| Program: | Loyola Marymount University CommUNITY Quilt, Los Angeles, CA | | Contact(s): | James Raycraft Department of Student Life: (310) 338-2877 | | Purpose: | To educate, promote and celebrate diversity locally and nationally as well as to acknowledge the challenges that continue to exist and find ways to solve them through community interaction | | Background The Loyola Marymount University (LMU) CommUNITY Quilt began in 1997 and was envisioned to be a physical symbol of the university's diversity. The quilt is a direct response to the university's effort to unite people across cultures and social issues. The overarching goal is to inspire candid dialogue on the issues of race relations, diversity and multiculturalism on campus as well as promote a sense of community beyond the university boundaries. Program Operations
A campus-wide call to action sparked an overwhelming response on the part of student organizations to the making of the quilt. The project brought together different groups of people who would otherwise not interact. Organizations contributing to the quilt were asked to participate in campus dialogues to discuss the value of diversity in higher education, how to bridge the cultural gaps and the dynamics of a pluralistic society. Through these interactions, students, faculty and staff addressed many issues of race and diversity as well as learned to understand and celebrate individual and cultural differences. Outcomes and Significant Accomplishments The CommUNITY Quilt has a total of 120 panels from over 100 campus organizations. Each quilted panel reflects the diversity of the campus and provokes dialogue on the value of diversity in educational institutions. | 
