Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students,
I'm excited to announce a new university structure that further strengthens DePaul’s commitment to student success, belonging, and our Catholic, Vincentian mission. After engaging areas across our university community in conversations for more than a year, we are integrating the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity into one integrated division:
Belonging, Engagement and Mission or BEAM.
As a faith-based university grounded in our Catholic, Vincentian mission, we are called to affirm the dignity of every person and to represent the overwhelming diversity of who we are as a community. This restructuring is a modern expression of our mission — bringing our commitments to belonging, engagement, and equity into closer alignment with the issues facing our community.
This new structure reflects a simple but powerful truth: student success is inseparable from belonging, engagement, and identity-affirming support. BEAM is designed to deepen our long-standing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion by centralizing and strengthening the services that help every student thrive, as guided by our Catholic, Vincentian traditions.
Just as OIDE served everyone in our community, BEAM will continue to do the same. BEAM will serve faculty and staff to cultivate a culture where we all can thrive — recognizing that a strong, mission-centered university community is central to student success.
BEAM leadership
As part of this restructuring, I am promoting Dania Matos to senior vice president, and Kimberlie Goldsberry to vice president for BEAM. Under their leadership, this integrated division brings together expertise in student development, diversity education, and equity-minded policy to create a more coordinated, student-centered experience.
BEAM will continue to partner with the Division of Mission and Ministry, led by Interim Vice President Mark Laboe, focusing their efforts on three primary areas: Vincentian Mission & Formation, Thriving & Student Success, Community Care & Dialogue. Together, these divisions will expand shared programming and educational opportunities that support faculty, staff, and students — strengthening how our faith-based mission is lived across our diverse community.
Our pathway to BEAM
Developed through DePaul’s strategic planning process, this change reinforces what distinguishes us: a mission-driven commitment to student success, belonging, and community care.
Over the past year, the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity, Student Affairs, and Mission and Ministry engaged faculty, staff, and students through listening sessions and conversations to explore opportunities for deeper collaboration. Meetings with members of Faculty Council, Staff Council, and the Student Government Association all helped inform the work to create a new division.
BEAM is the outcome of this collective work and shared vision.
Our goal
Central to our Catholic, Vincentian mission, BEAM strengthens our ability to cultivate a university culture that affirms each person’s dignity and fosters care and belonging. By bringing these areas together, we are enhancing the student experience, reducing fragmentation, and building more interconnected support systems rooted in our values.
You will soon hear more from BEAM leadership about their vision and approach to supporting the well-being and success of our students. Please join me in thanking all the staff within BEAM for their continued dedication to our students and our entire university community.
Sincerely,
Robert L. Manuel
President