Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice
You are welcome here.
Mercyhurst University is committed to building a community of students and employees that resembles the world we seek to serve. Your personal and intellectual growth is best served through a challenging education that defies sameness of thought and exposes you to unfamiliar perspectives and experiences. Living and learning at Mercyhurst means being part of a community that insists on respect for all people.
Consistent with our core values of hospitality, compassion, and acceptance, we seek to honor the Sisters of Mercy with a continued commitment to their five critical concerns: caring for women, caring for immigrants, caring for the earth, promoting nonviolence, and combating racism.
We seek to advance our efforts in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice as we fight against systemic oppression and injustice in our world today. We want every student and employee to not only hear “You are welcome here,” but to truly feel accepted and valued at Mercyhurst University.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) Statement
Grounded in our core values and the Mercy tradition, Mercyhurst University fosters a welcoming environment and seeks the courage, creativity, and compassion needed for the work of inclusion. We believe that our community’s intellectual and social growth depends on each person’s freedom to be their authentic self, and we actively celebrate the experiences and perspectives of our diverse community members*. We commit to an increasingly equitable campus where students and employees form lifelong commitments to service and justice in a multicultural world.
*Rooted in Catholic Social Teaching and a commitment to uphold the inherent dignity of every person, we seek to be sensitive towards and supportive of a range of diversities, including age, ability, neurotypicality, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship status, ethnicity, race, religion, educational status, socioeconomic status, marital status, and veteran status.
Multicultural Student Services assists with the educational, cultural, social, and personal needs of all students, with special emphasis on race, gender, and sexual orientation. This organization is committed to supporting and developing future leaders through community advocacy and hands-on mentorship.
Multicultural Student Services serves the diverse needs of the student body by sponsoring, co-sponsoring, and supporting academic, social, and cultural events at Mercyhurst and in the Erie community as well as providing trainings, workshops, and professional development opportunities to students, faculty, and staff. Some annual programs and services include a Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, Kente Stole Ceremony, MLK Day Celebration, professional development and networking, LGBTQIA+ student programming, and inclusion dialogues.
Mercyhurst students come from dozens of countries. We are committed to providing our international student population with the proper support and resources to ensure them a safe, happy, and successful collegiate career. Visit the International Student Office webpage for more information about how our International Student Office supports students through the admissions process and the rest of their time as a student.
Use the button in the Resources section below to visit the Clubs and Organizations webpage for a full list of cultural and diversity clubs. Students are also encouraged to gather friends and an academic advisor to start their own club or organization!
Active Minds
American Sign Language Club
Black Students for Unity
International Student Association
Mercyhurst Veterans Association
Sexual and Gender Acceptance Club (SAGA)
In case of an immediate threat or emergency, call Police & Safety at 814-824-3911 or dial 911 for local law enforcement.
Students who feel they have experienced discrimination or harassment at Mercyhurst, which is a violation of our code of conduct, may file a complaint using the Non-Discrimination Grievance form.
For cases that involve bias but do not rise to the level of discrimination or harassment, the Bias Reporting Team responds by offering support and intervention, along with education and dialogue, to ensure a campus climate of increasing sensitivity and critical learning.
There are two options to initiate a report of bias activity. Privacy will be respected throughout the process regardless of which option is chosen.
Option 1: Contact Susan Reddinger, ADA coordinator & compliance officer, to assist you in bringing forth your complaint; this is the recommended option that provides the best opportunities for you and the university to productively handle your report.
Susan Reddinger
ADA Coordinator & Compliance Officer
Phone: 814-824-2362
Email: sreddinger@mercyhurst.edu
Option 2: Fill out the Bias Activity Reporting form available to Mercyhurst University students and employees. Reports can be made anonymously, though this limits the university’s options for potential investigation, follow-up, or support.
- African American/Black: 4.6%
- Alaskan Native/American Indian: 0.6%
- Asian: 1.1%
- Hispanic/Latinx: 4.5%
- Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0.0%
- Caucasian: 78.4%
- Two/more races: 0.6%
- Unknown: 5.8%
- Non-Resident Alien: 4.5%
- African American/Black: 1.95%
- Alaskan Native/American Indian: 0.18%
- Asian: 1.59%
- Caucasian: 90.62%
- Hispanic/Latinx: 1.59%
- Multiple: 0.88%
- Non-Resident Alien: 0.88%
- Unknown: 0.71%
As of Fall 2021
As of Spring 2022
Formed in 2021, the PAC-DEIJ regularly advises the president and cabinet while advancing strategic DEIJ goals for the university. The council is comprised of ten students, administrators, and faculty.
For the current academic year, PAC-DEIJ plans to implement the following actions:
Completing a full DEIJ strategic plan for Mercyhurst University.
Conducting large-scale programming for civil discourse and learning to dialogue across categories of difference.
Working with student leaders to create a new multicultural lounge in the Sister Carolyn Herrmann Student Union.
Assessing the bias reporting process during its first year of operation.
Conducting an audit of the campus to improve diversity in images and artwork.
Completing DEIJ updates to the public webpage and internal Mercyhurst Hub page.
Evaluating and improving practices for hiring and retaining diverse employees.
