Promoting Conversations About DEI

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