History
History of Deis Impact
“What if…” asked a student in an early planning meeting in 2011… “What if we had a festival of social justice? What if clubs and professors from all around campus came together to examine what ‘social justice’ really means from a variety of perspectives, and to celebrate the ways Brandeisians contribute to making the world better?” From that meeting, Deis Impact (short for Brandeis) was born.
During the first seven years, the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life hosted and facilitated Deis Impact. In 2019, the program shifted to the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI), now the Division of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DDEIB). In this transition year, Deis Impact capitalized on momentum cultivated from previous years and endeavored to expand its impact — including more graduate student programs and increased collaborations on programming opportunities. The program also invested in the student coordinating committee, known as the Impacters, by providing each with a stipend and intentional workshops to develop leadership skills.