Announcing the Creation of SLU’s Office of Belonging
October 22, 2025
Dear members of the SLU community,
We write to share an important update on Saint Louis University’s ongoing and intentional efforts to foster an inclusive, supportive, and transformative environment for all members of our community.
We are pleased to announce the creation of the Office of Belonging, led by Rochelle D. Smith, M.S., who will report directly to the President. Launching in January 2026, the office will serve as a central hub for facilitating and supporting belonging across the SLU community.
At SLU, our identity as a Catholic, Jesuit institution shapes our belief that every person is created in the image and likeness of God and deserves to be valued and included. This conviction has guided our pursuit of belonging throughout the University’s history and continues to inform how we teach, learn, and serve today and in the years ahead.
The Office of Belonging represents a comprehensive reimagining of the work previously led by the Division of Diversity and Innovative Community Engagement. The new office’s structure reflects a broader and deeper approach, one that emphasizes guiding institutional change, building internal capacity for inclusive leadership at every level, and supporting sustainable organizational transformation.
The new office will guide, support, and evaluate initiatives across the University to ensure alignment with SLU’s mission and values. It will partner with academic and administrative units to strengthen policies, practices, and programs; build capacity to foster a sense of belonging campus-wide; and deepen relationships with the St. Louis community.
With the creation of the Office of Belonging, certain DICE initiatives will move to other divisions where they align with similar programming and activities. Those transitions will be assessed and planned over the coming months.
In shaping this direction over the past year, we have engaged a range of campus stakeholders through meetings, listening sessions, and surveys that reinforced the importance of fostering a culture of belonging. In the coming weeks, leaders from the Office of Belonging and other key divisions will meet with stakeholders and provide additional information to help students, faculty, and staff understand the changes and what they mean for our SLU community.
This change reflects SLU’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that everyone experiences authentic belonging, consistent with our Jesuit mission. We are confident that the new office will strengthen our collective ability to live the University’s values in meaningful ways.
Thank you for the many ways you contribute to a community of belonging at Saint Louis University.
Sincerely,
Edward Feser, Ph.D.
President
President
Rochelle D. Smith, M.S.
Vice President and Chief Belonging Officer