Day of Dialogue by the Numbers

On February 25, Saint Joseph’s University hosted its second annual Day of Dialogue — a day-long event that encouraged conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion through active discussions, presentations and action-oriented workshops. More than 1,700 students, faculty, staff and alumni attended sessions ranging from “Why We Play Small: The Impact and Effects of Imposter Syndrome,” to “I’m Not Racist’: A Workshop on Performative” and “The Danger of a Single Story.”

The event even had its own curated music playlist on Spotify — created by students in the course Popular Music, Protest and Social Justice, taught by Bill Wolff, Ph.D., associate professor of communication and digital media — which played on the University’s student-run radio station, Radio 1851.

With more than 50 sessions and 630 minutes of dialogue happening both in-person and online, it was no small feat to pull off the Day of Dialogue. Here’s what it took, by the numbers.

By the Numbers:

• Day of Dialogue Sessions: 53

• Day of Dialogue Attendees: 1,700+

• Event Themes: 7 (anti-racism, bias, gender, inclusion, LGBTQIA+, professional development and social justice)

• Guest Speakers: 2 keynote speakers, 9 external presenters and community partners

• Panelists/Facilitators: 91

• Student Volunteers: 38

• Minutes of Dialogue: 630

• Hours of Curated Music: 9.5

• Post-It Notes Left on the Reflection Wall: 50

• Planning Committee Members: 21

• Planning Meetings: 17+

• Student Artwork Created to Promote the Event: 60+ submissions from students in COM 453 (spring 2021), ART 190 (fall 2020) and ART 147/ENG 345 (fall 2020)

• Social Media Posts using #SJUDialogue: 54

• Day of Dialogue Social Media Impressions: 71K

Post-it Note Reflections:

Participants were also encouraged to reflect on the Day of Dialogue sessions on colorful Post-it notes outside of the in-person sessions.

• Something I learned today is … “Day of Dialogue = Lifetime of Dialogue. Embrace your identity, plan, develop, do, reflect – it’s a cycle! Advocacy and allyship are important!”

• What I learned today made me feel … “upset at the amount of inequality in our world, but hopeful for all the work that has yet to be done.”

• Something I had to unlearn is … “not saying anything is more harmful than you realize it is.”

• One thing I will work to improve is … “how I am guilty of microaggressions. The power words have are real.”

Learn more about how diversity, equity and inclusion are central to Saint Joseph’s mission at sju.edu/dei.