Loyola University Chicago Recognized as one of Forbes’ Best Employers for Diversity in 2022

CHICAGO – April 26, 2022
Loyola University Chicago announced today that it has been recognized by Forbes as one of the Best Employers for Diversity 2022 among only 500 other companies nationwide. 

“As a Jesuit, Catholic University, our employees choose to join and stay at Loyola because they believe in our mission, and the richly diverse culture at Loyola is at the core of who we are as an institution,” said Dr. Winifred L. Williams, vice president and chief human resources officer at Loyola. “We are committed to not only recruiting, but also retaining a diverse workforce and enabling a culture of inclusiveness. Our DEI strategies, ongoing engagement, and commitment toward supporting this important work across the Loyola community over the past several years has lifted us up as a designated leader among our peers. University-wide priorities such as the establishment of the Anti-Racism Initiative, and the Institute for Racial Justice have been vital steps toward building a more inclusive culture. The impact our students, faculty, and staff have made on this journey cannot be underscored enough, and we are grateful and humbled to share this recognition with our community. As we look to the future, the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will provide added leadership to further enrich the University’s culture and commitment toward this work.” 

Forbes’ Best Employers for Diversity were selected on results based on a study surveying 60,000 U.S. employees. The evaluation was based on four different criteria: direct recommendations, indirect recommendations, diversity among top executives or the board, and diversity engagement indicators. 

In keeping with its mission and values, Loyola has undertaken multiple initiatives across the University to further advance diversity, equity, and inclusion through the engagement of students, faculty, staff, and community partners. In 2015, Loyola founded the innovative Arrupe College, a two-year college that continues the Jesuit tradition of offering a rigorous liberal arts education to a diverse student population, many of whom are the first in their family to pursue higher education. Seventy-six percent of Arrupe graduates are anticipated to graduate with zero debt, and 70 percent of graduates enroll in bachelor’s degrees programs. 

More recently, Loyola established the Anti-Racism Initiative in 2020 as an ongoing, collaborative practice to fight anti-racism and to address systemic inequities. Additionally in 2021, Malik S. Henfield, PhD, founded the Institute of Racial Justice, an interdisciplinary hub that works to advance actionable racial justice and equity solutions through transformative research and education with Loyola scholars and strategic partners. 

In fall 2021, Loyola welcomed the most diverse class in its history, with 45 percent non-white students. Additionally, a diverse faculty hiring strategy led by Badia Ahad, PhD, vice provost for faculty affairs, resulted in a sharp increase of hires of faculty members who identify as people of color in the 2020-2021 hiring cycle. In this cycle, 47 of new faculty members identify as people of color, and 29 percent identify as underrepresented racial groups. These numbers are significantly higher than the University’s previous annual averages.  

Loyola also recently established the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion led by Dominique Jordan Turner, Loyola’s first vice president for institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

“At Loyola, we believe that representation is incredibly important, but what is equally important is that we cultivate an inclusive culture where every voice feels heard and stakeholders feel a true sense of inclusion and belonging,” said Dominique Jordan Turner, vice president of institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion. “This external recognition serves to further energize us on our journey to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. We honor that diversity is not something you check off your to-do list—this work is an ongoing commitment. We plan to stay closely engaged with our community through active, compassionate listening and engagement to ensure that diversity, equity and inclusion are woven into all policies and structures at Loyola.” 

For more information on Forbes’ Best Employers for Diversity list and criteria, please click here. 

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About Loyola University Chicago 

Founded in 1870, Loyola University Chicago is one of the nation’s largest Jesuit, Catholic universities, with nearly 17,500 students. The University has four campuses: three in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome, Italy, as well as course locations in in Saigon-Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Vernon Hills, Illinois (Cuneo Mansion and Gardens), and a Retreat and Ecology Campus in Woodstock, Illinois. The University features 15 schools, colleges, and institutes. Ranked a top national university by U.S. News & World Report, Loyola is also among a select group of universities recognized for community service and engagement by prestigious national organizations including AmeriCorps and the Carnegie Foundation. To learn more about Loyola, visit LUC.edu or follow us on Twitter via @LoyolaChicago. 

About Forbes 

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