Diversity & Inclusion

Transcription

1 Diversity & Inclusion Framework for an Action Plan to Foster Diversity and Inclusion at Eastern Washington University OVERVIEW Eastern Washington University is committed to building a diverse, inclusive, just, and equitable institution, providing a welcoming environment to all students, faculty, staff, and visitors. We are united in ensuring that our actions provide authentic demonstration toward this commitment through teaching and learning, student support, research and scholarship, and community outreach. EWU has long been known as the institution of access and opportunity, reaching out to low-income and first-generation populations and helping to transform their lives and the lives of their families. To continue making progress toward our goals, we must foster an institutional infrastructure that promotes and supports diversity and inclusion, and we must develop short- and long-term plans regarding diversity and inclusion to align with the university s strategic plan as well as with its mission and values. Diversity and inclusion must be an integral part of our curriculum, our campus activities, and our planning. This draft Framework for an Action Plan to Foster Diversity and Inclusion emerged from work of the President s Committee on Diversity (PCOD), the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, and conversations of members of the President s Executive Committee (PEC) and Cabinet, as well as work done by Institutional Research, the Office of Equal Opportunity, and other campus divisions and offices. The members of the EWU Board of Trustees continue to demonstrate sustained support for diversity. Their support greatly strengthens the link between diversity and institutional excellence that forms the foundation for our planning. Intended as a living document, the Framework will be updated and revised as we continue conversations with campus constituencies. During the academic year, EWU will have drafted an action plan for diversity, inclusion, and campus climate that outlines a vision, goals, actions, and persons responsible as well as benchmarks and updates as we make progress in key areas and as our campus and environment change. In this Framework, we focus on six major goals: Develop a deep, shared campus understanding of diversity and inclusion; Ensure a welcoming campus climate; Recruit and retain increased numbers of diverse students; Recruit and retain increased numbers of diverse faculty, staff, and administrators; Foster intercultural competencies in the curriculum; and Create campus infrastructure that supports and facilitates goals regarding diversity and inclusion. This draft plan outlines some of the challenges we face and makes a number of recommendations intended to help us create a culturally diverse learning community that promotes excellence in all areas. DEVELOP A DEEP, SHARED CAMPUS UNDERSTANDING OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION Definitions of diversity focus on individuals or groups who have been historically marginalized or underrepresented in society. Focus areas include age, cultural identity, gender identity or expression, physical and mental ability, nationality and geographic background, racial and ethnic identity, religious and spiritual identity, sexual orientation, social and economic status, and political and ideological viewpoints. Additional diverse populations include veterans, adult learners, and first-generation college students. Identifying and increasing the representation of traditionally underrepresented groups is an important quantitative metric of EWU s diversity. However, metrics alone are not sufficient. Creating an inclusive campus requires attention to retention and graduation rates,

2 perception of campus climate, support for different levels of academic preparation, policies, classroom environments, campus spaces, student organizations, campus life, campus dialogues and conversations, interactions among faculty, staff, and students, the curriculum, and other areas and concerns. University students who experience diversity in their classes and campus interactions are better prepared to live and work in our multicultural society. Employers seek graduates who have experience working with individuals different from themselves, whose interpersonal and intrapersonal skills lead to inclusive working environments that benefit the entire organization.increasing the diversity and inclusiveness of our EWU campuses is integral to our commitment to academic quality and to student success during and after college. Developing a deeper shared understanding of diversity and inclusion at EWU requires ongoing dialogue, unwavering focus from leadership at every level, and consistent communication in every medium available. Fostering diversity must be recognized as a core value of the academic mission and an institutional priority. Create ongoing opportunities, including workshops, focus groups, and presentations, for campus dialogue and conversation about the meaning and importance of diversity and inclusion. Ensure that leadership throughout the university stresses the vision as well as the values and goals for a diverse and inclusive campus. Incorporate diversity into the strategic planning for each academic area and each support unit. Ensure that the university website contains updated information and resources related to the university s emphasis on diversity and inclusion. Report regularly on campus diversity objectives and initiatives using an array of communication technologies and strategies. ENSURE A WELCOMING CAMPUS CLIMATE The EWU campus community strives to promote an environment free of discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation. However, prejudices, biases, and discrimination exist here as they do throughout society. The first step toward ensuring a welcoming campus is to identity areas of concern and foster greater understanding about their nature and prevalence. Once we as a community better understand our environment and climate, the more effectively we can develop and implement strategies to ensure positive progress. In 2010, students, faculty and staff came together for a Campus Climate and Diversity Forum. One of the results of this forum was the sponsorship of more introspective study. In 2011 and 2014, the EWU Office of Institutional Research, Demography and Assessment, in partnership with the Office of Equal Opportunity, administered the Noel-Levitz office suite of campus climate surveys. The surveys were made available to traditionally aged students (aged 18-24) and adult students (aged 25 and above) as well as to faculty and staff. In addition to the campus climate surveys, data were gathered from faculty, staff, and students through informal town-hall discussions and focus groups. Since the 2014 climate survey, the campus has held a number of open fora, presentations, and meetings concerning the climate of the campus. While surveys and campus discussions have generated a wide range of responses, a recurring theme has emerged related to cultural competency. In short, our commitment to inclusion and diversity is not always lived out in daily interactions. Addressing this must include more than diversity pledges, it must include meaningful training to address an environment that fosters success for all members of our community. Some students have highlighted experiences with micro-aggressions, particularly in classroom and support service settings. Another ongoing theme comes from adult student respondents, who say that they are not as well served in a number of areas as are traditionally aged students. It is clear that the university needs to understand more widely our challenges in achieving a welcoming climate and reinforce our commitment to acknowledging, respecting, celebrating, accommodating, and learning from the diversity of human experience. Develop and implement cultural competency training, diversity topics, and curriculum in every department on campus; set and meet impactful, action-oriented goals in all departments and areas regarding diversity, inclusion, and intercultural competence. Continue and expand meaningful dialogue with underrepresented/underserved communities, promoting the involvement of faculty and staff in championing diversity goals and strategies. Consistently disaggregate data across diverse demographics in order to better understand issues of inequity and to ensure continued progress in meeting goals. Develop and maintain systematic climate assessment processes, use these results to develop action plans, and ensure that diversity metrics and assessments are part of our overall strategic direction.

3 Actively demonstrate support of and adherence to EWU s nondiscrimination policy. Review our materials and communications to ensure that there is a visible and meaningful representation of diversity. RECRUIT AND RETAIN INCREASED NUMBERS OF DIVERSE STUDENTS For many decades, EWU has reached out to under-served populations to provide access to higher education and help students acquire the knowledge and experience they need to be successful. EWU is one of the most diverse university campuses in the Pacific Northwest. In the EWU Fall 2015 freshman class, nearly 1 in 3 students was a member of a minority group. Students in 2015 came from 43 states and 70 countries. Half of EWU students are first-generation college students. EWU offers a wide range of offices, programs, and support structures that provide information, advising, counseling, advocacy, and assistance for our student populations. As an institution, we are committed to further increasing the diversity of our campus to reflect the increasing diversity of our state and region, and we are committed to helping all our students graduate in a timely fashion with a minimum of debt. However, despite these supports, EWU data show a gap in student success with some diverse student populations Cohort Retention to 2015 White 78.4% Black/African American 84.9% Hispanic/Latino 78% American Indian/Native American 71.4% Asian 69.7% Hawaiian 66.7% Multi-racial 72.2% Non-resident 100% Unknown 58.8% Male 77.7% Female 77.8% Total 77.8% 0 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Six Year Graduation Rates by Gender, Race and Ethnicity 2009 Cohort White 50.2% Black/African American 34.9% Hispanic/Latino 40.4% American Indian/Native American 26.1% Asian 38.3% Non-resident 33.3% Unknown 40% Male 41.9% Female 48.6% Total 45.8% 0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% EWU leadership as well as the Student Success and Retention Committee and other groups have been addressing issues of retention, graduation rates, and disparity among different populations, but there is still considerable work to be done. Strong advising processes, a freshman campus live-on requirement, revision of some campus policies, new approaches to General Education, scholarship fundraising, and other changes are undoubtedly already helping more students to stay enrolled and make timely progress toward a degree.

4 EWU is proud of its mission and its success in transforming students lives through learning. Now we must systematically address areas where we can strengthen that mission and create a culture of success for all students. Collect and analyze information regarding retention and graduation for disaggregated cohorts. Assess programs, processes, financial aid, and policies and provide recommendations and resources for successful high impact programs to retain our diverse populations of students. Support and develop initiatives to augment the internationalization of EWU, including academic, co-curricular, and social support systems for international students and increased cultural understanding for domestic students. Ensure welcoming and inclusive campus spaces and co-curricular programing. Increase early outreach to diverse student populations, including families, to facilitate a pathway into EWU. Ensure that advisors, faculty, and other campus constituencies are well-versed in cultural competency. Foster and promote opportunities for student leadership, growth and development. RECRUIT AND RETAIN INCREASED NUMBERS OF DIVERSE FACULTY, STAFF AND ADMINISTRATORS Hiring and retaining diverse faculty, staff, and administrators is essential for realizing campus goals. The EWU Office of Equal Opportunity and Human Resources currently work together to ensure best practices are employed during searches and hiring for faculty and staff positions. Resources are available to assist administrators in monitoring the diversity of applicant pools and ensuring equity in hiring practices. EWU s recruitment and training manual emphasizes strategic hiring practices that are consistent and aligned with Affirmative Action practices. Although our region is not particularly diverse, EWU should strive to be a beacon of diversity and inclusion, a place where the talents and contributions of diverse individuals are sought and welcomed. Presently, EWU s faculty and staff are less diverse than our student body. As current faculty and staff retire and our student body becomes increasingly diverse, the university will face an increasing need to focus on diversity planning both for recruitment and for retention. We need to continue improving the success of search processes, continuing to educate search committees on the value of diversity expertise among applicants and helping committee members understand how to identify and assess the credentials of high-quality diverse applicants. Strategic recruitment opportunities in the near term can lead to changes in the campus environment that will accelerate success over the long term. Also, to avoid a revolving door issue after hiring successfully, we must continue to ensure that the campus environment is welcoming and supportive of all employees as well as students. We need to annually review and analyze faculty and staff turnover rates to gain a better understanding of why diverse faculty and staff leave and to understand where disparities exist. Beyond retention, we must also strive to provide support and increase opportunities for professional growth and advancement among faculty and staff from underrepresented/ underserved groups at all levels. New Hires by Diversity CY 2010 CY 2011 CY 2012 CY 2013 CY 2014 Female 62.3% 44.4% 54.8% 54.7% 57.5% Persons of Color 18.9% 18.5% 14.8% 12.7% 22.8% Persons with Disabilities 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% All Veterans 13.6% 6.5% 3.4% 6.1% 4.6% Vietnam Era Veterans 0% 1.9% 0% 0%.5% Disabled Veterans 1.9% 0% 2.6% 0% 0% Age 40 and Over 58.5% 39.8% 41.7% 43.1% 38.8%

5 Turnover by Diversity Oct Oct Oct Oct Oct Oct Female 62.8% 57.8% 66.5% 54.7% 52.5% 53.5% Persons of Color 11.5% 18.3% 11.5% 12.5% 12.5% 18.8% Persons with Disabilities 1.3% 0.9% 1.8% 2.3% 2.5% 0.7% All Veterans 9% 8.3% 6.2% 11.6% 5.8% 5.6% Vietnam Era Veterans 2.6% 3.7% 2.7% 3.9% 2.5% 2.8% Disabled Veterans 0% 0% 0% 1.6% 0% 0% Age 40 and Over 59% 67% 59.3% 70.3% 65.8% 59.7% Workforce Diversity Persons of Color, October % 4.90% 1.80% 4.20% 2.90% Workforce Dive October % 85.50% Caucasian African American Asian American Indian/Alaskan Na>ve Hispanic Na>ve Hawaiian or Pacific Islander Two or more Races Many universities now have mentoring programs for faculty and staff, including programs targeted to diverse faculty. Departments and units must also create opportunities to develop skills and the knowledge base of both faculty and staff at all levels. Departments and units are also instrumental in ensuring that employees are welcomed and engaged within the EWU community. Only with full participation at the department level can EWU s goals for a diverse workforce and welcoming campus be effectively realized Establish and communicate widely university goals for recruiting and retaining diverse faculty and staff. Ensure that search processes embrace a variety of expertise and credentials; actively recruit professionals from diverse backgrounds, utilizing best practices. Ensure that search committees require expertise in fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment as a particularly desirable characteristic for leaders and that all appropriate efforts are made to ensure a diverse candidate pool. Provide opportunities for professional growth and development by promiting diverse composition of leadership teams and committee membership, creating pathways for individuals to demonstrate and increase their leadership abilities and opportunities, and creating an effective mentoring program for diverse faculty and staff. Emphasize the value of diversity expertise and diversity professional development within the staff annual review process. Monitor tenure success rates and turnover rates by cohort, gender, and ethnicity and take appropriate steps for improvement. FOSTER INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCIES IN THE CURRICULUM Increasing diversity in the EWU curriculum will help to ensure that students have the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in a highly globalized workplace and diverse world. In keeping with our mission to provide access and success, we must help our students as well as our faculty and staff to build understanding and fluency in cross-cultural competencies.

6 Like many universities, EWU incorporates a diversity requirement into General Education requirements. However, integrating diversity and cultural awareness more holistically and consistently into courses across the curriculum will not only prepare students for whatever field they enter but also help students to be effective advocates for multicultural issues and diverse populations as well as active citizens in a democratic society. Review and assess curriculum in all disciplines to create an increased inclusive approach to diversity that includes and also extends beyond cultural and ethnic issues. Infuse diversity issues, topics, and perspectives into undergraduate and graduate courses as relevant to the topic and scope of the course. Identify discipline-specific learning objectives and assessment strategies regarding diversity and inclusion. Provide faculty with access to available resources and training in effective pedagogies for diverse classrooms. Foster dialogue in Colleges and departments that promote sharing of cultural differences and strategies for increasing knowledge and skills of faculty as they work with diverse populations and handle diversity topics in their classrooms. Promote curricular and research initiatives as well as applied projects that increase students capacity to live and work effectively within multicultural and international environments. CREATE CAMPUS INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS CAMPUS GOALS REGARDING DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND CAMPUS CLIMATE Fulfilling the goals of this Framework requires the entire university to focus on the vision and the strategies for achieving a vision of excellence. Faculty, staff, and administration need to have the experience, understanding, ability, and drive to foster diversity and inclusiveness; they need to value educational excellence and demonstrate their commitment to diversity and inclusion as intrinsic to that excellence. Achieving the vision laid out in this Framework requires that the university strengthen key areas and offices. As our action plan is designed and implemented, the following steps will strategically increase the university s capacity to achieve and support the goals of that plan. Design, implement, and support an Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Intercultural Development, led by an executive reporting directly to the university president. Establish a budget, staff, resources, and clear goals needed to make this office successful. This office will collaborate and engage with faculty, staff, and students in developing, promoting, and implementing diversity initiatives. Activities of this office will include working with faculty on diversifying the curriculum, assessing campus climate, working collaboratively with campus partners to improve campus climate, and designing and supporting training opportunities for faculty, staff, and students, creating and strengthening partnerships on and off campus, and providing guidance to the President s Committee on Diversity. Design, implement, and staff a campus multicultural center in the university s student union (PUB). Beginning with this Framework, develop a plan for diversity and inclusion that will be refreshed regularly as goals and the environment changes. Ensure that unit and departmental plans, with benchmarks and goals, are articulated with and woven into the fabric of the broader university plan. Develop and maintain an active web site that shares information about diversity and inclusion at EWU. SUMMARY AND NEXT STEPS For EWU to fully achieve our mission, we must continually assess and renew our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and a welcoming campus climate. Diversity planning, overall strategic planning, and unit plans need to be aligned and interconnected. Our strategic focus must be articulated and reiterated at every level and in every department. Substantial progress requires sustained commitment, focus, and momentum. During spring 2016, the campus will review, discuss, and provide feedback to this Framework. As we move forward with the infrastructure changes outlined in this document, we will also begin work on a more detailed action plan complete with benchmarks, timelines, and assigned responsibilities. From this work, and with unwavering commitment, Eastern Washington University will continue making substantive progress in achieving goals of access, student success, and institutional excellence.