SXU Welcomes Patricia Santoyo-Marin as Director of Center for Inclusive Excellence
Saint Xavier University (SXU) proudly welcomes Patricia Santoyo-Marin as director of the Center for Inclusive Excellence and High-Impact Practice Specialist. The new center will give SXU a clearinghouse for ongoing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that are directly tied to institutional initiatives such as the Strive 2025 Strategic Plan and SXU's involvement in the Illinois Equity in Attainment (ILEA) initiative.
Work at the center will focus on providing ways to improve equity on campus for students, faculty and staff, including professional development opportunities and enhanced support services. Critical to the work will be the creation of a University-wide framework focused on the integration of engaged learning practices that will build and sustain a culture of equity and inclusion.
Santoyo-Marin comes to SXU as part of the Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions grant from the U.S. Department of Education (P031S190311) and will serve on the University's extended leadership team, elevating the center as a University-wide resource to improve teaching as well as the experience students have at SXU. With many goals on the horizon as the center begins its work, her first priority is to get the community involved.
"I'm looking forward to creating a centralized location for the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts SXU is leading," said Santoyo-Marin. "The work we will do will affect everyone on the SXU campus, and it's important that this is a collaborative effort as we work together as a community."
A native of Chicago's Southwest Side, Santoyo-Marin has more than 15 years of experience in equity, diversity and inclusion work. An alumna of the Hispanic Alliance of Colleges and Universities Latino Leadership Institute, she works closely with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Illinois Council on Higher Education (ILACHE) and the Illinois DREAM Fund Commission. She also co-founded the first Latinx-serving organization in Kankakee and serves as a diversity consultant for several governmental entities.
Santoyo-Marin participated in valuable research at the White House Initiative for Hispanic Excellence in Education, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the Harvard School of Education. She holds fellowships with Northeastern Illinois University’s ENLACE program, the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute.
"This center has been a strategic goal of the University, and I'm eager to see its vital, mission-driven work take off. I know that it will spark necessary conversations on promoting equity and will give our students a learning experience that is inclusive, authentic and meaningful for everyone," said SXU President Laurie M. Joyner, Ph.D. "Patricia is a great fit for this role, and the work at the center will guide our efforts for years to come."
Santoyo-Marin was drawn to SXU's mission and core values and considers herself someone who always strives to promote the dignity of those who she is called to serve. "My favorite thing about SXU is the Sisters of Mercy – their call, vision and service. I was attracted to SXU because I share the same values of faith and look forward to witnessing the Mercy vision in all that we do on campus," said Santoyo-Marin.