Campus & Culture

Day of Dialogue by the Numbers

Saint Joseph’s second annual Day of Dialogue attracted more than 1,700 attendees who explored topics like social justice and anti-racism in action-oriented sessions throughout the day. The event took months of planning and participation from students, faculty, staff and community members alike.

Resources identified by the Day of Dialogue committee. Image curated by Janée N. Burkhalter, Ph.D., associate professor of marketing.

Written by: Diane Holliday

Published: March 1, 2021

Total reading time: 2 minutes

On February 25, Saint Joseph’s University hosted its second annual Day of Dialogue — a day-long event that encouraged conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion through active discussions, presentations and action-oriented workshops. More than 1,700 students, faculty, staff and alumni attended sessions ranging from “Why We Play Small: The Impact and Effects of Imposter Syndrome,” to “I’m Not Racist’: A Workshop on Performative” and “The Danger of a Single Story.”

The event even had its own curated music playlist on Spotify — created by students in the course Popular Music, Protest and Social Justice, taught by Bill Wolff, Ph.D., associate professor of communication and digital media — which played on the University’s student-run radio station, Radio 1851.

With more than 50 sessions and 630 minutes of dialogue happening both in-person and online, it was no small feat to pull off the Day of Dialogue. Here’s what it took, by the numbers.

By the Numbers:

  • Day of Dialogue Sessions: 53

  • Day of Dialogue Attendees: 1,700+

  • Event Themes: 7 (anti-racism, bias, gender, inclusion, LGBTQIA+, professional development and social justice)

  • Guest Speakers: 2 keynote speakers, 9 external presenters and community partners

  • Panelists/Facilitators: 91

  • Student Volunteers: 38

  • Minutes of Dialogue: 630

  • Hours of Curated Music: 9.5

  • Post-It Notes Left on the Reflection Wall: 50

  • Planning Committee Members: 21

  • Planning Meetings: 17+

  • Student Artwork Created to Promote the Event: 60+ submissions from students in COM 453 (spring 2021), ART 190 (fall 2020) and ART 147/ENG 345 (fall 2020)

  • Social Media Posts using #SJUDialogue: 54

  • Day of Dialogue Social Media Impressions: 71K

Photo credit: Janée N. Burkhalter, Ph.D., associate professor of marketing

Post-it Note Reflections:

Participants were also encouraged to reflect on the Day of Dialogue sessions on colorful Post-it notes outside of the in-person sessions.

  • Something I learned today is … “Day of Dialogue = Lifetime of Dialogue. Embrace your identity, plan, develop, do, reflect – it’s a cycle! Advocacy and allyship are important!”

  • What I learned today made me feel … “upset at the amount of inequality in our world, but hopeful for all the work that has yet to be done.”

  • Something I had to unlearn is … “not saying anything is more harmful than you realize it is.”

  • One thing I will work to improve is … “how I am guilty of microaggressions. The power words have are real.”

Learn more about how diversity, equity and inclusion are central to Saint Joseph’s mission at sju.edu/dei.