College of Arts and Sciences

The symposium is an exceptional opportunity for both students and faculty:

• Students gain experience presenting their work to the public and exchanging ideas.
• Students and faculty engage in interdisciplinary discussions on contemporary issues.
• Students and faculty learn outside the classroom about UD students' interests and work.

Presentations may be based on research projects that are:

• Required of a capstone course or any other class.
• Done in independent study or faculty research programs.
• Done as part of a thesis (e.g., Honors Thesis).

Students who wish to present their research are invited to submit a proposal for either:

• A poster (given by one or more students).
• A talk (given by one or more students; multiple talks may be submitted as groups).

Browse Roesch Symposium programs, posters, presentations and more on eCommons, UD's institutional repository.

The UnDesign the Redline exhibit explored questions such as: Why are communities in Dayton often racially segregated? How did our neighborhoods form the way they did? How does this affect employment, education, policing, health care and other aspects of life?

UnDesign the Redline is an important, visually compelling interactive exhibit tracing the tangled roots of government policies to the social issues we face today. UnDesign the Redline ignites discussion about race, wealth, opportunity and power, with the goal of transforming the future.

What is Redlining?

Redlining maps were introduced in the 1930s to show risk areas for federal funding of home ownership programs. These maps showed areas that were prime for investment, and areas where no money would be lent. The neighborhoods where no investment would be made were outlined in red, literally "redlined."

Race was the primary factor in determining where these zones were drawn. Residents of these areas were often unable to access housing loans, mortgages and other financial services. Left with fewer housing and employment opportunities, shrinking tax bases in these areas also led to insufficient public services and concentrated poverty.

Meanwhile, investment poured into rapidly expanding, whiter suburbs. Owning property enabled families in these communities to accrue wealth over time, while also accessing better-funded schools, jobs and healthcare. Redlining is how structural racism was designed into cities. It's a practice which continued legally into the 1970s and continues to have ramifications today.

Who created the content for the exhibit?

The UnDesign the Redline was created by the New York-based organization Designing the WE. The local content was developed by community partners in Dayton (led by Learn to Earn Dayton, Dayton Metro Library, Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, Premier Health, local colleges/universities, among many others).

At the University of Dayton, advisory team members included former Roesch Endowed Chair Leslie Picca, former Executive Director of the ETHOS Center Kelly Bohrer, Assistant Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Tiffany Taylor Smith and Fitz Center Executive Director of the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community Nancy McHugh. Community stories were gathered by students of David Fine of the Department of English.

For your information

Virtual Tour of UnDesign the Redline Exhibit, Complements of Dayton Metro Library:

• Introduction
• Section 1
• Section 2
• Section 3
• Section 4
• Section 5

This three-part series, hosted by Mayor Nan Whaley, shared the historical events that have shaped our community racially, socially and economically. Each segment highlighted key moments in Dayton’s history from the 1700s to the early 2000s and featured elders from our community as they retold their earliest memories of Dayton.

This series was sponsored by the University of Dayton, Premier Health, Dayton Metro Libraries, Dayton Daily News and other local sponsors.

Developed as a resource for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, this eight-part video series shares the perspective of scholars and faith leaders who examine Catholicism, religion and race/racism. The purpose of the video series is to increase awareness of systemic racism and white privilege, particularly within the context of the Catholic Church, and to foster dialogue among parish members.

Part 1: Racism and Privilege: An Introduction

The possibilities of healing our past through reconciliation and re-membering the Body of Christ.

Part 2: What Can We Learn from the Genesis of the Idea of Race?

The idea of race has a particular genesis. This presentation revises a few of its more important stages and offers some considerations to curb its influence in our lives.

Part 3: Seeing the Past Clearly

Racism and white privilege have been central features of American history thanks to slavery and Jim Crow segregation.

Part 4: Systemic Racism in Dayton Today

The legacy of slavery and Jim Crow legal segregation are prominent in intergenerational wealth and wealth creating resources which impacts every part of our society. We need to shift conversations about race away from sin and hate, and examine power and policies.

Part 5: What is Implicit Bias?

Implicit biases are the unconscious or subconscious attitudes, thoughts and stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions and decisions. The unconscious biases that we carry are influenced by our life experiences and the messages we are given, either intentionally or unintentionally, about others and ourselves.

Part 6:Reflections on the Experience of a Black Catholic

Sr. Nicole Trahan shares her experience of being a Black woman and now vowed religious in the Catholic Church. She also shares how these experiences differ depending on the location.

Part 7: Inches and Seconds: Thinking About White Privilege

This talk considers structural racism and white privilege by exploring the history of a working class white family and a working class black family. When life for so many comes down to “inches and seconds” the inequalities caused by structural racism add up to profound injustices over time and across generations.

Part 8: Conclusion: A Bigger Faith

In a conclusion to the series, this talk reflects on the grace God is extending to many of us individually and collectively to see racism, name it and disrupt it so that we can enter more fully into our joy.

Racism and Privilege Discussion Guide

Fr. Roesch was instrumental in giving the university campus a new look. Hoping to make his vision of excellence for the University of Dayton a reality, Fr. Roesch not only oversaw the renovation of existing campus buildings, but was instrumental in several new construction projects, including Kennedy Union, Miriam Hall, Roesch Library, and the University of Dayton Arena. He developed the housing capacity for making UD a residential campus with the construction of Marycrest Hall, Stuart Hall and Campus South. He also provided the leadership in shaping the academic curriculum for a modern, comprehensive university. During his twenty-year presidency, he added nine academic departments, six associate degree programs, eighteen bachelor degree programs and forty-four masters programs. The School of Law also reopened under his leadership.

Fr. Roesch retired from the UD presidency in 1979. Shortly thereafter, he became acting president of Chaminade University in Honolulu, Hawaii. Following his retirement from Chaminade in 1989, Fr. Roesch returned to the University of Dayton to act as a special assistant to the president. He held this position until his death in 1991.

When Fr. Roesch officiated at the dedication of Sherman Hall on May 9, 1960, he set the Sherman Hall pendulum into motion. This pendulum captures the essence of Fr. Roesch's leadership. He set into motion the commitment to excellence that continues to shape the University of Dayton. We have established the Raymond A. Roesch Chair in the Social Sciences to recognize his contributions to the University of Dayton. For a period of forty years, he exemplified the Marianist commitment to servant leadership, and this endowed position will serve as a constant reminder of our duty to build upon his legacy.

The Roesch Chair was held previously by

• Donald J. Polzella, Department of Psychology
• Mark Ensalaco, Department of Political Science
• Jack Bauer, Department of Psychology
• Roger Reeb, Department of Psychology
• Leslie H. Picca, Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work

The current chair is Jamie Small, Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work.