After a quarter-century of working in higher education and having “run the whole circuit” from adjunct instructor to faculty member, dean to vice president of academic affairs, Orland Park’s Natalie Page began thinking about what she could do next that would be meaningful and impactful.
“I had a point of reflection in my career,” Page said. “It was a circumstance that occurred that really caused me to take a pause and really think about what I was going to do next.”
She got methodical in her job search and hired a career coach. Through that process, she realized the answer had been staring her in the face all along: diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Every job I’ve had, the DEI component was just glaring,” Page said. “I gravitated to it. I made sure it was the lens I made decisions from as an administrator. … I was always in that DEI space, so it rose to the top.”
Saint Xavier University quickly appeared on the radar of Page, who said the institution’s core values resonated with what she was trying to accomplish. The university was established by the Sisters of Mercy, a group Page said was ahead of its time in promoting human dignity, justice and common good for the community.
“That’s something I plan to build upon and something that attracted me to this position,” Page said. “It’s already in place. You see that through the teaching, the students. The core values are repeated.”
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Page hopes to use that foundation as a springboard in her new role as SXU’s first chief diversity officer, in which she facilitates the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The goal is to foster “a culture of inclusive excellence throughout SXU,” Page said.
“I don’t even propose that I can change minds,” she said. “What I do say is that I can create systems and policies and organization, even training, that can begin to move the needle.”
Page said there are three Es related to transformative DEI mindset changes: experience, education and exposure — to other cultures, terminology and more. The idea is to get people to accept other culture groups.
But she cannot do that alone, she said. It will take collaborative efforts to keep DEI at the forefront of decisions at the university.
She has done similar work before. Prior to taking this role, Page founded Blossom, an organization designed to help marginalized and underrepresented women graduate. It offered a resource hub, follows-ups and more. And the aim at SXU is to make her office a hub that ensures DEI among leaders, staff and students — a guiding star that says, “This is who we are; this is what we’re going to do,” Page said.
Page, who holds a doctorate in higher education leadership, said the university already had a number of DEI efforts in place, but the goal is to create partnerships and centralize the efforts across the institution, as well as make sure it remains a focus. She started with a needs assessment after starting the job in August and has been doing meet and greets with people across a number of departments in the time since.
“If you’re building something, you have to create a blueprint and grab your tools and then start to begin to build,” Page said. “Already in the role I feel very fulfilled, and I have the potential to make some real impact here at Saint Xavier.”
Among Page’s top focus areas is SXU’s involvement with the Illinois Equity in Attainment initiative, which promotes equity among minority student populations by creating goals and an equity plan. Page said it has the ability to “have a ripple effect across the institution.”
Page understands firsthand how much higher education can change someone’s life, and how hard it can be for some students to find their way in that world. She is a first-generation student who said faculty and a good adviser helped her navigate the college landscape. Now, she is trying to pay that forward.
“I think it’s a huge part of it,” Page said. “It’s almost providential in a sense. … Things happen in people’s lives for a reason. That piece of it gives me a greater understanding of students and the important role faculty has in students’ lives. My life trajectory has changed as a result of that — those people just being in place for me. I want to be that for others.”
Bill Jones is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.