Dr. Donna M. Carroll, president of Dominican University, has received national attention for her support of undocumented students.
The successes of Carroll’s 27-year presidency of Dominican University, a private Catholic university located 10 miles west of Chicago, are easy to detail. Under her leadership, the university experienced sustained substantial growth — from 729 undergraduates to more than 2,000. The full-time faculty has doubled; new schools and programs have been established; the operating budget has increased; three new buildings have been built; and a second campus was purchased.
The university has received numerous accolades, including being ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 10 Midwest regional universities and also cited as number one in Chicagoland offering a “best value” in college education. Carroll says Dominican’s high ranking on social mobility is integral to the university’s identity and reputation.
A female lay leader of a Catholic institution was unusual in the mid-1990s, but Carroll says, “I was very blessed to have a religious community here that was ready to welcome a lay president. Over time, the mission became something that aligned with what was important to me, my own social justice advocacy. It became very deeply part of who I am.”
What holds great importance for Carroll, who retires at the end of this academic year, is the university’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. There is a large Pell-eligible population. A Hispanic-Serving Institution since 2011, race and culture are active variables in the university’s strategic planning. Carroll has been outspoken on the national stage about the university’s support of undocumented students.
“Our Catholic mission gives us the context within which we can have a strong voice,” says Carroll. “We’re in institutions that have been doing equity and inclusion work since the beginning. It’s deeply embedded in the history of Catholic institutions, and that gives us credibility in our voice.”
Dominican became a “Sanctuary Campus” in 2016, which began as a statement of support for undocumented students, but has evolved into a broader statement of support for marginalized students. The surrounding River Forest village created a welcoming resolution, and the university and the village signed a partnership agreement earlier this year, pledging to work together to combat systemic racism in the village and on campus.
