AU President's Council on Diversity & Inclusion

05/08/2019

A Christian Terrorist Should Prompt Us to Reflect

04/28/2019

From our University Chaplain in response to the synagogue shooting in Poway, California.

April 27, 2019

To the Jewish Communities of American University and around the world:

Another week has gone by and another act of murderous hate has come to a house of worship. The hate crime committed today at Chabad of Poway in California is a despicable act coming not only on the heels of the violence in Sri Lanka and Christchurch, but on the six-month anniversary of the attacks on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Our hearts break at the injury and loss of life and at the hate that fuels such senseless violence.

As a house of prayer for all people, the Kay Spiritual Life Center condemns this act of violence and the antisemitism that serves as its warrant.

The great lie of antisemitism is that the Jewish people are fundamentally different from other people: negative stereotypes—and even the positive ones—seek to create a sense of “otherness” for the Jewish people that has too long resulted in persecution, discrimination, and violence. This lie contradicts the central message of the unity of humanity that is at the heart of our great faith traditions and at the heart of the values of human dignity and respect that are foundational for both the Kay Spiritual Life Center and American University.

We once again commit ourselves to the work of a renewed interfaith effort against all forms of religious bigotry and discrimination, against all the lies that would divide us from one another. We encourage students, faculty, and staff from all different religious backgrounds, or no background, to stand in solidarity with the Jewish community to offer support, solidarity, and encouragement.

This hateful attack occurred on the final day of Passover, seeking to profane a sacred observance for the Jewish people. But rather than profane the Passover, it has only served to highlight the central message of that sacred holiday: the trust in a God whose liberating power rescues the people from their distress and oppression, leading them out of bo***ge under violent and oppressive systems into a promised land of hope and peace. I pray this night that we might soon celebrate a Passover of liberation from the oppression of antisemitic violence and of the cycle of heartbreak and grief we have become all too familiar with.

We at Kay stand ready to assist our campus Jewish communities in any way they deem appropriate to respond to this tragic event. Students, faculty, and staff struggling with this event are encouraged to reach out to the Chaplains of Kay or the professionals in the Counseling Center.

In Solidarity and hope,

Rev. Mark Schaefer
University Chaplain

04/16/2019

The work of rebuilding of some cathedrals should be accompanied by the dismantling of others—notably those of racism and white supremacy.

Holden Matthews, the 21-year-old son of a deputy sheriff, had been charged with arson and now faces three additional charges of hate crimes.

04/08/2019

A reflection from our University Chaplain on the how the values of community inform the "why" of the choices we make.

Sticks and Stones

03/02/2019

02/26/2019

From our University Chaplain, Rev. Mark Schaefer, on the recent actions taken by the Special Session of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church.

February 26, 2019

To the American University Community:

The news from the 2019 Special Session of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church is not encouraging.

The likely best-case option is that we will remain exactly where we have been—a deeply divided denomination with restrictive rules against ordination and marriage for LGBTQ+ persons and many laity and clergy who will resist and/or work to change those rules. The worst-case scenario is that a far more restrictive and punitive approach will be enacted, hostile to the inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons in the life of the church. Whatever happens, it is becoming clear that what will not emerge as a result of these three days of deliberations and conferencing is a United Methodist Church that will be *more* inclusive and affirming—at least not soon or in its present form.

To the LGBTQ+ members of our university community, I cannot know how you must be feeling. As a white, straight, cisgender male, my place in the church has long been assured. My grief at the rupture and spiritual failings of my denomination cannot begin to comprehend the grief and alienation that you must be feeling in these moments. Please know that I see you, I hear you, and that I remain your chaplain regardless of the outcome of the deliberations in St. Louis.

The Methodist tradition that founded American University, the tradition that worked to end slavery, that fought to improve workers’ rights and to achieve suffrage and civil rights, the tradition in which I was baptized, which formed me as a youth, which called me to the ministry as a young adult, and which has continued to form and guide me is a tradition rooted in the unfailing grace of a loving God, who loves and affirms all people without distinction. Whoever you are, know that you are loved, you are cherished, and you have a human dignity that no one can take from you.

So long as I am your chaplain, I commit to embodying this expansive and inclusive love in my ministry and in the work of the Office of the University Chaplain, the Kay Spiritual Life Center, and American University. They will have to strip me of my ordination before I waver in that commitment. I know that the Rev. Joey Heath-Mason, our United Methodist Chaplain, and the AU United Methodist-Protestant Community join me in that commitment to living out this radical Christian hospitality and inclusion, regardless of the outcome of this session of General Conference.

The future of The United Methodist Church as a denomination is uncertain; our commitment to full inclusion for all people regardless of age, race, ethnicity, national origin, s*x, gender identity or expression, orientation, or any other factor is not.

Standing with you in witness and hope, I remain

Yours in solidarity,

Rev. Mark A. Schaefer
University Chaplain

02/15/2019

From our University Chaplain Rev. Mark Schaefer, reflecting on the upcoming United Methodist General Conference called to address issues of LGBTQ+ inclusion and what it means for AU as a United Methodist university.

To the American University Community:

In a week’s time, delegates will gather for a special session of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church, the denomination’s national legislative body. At this special session only one issue will be on the agenda: the resolution of the issue of full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons in the life of the church through ordination and celebration of marriage.

American University is a United Methodist-affiliated institution and these questions are not unrelated to us as a campus that pursues diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence. And so, I write you today in solidarity and to offer words of support and commitment.

To the LGBTQ+ members of our university community—students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends—I offer my sincerest apologies that an essential part of your identity has been, and remains, the subject of our denomination’s legislation. I can only begin to imagine the pain of having one’s own being and often one’s sense of worth and acceptance subject to majority vote. It is my hope that the church will affirm the sacred worth of all people and move toward genuine reconciliation and acceptance of all.

American University was formed out of Methodist values—love of learning, service to others, and inclusion of all—and those values continue to form us. Rest assured that American University will remain, as President Burwell recently stated, a place where “we embrace the human dignity of all regardless of their race, creed, gender identity/expression, s*xual orientation, or national origin.” And we will do this precisely because to do so is to live out the very heart of Methodist values.

It was Methodism’s founder, John Wesley, who argued that what truly made Christian community was the commitment to love—not any other condition of being. “Is thy heart right, as my heart is with thine? I ask no farther question. If it be, give me thy hand.” Thus, it is at the very heart of Methodism to prioritize love well over doctrine, dogma, or any other distinction.

I am proud to serve at American University, an institution that strives to live out this ethic of love for its community members and for the world. And I pledge that this ethic will continue to guide both the work of the Office of the University Chaplain and of the university itself.

I invite you to join with me in advocacy and prayer that something of that inclusive spirit—a spirit we inherited from our founders and strive to live out—may yet take hold of The United Methodist Church, so that together, the church and its great academic institutions may build a world of justice, of equity, of inclusion, and of love—for all.

Yours in solidarity,

Rev. Mark A. Schaefer
University Chaplain

12/10/2018

It’s finals time, American University, and the Kay Study Lounge is open for business! We’ve got snacks and refreshments, tables to work at or comfy chairs to sit at, and a roaring “fire” to make the whole space cozy. Come on by!

04/16/2018

In partnership with the Hispanic Bar Association of the District of Columbia (HBA-DC), Maryland (MHBA), Latino/a Alumni Association of the Washington College of Law (LAAW), and Latino-a Law Students’ Association (LaLSA)

04/12/2018

The John Hudson Internship Program Now Accepting Applications! This is a paid summer internship program in Fairfax County Government agencies for college students and recent graduates with disabilities. Application materials are due on April 20, 2018!

04/11/2018

CDI Peer Educator Applications are now open! Apply for this awesome opportunity here: http://bit.ly/PeerEdApp2018

04/05/2018

Celebrating the end of the 2018-2019 academic year for the Critical Race, Gender, and Culture Studies Collaborative, B. Cole will be leading a facilitated workshop on The New Masculinity, intersections of race, gender, and activism, organized through the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies progra...

03/20/2018

“I can remember the day that I got the call saying I won the award, and I was instantly speechless. Winning an award is exciting. Try to do that for someone, and give them that joy. Make them feel that their work really mattered.” - Asha Smith, 2017 Harold Johnson Award Winner

Nominate someone for a University award today!
https://www.american.edu/universityawards/Students.cfm

02/28/2018

Join us for the 2018 Poynter Lecture, tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Kay, as we welcome Joshua Dubois, one of our country’s top voices on community partnerships, religion in the public square, and issues impacting African Americans. -

Join us as we welcome Joshua Dubois, one of our country’s top voices on community partnerships, religion in the public square, and issues impacting African Americans.

02/28/2018

Programming aimed at teaching male students the dangers of toxic masculinity and how to attain healthy masculinity.

02/27/2018

Statement from campus life regarding an on campus incident involving poster from an outside organization, February 2018

01/30/2018

BY: LAUREN LUMPKIN On Tuesday, American University introduced its Plan for Inclusive Excellence, a 25-page document detailing how the university will tackle issues surrounding diversity and inclusion. “American University can thrive only when we affirm the dignity of everyone, when we demonstrate ...