Dear Pacificans,

Empowered women, empower the world. As Black History Month wrapped up, we’ve moved into celebrating Women’s History Month. There is something for everyone as we continue to educate ourselves, uplift voices and honor the stories of women in our community:

• Support our women athletes at their upcoming home games: Women's Softball March 18 and Women’s Tennis March 24
• Brittany Trotter Flute Recital March 18
• Spring Equinox: Women's Healing Circle March 20
• The Women of Distinction Awards and Luncheon March 21
• PGC Takeover: GameHER Edition March 24
• Conexiones: Latinx Voices Unite: Empowering Women in our Latinx Communities March 26
• Stories of Survival: Comfort Women of East & Southeast Asia March 26

Our cultural heritage celebrations, identity-affirming centers and educational programs belong to everyone in our community. They have been, and will continue to be, inclusive and open for all to share in resources and in the depth of knowledge these centers hold.

I’ve been thinking a lot about ‘belonging,’ especially lately. Nurturing cultures of belonging has been a theme my entire personal and professional life. In the context of today’s environment – both at Pacific and as a greater community and nation at large – it is important to restate that belonging is one of our core values at Pacific. It’s the kind of value that beats with your whole chest. The “feel it in your body kind” of value.

DEI Leads across Pacific are coming together to read Belonging Without Othering: How we save ourselves and the world by Stephen Menendian and john a. powell. Belonging doesn’t just happen naturally, it must be nurtured and guarded against ‘othering.’ The term othering describes the act of treating someone as though they are not part of a group and are different in some way. When we ‘other’ people in society and in our community, we magnify differences between people.

In contrast, the concept of belonging is defined as “the feeling that we are part of a larger group that values, respects, and cares for us - and to which we have something to contribute.” Research in social psychology including Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory describes humans' need for love and belonging.

As California’s first and oldest institution of higher education, we have a legacy for welcoming everyone to the table to learn and grow in a scholarly community. Committed to ideas and people - we don’t tell students what to think, we teach students how to think.

In my leadership practice I teach students how to leverage cultural humility, intercultural development and pluralism as fundamental to being a change agent. The same goes for an organization that seeks to cultivate an environment for institutional belonging – we flourish through affirming shared stories and shared histories; and envision a shared future. 

I understand how fear threatens our sense of belonging by cultivating division and causing injury to relationships. Fear hijacks our attention, invites judgment and triggers a fight or flight response in our amygdala.

This is why it is vital that we lean into our sense of belonging now more than ever, as a university community. We must breathe, stay focused, rest, and offer one another grace. And as our president stated earlier this year, we remain steadfast in our commitment to our values and that “we will stay our course.” Despite the many uncertainties ahead we will hold steady and keep doing what we’ve always done to create a culture of belonging. 

Rooted in belonging, Pacific’s 173-year legacy and tradition has made a positive impact in the lives of students, faculty, staff, and alumni. If belonging is our goal, then diversity of race, gender, ideologies, abilities, sexual orientations, religions, age and backgrounds will continue to be our power and strength. 

As we come together to celebrate Women’s History Month and the multitudes of experiences - I reflect on how immensely grateful I am to be a part of this remarkable educational community - as an alumnae, administrator, professor and woman. May we continue to elevate ourselves above the forces that seek to divide and dedicate our energies toward asking questions, extending grace, and being kind with, and for, one another. In doing so, we live boldly into our mission and values with love, belonging and purpose for all Pacificans. 

Warmly,

Mary J. Lomax-Ghirarduzzi
Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Professor of Communication