Thriving Circles

Purpose

The Catholic and Vincentian Mission Formation Circle advances institutional mission integration across curricular and co-curricular spaces. This Circle strengthens Catholic and Vincentian identity through intentional formation, reflection, service, and community-building efforts that support DePaul’s Catholic and Vincentian heritage and living legacy. 

Charge 

Identify, connect, inform, and institutionally amplify Vincentian Mission Formation across the university. 

Priority focus areas include:

• Catholic and Vincentian heritage and living legacy
• Vincentian reflection and spiritual care
• Service and community engagement
• Mission integration in management, pedagogy, and leadership development

Membership

• Joyana Dvorak, Tri-Chair 
• Karl Nass, Tri-Chair 
• Siobhan O’Donoghue, Tri-Chair 

Purpose

The Community Care and Dialogue Circle strengthens a culture of dialogue, restorative practice, and coordinated care across the university. Grounded in Catholic and Vincentian identity, this Circle advances dialogue as a core institutional practice that upholds human dignity, fosters belonging, and supports thriving.

Charge 

Strengthen the university’s capacity for dialogue, restorative response, and coordinated engagement in moments of community tension, conflict, and harm. 

Membership

• Ellen Herion Fingado, Co-Chair
• Georgianna Torres Reyes, Co-Chair 

Purpose 

The Student Success and Thriving Circle is focused on advancing institutional efforts that promote student success, retention, and persistence. This Circle brings together cross-functional leaders to ensure that programs, services, and student-facing strategies are aligned, data-informed, and continuously improved in support of student thriving. 

Charge 

Identify, evaluate, and enhance university-wide programs, services, and strategies that contribute to student success and retention and persistence to graduation. 

Membership

• Ashley Williams, Co-Chair
• Brenda Williams, Co-Chair

Purpose 

The Staff/Faculty Belonging & Engagement Thriving Circle advances institutional strategies that strengthen workplace culture and promote belonging, engagement, and professional thriving for faculty and staff across the university. 

Charge

• Define baseline and desired outcomes for staff and faculty onboarding/orientation and ongoing learning/development.
• Review, recommend, and coordinate all staff/faculty engagement and training programs related to mission engagement, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging/thriving, and student success.
• Review existing related policies.
• Distinguish the purpose of each program and align/coordinate them to function effectively and sustainably to achieve defined outcomes. 
• Determine staffing and structures needed to achieve planned programs and outcomes.
• Actively partner with other institutional individuals, departments, and groups doing similar work (e.g., Human Resources, Center for Teaching and Learning, Diversity Advocates, etc.).
• Review staff and faculty equity in leadership opportunity and development.

Membership

• Stephanie Dance-Barnes, Co-chair
• Sarah Frost, Co-chair