黑料门

Tania Luma brings a community-centered approach as DEI dean

Tania Luma, assistant dean for the School of Law鈥檚 Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion remembers a time when a title like hers didn鈥檛 exist. While attending the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law in 2008, Luma joined classmates advocating for an Office of Diversity.

The campaign succeeded, and, in a twist Luma couldn鈥檛 have predicted, she eventually returned to that same Office of Diversity as an assistant dean.

鈥淔or me, the law has always been a way to use my voice for others,鈥� Luma says.

This perspective informs Luma鈥檚 approach to her position at 黑料门University Chicago School of Law, which she started in July 2022. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ensures that all members of the law school community feel valued and supported.

鈥淒iversity is making sure that we invite as many people from as many different communities as possible into our school,鈥� Luma says. 鈥淢aking sure they are seen, heard, and treated fairly is equity. And ensuring they are an integral part of everything we do and are considered in everything we do鈥攖hat鈥檚 inclusion.鈥�

An early zeal for justice

As the daughter of a Haitian immigrant who came to the U.S. as a teenager, Luma grew up with an awareness of social inequities.

鈥淚 always saw the world from the perspective of those trying to make it and those who didn鈥檛 have status or power,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 just felt that having a voice mattered because that meant you could ask the world to consider you.鈥�

Throughout Luma鈥檚 childhood in Queens, N.Y., and Toms River, N.J., she saw how these issues appeared on television, especially on investigative shows like 60 Minutes and 20/20. Luma was fascinated by the portrayals of people being cheated or taken advantage of and by the justice they received鈥攐r not. This interest in people鈥檚 stories led Luma to double major in broadcast journalism and sociology at the University of Maryland.

鈥淚 was thinking a lot about social issues that affected communities that looked like my own,鈥� Luma says. 鈥淚 wanted to uncover injustice and make an impact.鈥�

But Luma started questioning her dream of becoming the next Barbara Walters due to what she calls 鈥渢he Hollywood aspect鈥� of broadcast journalism.

鈥淭here鈥檚 an entertainment element that鈥檚 not for me,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 felt like I needed to go another route.鈥�

That route鈥攍aw school鈥攖urned out to be the right one.

After earning her JD, Luma joined Cook County鈥檚 Child Protection Division, where she litigated on behalf of children experiencing abuse and neglect. Luma also sought other ways to give back in a professional capacity, including adjunct teaching at DePaul University and UIC Law.

She continued her own educational journey as well, working toward a certificate in public leadership from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.

But higher education felt like home.

鈥淚 like working with teams and collaborating toward specific college goals,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t makes me happy.鈥�

Learning and growing together

During her first few months at Loyola, Luma is spending time getting to know students, faculty, and other members of the community.

鈥淔eedback has been very positive,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檝e heard things that we could work on鈥攁nd that鈥檚 to be expected鈥攂ut overall, students are having great experiences here.鈥�

鈥淭here鈥檚 a profound commitment to holding the law school accountable to these standards and values.鈥�

As an example of the School of Law鈥檚 intentional engagement with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) issues, Luma points to the recent revision of the school鈥檚 mission statement to be explicitly anti-racist.

鈥淣ot only were processes put into place to examine and rewrite the mission statement, but also, the school has continued to put people and resources into this, so we can carry out our mission in real time, every day,鈥� she says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a profound commitment to holding the law school accountable to these standards and values.鈥�

Luma acknowledges that DEI work is complicated and complex. But, she says, Loyola鈥檚 focus on social justice is a useful lens through which to view these efforts鈥攁nd that makes 黑料门different from other universities around the country.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not lip service here,鈥� Luma says. 鈥淎nd I appreciate that there鈥檚 a sense of humility. Even when we don鈥檛 get it right, we鈥檙e willing to say that and do what we can to heal and grow. We鈥檙e learning and growing together.鈥�

Setting up students for success

The School of Law鈥檚 fall 2021 incoming first-year class was its most diverse ever, with 37 percent being students of color. 

鈥淲e鈥檝e grown in our diversity, and that鈥檚 a good thing,鈥� Luma says. 鈥淏ut we need to make sure we offer the resources and support to ensure student success. That means making sure that our Black and Brown students, our first-generation students, our nonbinary students, and our marginalized and underrepresented students aren鈥檛 at the bottom of the class. We won鈥檛 just invite you here and then sit back. We are here to empower and equip you; we鈥檙e not going to set you up to fail.鈥�

Luma plans to draw on her background in student support services to help strengthen resources for students and increase the touchpoints where students get the help they need. This could be enhanced mentorship opportunities, workshops and trainings, pipeline programs, and more.

鈥淚f you come here and you feel like you belong, that you matter, that people are looking out for you, that you鈥檙e heard and you鈥檙e seen鈥攖hose are all the things we鈥檙e looking for when we do DEI work,鈥� she says. 鈥淎dditionally, we鈥檙e focused on creating practices, policies, and processes that are considerate and conscious of community at every level of decision-making.鈥�

Luma is ready for the challenges. 鈥淚鈥檝e always been the type of person to really focus and pour myself into my role,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited about collaborating with a great team that is invested in the same values that have guided my career so far.鈥� 鈥�Kelsey Schagemann (September 2022)