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Office of Belonging, Engagement, and Mission

September 19, 2025

Rev. Hugh Page, a Black man in a suit and tie, looking at the camera

An update from our office

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

Now that the fall semester is fully under way, we are excited to relaunch our newsletter after a brief hiatus. We have exciting news to share after what has been an eventful summer with several important developments.

As most of you know, the Office of Institutional Transformation was launched in Academic Year 2022-2023 with the aim of synergizing our campus-wide efforts to promote belonging. Over the past three years, our office has enjoyed tremendous success in helping facilitate campus-wide belonging initiatives, and we have been heartened by the positive response of so many to our efforts.

In assessing our work to date, we have taken note of two concerns: confusion about the meaning of “transformation” for Notre Dame; and the need for nomenclature—in all University endeavors—aligning unambiguously with our identity, core values, and objectives as a Catholic research university. In order to make clear how our efforts align with Catholic Social Teaching and the educational charism of the Congregation of Holy Cross, we are reconceptualizing our efforts and taking on a new designation—the Office of Belonging, Engagement, and Mission.

Read the full message from Rev. Page.

A white man with facial hair in a gray suit and light purple shirt and tie

BEAM Community of Practice spotlight

Matthew Bizoe fulfills his passion and his purpose at Notre Dame

When Matthew Bizoe applied for a job at Notre Dame two years ago, he was cautiously optimistic—about whether he’d be hired and whether he’d be happy here.

He knew Notre Dame well, having grown up only a few miles away in Niles, Mich. Or at least, he thought he knew. “I had this perception of Notre Dame being a really intimidating force,” Bizoe said. He could appreciate the University’s Catholic mission, academic reputation, and iconic sports programs. Still, he wasn’t so sure it would be a good fit for him.

Lucky for him, a friend advised him otherwise.

Read more.

A group of people of stand around a table looking at a man with a microphone speaking on stage

Inaugural Beloved Community Gathering explores the importance of belonging

Attendees at the inaugural Beloved Community gathering during Walk the Walk Week 2025 explored what a beloved community might look and feel like on Notre Dame’s campus.

During a keynote presentation at the event, sponsored by Notre Dame Human Resources and the Office of Belonging, Engagement, and Mission, keynote presenter Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove explained that a beloved community requires crossing boundaries, listening to people from different experiences, and showing compassion for each other.

“From the beginning of the movement in Alabama, [King] said the goal was the beloved community … where we actually recognize one another as the creatures of God that we are and guarantee that society is organized in such a way that everyone gets treated with dignity.”

Wilson-Hartgrove challenged the nearly 200 staff and faculty in attendance to consider what can be learned from King and the Civil Rights Movement as Notre Dame seeks to build a beloved community. “A beloved community is built by people who are beloved — who are loved and know that they have been loved,” he pointed out. “There are all kinds of ways we communicate that, but the most important thing is that people feel that they belong.”

Read more.

About

This newsletter is a quarterly publication of the Office of Belonging, Engagement, and Mission highlighting Notre Dame’s journey to create a more inclusive and welcoming campus environment consistent with the animating purpose of the Congregation of Holy Cross and the ethical precepts represented in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s concept of “beloved community.”

To learn more about, please visit beam.nd.edu.