Inclusive Community and Connectivity
The Office of Diversity, ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) at ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ works in earnest to advance our aspiration to be a model of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Together with our community, the Office of DEIB helps to intentionally create and champion a climate of welcome, respect, care and belonging, to dismantle and disrupt structures that create barriers or perpetuate bias, and to ensure that every student, faculty and staff member has equitable access to opportunities and success at ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ.
Our University’s strategic plan Momentum 2 accelerates, deepens and heightens our institutional commitment to DEIB through Goal 2: Inclusive Community and Connectivity and by further embedding our DEIB values into all universitywide efforts.
Highlights of Current Momentum 2 Strategic Initiatives in DEIB
To learn more about how we partner with and support all our schools, colleges, administrative and academic offices, campus groups and community members, please contact our office or join us for any of our DEIB conversations and events.
- Continue to grow our recruitment of students from underrepresented communities and support their perseverance to graduation by introducing new bridge programs, expanding multilingual engagements for students and families, and enhancing the diversity of our curriculum.
- Continue to grow our hiring of diverse faculty and improve retention by enhancing their feeling of belonging through mentoring and new engagement opportunities.
- Shift from an Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) to a Designated HSI and improve our support and engagement through enhanced and dedicated resources for our Hispanic/Latinx students. An HSI Task Force of faculty, staff and students with clear goals and outcomes will track, measure and guide our progress.
- Further develop and expand our new Multicultural Center and its dedicated programming to provide more avenues for our community to explore and engage in ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ’s inclusive and affirming environment.
- Expand and strengthen programs and services for our nontraditional, adult and graduate students to enhance their ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ experience and feeling of belonging.
- Further establish and extend ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ University’s to include regular Rx Racial Healing Circles, increased support funding and continued representation of ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ at the American Association of Colleges & Universities Annual TRHT Campus Center Retreat.
- Establish a DEIB Advisory Council of external stakeholders to inform, complement and support University efforts in this area.
- Identify new ways to deepen the connections and awareness of all our community members through new self-paced DEIB training, informative community town halls, cultural awareness celebrations and expanded international and cultural dining options.
- Develop and publish a robust dashboard of demographic, climate, and retention/graduation data to track our progress and inform our decision-making about DEIB opportunities and challenges.
- In collaboration with our community members, we will continue to do the work of anti-racism as part of our commitment to create and sustain a university climate that honors and respects all individuals.
- Continue to expand the Mentoring Program to serve and support more students of color, international students and other diverse populations.
- Continue to improve and normalize universal access across our entire community, particularly benefitting our students with disabilities, and neurodiverse students. This will be achieved through technological advances, facility modifications, website design updates and enriched awareness.