Lexicon

Words Matter.

These definitions have been developed by the Sustainable Social Justice Committee to help clarify meaning and context for Graceland University and how we apply and understand them. We also recognize that these definitions are not fixed but will be adapted and adjusted as our experience and understanding of inclusion, justice, equity, and diversity deepen. In that sense, these are living definitions and will provide a working path of application while simultaneously empowering a shared lens for meaning.

Diversity Links

Inclusion:

We believe all people have something important to offer and that our community is greater when all voices are heard. Graceland is dedicated to conscious actions taken to affirm the worth of all persons. These actions will only be determined as successful when every member of our community feels a true sense of belonging.

Justice:

Justice involves working to dismantle and deconstruct the barriers to equity, diversity, and inclusion. This makes justice our ultimate goal; a community where all of our actions are driven by our dedication to support the acceptance, inclusion, and equity of all students, staff, and faculty.

Equity:

Equity is the systemic erasure of access and opportunity gaps that exist within our community. Graceland will research the needs of our community members with the goal of providing customized support where it is needed to promote equal access to resources, and opportunities.

Diversity:

We affirm diversity by creating a community that assembles and empowers students, faculty, and staff who are representative of various cultures to feel included and equally valued. We strive to listen openly to all voices, and to seek out those voices that are currently absent from our community.