Mission and Purpose

Dedman College is committed to advancing the University Strategic Plan’s goals regarding diversity, the Black University Forum Action Plan, and University Moving Forward Together Plan in the mission to help our campus become a more welcoming, equitable, and inclusive environment for all its members.

We work to make all students enjoy a living and learning environment in which they can thrive and prepare for the brightest futures. Equally important, we must ensure that all members of our faculty and staff are empowered to carry out their responsibilities to the fullest extent of their talent. We must continually diversify our faculty, staff, and student body. Our goals value and are rooted in the pursuit of social justice and providing a space in which all of our students, faculty, and staff can thrive. Learn about how we help faculty and students.

Our work is centered in the following values:


  • Care and Compassion

    Care and compassion characterize our curricular and co curricular programs and activities. We work to apply research and academic approaches to addressing and overcoming personal and systemic manifestations of marginalization and oppression. Through our curriculum, trainings, workshops, forums, and events, we intend to facilitate cultural awareness and promote the empowerment of underrepresented groups.

  • Diversity

    Every individual is unique and shaped by his/her/their race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs and other life experiences and ideologies. Beyond the word’s definition, we must be committed to building and sustaining a community that embraces diversity and fosters a climate where equity and respect are inherent. We believe that increasing diversity helps create a more engaging, creative, and robust community and helps enhance SMU’s commitment to cultivating quality scholarship through academic and social programming, a positive working environment, and community engagement.

  • Equity

    Within Dedman College and throughout SMU, we must confront discriminatory behaviors and work to eliminate structural inequalities that prevent our diverse community members from fully participating and having increased access to resources and networks across our student, faculty and staff populations.

  • Inclusion

    Every person within Dedman College and at SMU should feel as though they belong. We must promote unique perspectives and make greater efforts to increase active participation from both underrepresented and predominant groups in order to engage in dialogue. By working together it is our hope that we can share in making our community a better place for all.