Diversity Statement

CHS DIVERSITY STATEMENT

Diversity is a core value of Canisius High School.  It empowers us to provide the kind of enriching spiritual and educational experience for which Canisius has long been known.  As a Catholic school in the Jesuit tradition, our students, faculty and staff are called to embrace the broad diversity of the city of Buffalo and her surrounding cities.  We must continue to build an inclusive campus for our students, the families that support them, and our community of colleagues.

Diversity refers to the myriad of personal experiences, values, perspectives and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance.  These differences include gender, ethnicity, language, religion, socio economic status, and sexual orientation. Canisius is committed to achieving diversity among the students we recruit and the staff we hire.  We are committed to making a Canisius education an accessible reality to any qualified student.

Diversity is not just a cliché or a human resource policy at Canisius.  It underscores who we are and what we instill in our students.  The Profile of a Jesuit High School Graduate at Graduation encompasses qualities intrinsic to a diverse community; namely, students who are: open to growth, intellectually competent, religious, loving, and committed to doing justice. A young man cannot embrace this Profile if he is not equipped with the ability and willingness to respect another’s opinion or perspective, or if he is prejudicial when interacting with others that look “different” than he. He must respect differences in various individuals’ faith traditions while upholding and understanding his own. Finally, he must learn what effect ignorant words and actions can have upon others. 

Diversity is an integral part of the academic excellence we embody at Canisius.  To achieve our academic mission and goals, diversity can, through a willingness of students, faculty and staff, minimize the chasm of ignorance while deepening the scholarly environment and educational experience as students and faculty better learn to interact effectively with each other.  In turn, this environment then prepares them to participate in an increasingly complex and global society.  Diversity increases the ability to formulate ideas and those ideas can be nurtured and made richer in a diverse school community where all opinions and views are appreciated. 

Diversity Strategy:

Collaboration

Accountability

Leadership 

Transparency

Respect 

We will work to establish these values and bring them to life through our diversity strategy, which centers on the development of programs to attract and retain a more diverse student population and staff. This strategy also encompasses academic and personal support systems for groups with diverse backgrounds to improve retention. This includes the development of mentoring programs.  To this end, our programs aim to maintain contact with students from admission to graduation.

At Canisius we recognize the need for diligence and the commitment of dedicated people, time, and resources to educate men for others who embrace the Profile of the Grad at Grad with humility.   Canisius High School will continue to produce a legacy of leaders from all segments of society who will go on to make significant contributions to their city, nation, and world.

For more information, please contact:

Brandon Harris

Director of Diversity

716.200.0234

harris@canisiushigh.org