable, and timely goals. That process has started and I’m grateful to the commission for the steps they’ve begun to take. But those goals can’t be achieved overnight.”

DeSimone echoed the president.

“Many concrete strategic actions need to happen in advance of scheduling programming, creating curricular change, and professional training and development to ensure these actions move the needle versus just showing that something is happening,” DeSimone said.

The commission’s guiding principles are rooted in the Franciscan values of community and individual worth. The mission of the group:

St Bonaventure University’s Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is committed to respecting the uniqueness of each individual, to embrace diverse backgrounds, to advocate for equitable and inclusive communities, and to foster opportunities to develop multi-cultural competencies.

The commission is dedicated to developing educational and social initiatives that reflect the individual self-worth of all regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, marital or veteran status campuswide.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. In 2020, St. Bonaventure was named the #2 regional university value in New York and #3 in the North by U.S. News and World Report.