Presidential Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

PRESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION 2ND ANNUAL PROGRESS UPDATE FEBRUARY 2020 CAMPUS-WIDE ISSUES 4 DATA 5 ASSESSMENT 5 ACCOUNTABILITY 6 RESOURCES 6 ACCESS 7 COLLABORATION 8 CAMPUS CULTURE AND CLIMATE 9 CAMPUS CLIMATE 10 INCLUSIVITY 11 THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE 12 DIVERSITY 13 ACCESS 14 COMMUNITY 15 INTELLECTUAL LIFE 17 GENDER 17 HEALTH AND WELLNESS 19 CURRICULUM 20 CURRICULUM 21 FACULTY DEVELOPMENT 22 STAFF 23 STAFF RECRUITMENT 24 EQUITY 25 FACULTY 26 CONTENTS OF TABLE FACULTY RECRUITMENT 27 EQUITY 27 2 PRESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION 2nd Annual Progress Update | February 2020 PRESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION 2nd Annual Progress Update | February 2020 Colby is a college community whose growing membership increases in diversity each year. Students, faculty, and staff have come to campus from many parts of the country and the world, bringing with them the myriad sets of experiences, values, and beliefs that enrich the lived experience of all three community groups, both in and outside the classroom, across the campus, and into the surrounding community where the College resides. In our educational mission to prepare students for responsible participation in society, to support the faculty who teach them, and the staff who safeguard the educational enterprise, we dedicate ourselves to mutual respect, thoughtful and courageous engagement, and the support of each other’s success. This effort exacts from us a commitment to promote the increasing diversity of our campus, to foster all efforts to ensure inclusion of everyone in our community, and to nurture the sense of belonging that is the right of each person who studies, teaches, or works here. Recognizing the never-ending nature of community building, this report highlights some of the progress made since the March 2019 update towards our vision of an inclusive community where each person is assured equitable opportunity to pursue their goals. Categorized into six major areas, these highlights summarize activities by departments, programs, and offices across the campus that address the 21 key recommendations established by the 2016 Presidential Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. 3 PRESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION 2nd Annual Progress Update | February 2020 CAMPUS-WIDE ISSUES MISSION Recommendation 1: Develop a mission statement articulating an ideology of equity, literacy, and inclusive excellence for all, with the goal of becoming a diverse, equitable, and inclusive institution. Articulate a clear sense of common purpose and mission, and explain how everyone contributes to that work. Office of the Dean of the College division conducted a thoughtful and probing strategic planning process, out of which developed the vision statement: “Inspire students to explore their passions, broaden and deepen their knowledge, question their beliefs, discern their purpose, and become compassionate citizens who engage thoughtfully and lead courageously in their communities and in the world.” The mission statement articulates the division’s work towards that vision: “To enrich the student experience by reimagining and elevating campus culture through intellectual inquiry, community citizenship, and attention to the complexities of human experience and relationships” Department of Athletics updated its vision and mission statements and its core values to emphasize inclusion as part of the newly established core values for the department. DATA 4 PRESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION 2nd Annual Progress Update | February 2020 DATA Recommendation 2: Improve data collection. In order to measure progress and understand patterns relevant to creating a diverse and inclusive community, develop and maintain a much more extensive and intentionally designed repository of reliable data and analysis. Registrar’s Office has simplified the process for Department of Athletics established a Committee on students to change their preferred names for class lists Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion whose charge includes and course rosters; the College is also exploring policy improving its own data gathering, as well as partnering options with respect to legal v. preferred names (which with campus efforts to gather and mine data in a way also addresses recommendations #11 and #14). that helps Athletics understand current trends and inform its efforts to improve users’ experience with the Athletic Office of Admissions, together with the Office of Center (also addresses recommendation #3). General Counsel, reviewed practices in light of the recent Harvard University admissions discrimination case to The department also completed and submitted its annual ensure compliance as it continues to work to build more Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) report with data diverse entering classes. from the requested year, which is shared with the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment. Review of EADA data is used to inform efforts for ensuring gender equity in programs allocation in the budgeting process. Review results are shared with the entire department. ASSESSMENT Recommendation 3: Develop systematic instruments to establish baseline measures of current campus climate and culture, and to track progress on various actions recommended in this plan. The College formed a multi-divisional Gender Identity other scales are still being tested. Baseline data from Working Group in order to understand data collection a sample of Colby faculty was used to test the three with respect to gender identity. The group reviewed instruments and offer insights on this aspect of the data collection points to determine what our reporting campus culture. requirements are and to assess where we have internal flexibility in gathering gender-related information. y Developed one instrument to measure the ways students perceive aspects of the teaching and learning Center for Teaching and Learning (Office of the Provost): culture at Colby. This instrument measures their appreciation of diverse teaching methods. A sample of y Developed three instruments to measure aspects Colby students took this survey to assist in the testing of faculty academic culture – appreciation of of the instrument and provide a baseline data set on pedagogy, effective pedagogical reasoning skills, and the ways students perceive the teaching and learning utilization of learning-centered strategies. The Faculty experience at Colby. This research will be submitted CAMPUS-WIDE ISSUES Appreciation of Pedagogy Scale is in publication, the for publication in spring 2020. 5 PRESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION 2nd Annual Progress Update | February 2020 ACCOUNTABILITY Recommendation 4: Establish a structured, adequately resourced mechanism for carrying out this work and ensuring accountability. College Advancement’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion The Department of Athletics’ newly created Diversity, Committee devised a work plan to carry out the division’s Equity, and Inclusion Committee is using its designed strategic plan. assessment tool to develop an action plan for 2020-21 that creates accountability throughout the organization. RESOURCES Recommendation 5: Define and commit adequate resources to achieve these goals to ensure that our resources match our aspirations. Incentivize and support diversity work at all levels of the community. Funding and staffing to reflect institutional commitments, priorities, and values. Office of the Provost reported several updates that will Office of the Dean of the College: enhance DEI efforts in the academy: y Allocated resources to create the associate director of y Extended the use of startup funds to a broader array student access and disability services. of disciplines. y Allocated resources to form a textbook fund, an y Initiated the possibility of opportunity hires. emergency needs fund, a laptop computer program, and a winter clothing program. y Became more intentional about spouse/partner hiring. y Provided funding for the creation of In Community y Explored childcare options both on and beyond monthly meals, where students, faculty, and staff campus. gather for community-building conversations. These y Hired postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Teaching conversations form a foundation of understanding and Learning focused on supporting faculty with and trust that helps to support future difficult regards to inclusive teaching. conversations. Admissions and Financial Aid allocated extensive resources to make the Colby experience possible for a more diverse student body. CAMPUS-WIDE ISSUES 6 PRESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION 2nd Annual Progress Update | February 2020 Office of General Counsel and Secretary of y Developed planning and programming to ensure that the College: the Board of Trustees and its various committees are sensitive to resource needs to ensure a thriving y Advised Dean of the College on conduct matters to community founded on diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensure that practices, including sanctions, comply with including work on student mental health models, the law and do not result in intentional or disparate student and faculty retention in the Colby community, impact or discrimination. and universal access (from the faculty and student y Prepared a digest of prior discipline at Colby to sides) to teaching and learning opportunities at Colby assist review panels in maintaining consistency of for all students. disciplinary

Load more