Strategic Plan - Diversity & Inclusion

students riding bicycles

 

 

Implementation Goals & Accomplishments

Lead Unit: General Counsel; Equal Opportunity & Institutional Compliance

Progress: 100%

    

FY21 Highlights:

  • Policies and practices were revised in order to implement new Title IX regulations by the August 15, 2020 deadline.

Lead Unit: Atlantic City  Operations; Facilities & Operations; Student Affairs

Progress: 100%

   

FY23 Highlights:

  • Successfully opened Multicultural Center.
  • Hosted average of 62 visitors per week in the facility during Spring 2023 semester since opening. 
  • Collaborating with the Director of the Center to develop programming schedule for AC Campus.

FY22 Highlights:

  • The design for the new Multicultural Center continued throughout FY2022. 
  • Established Multicultural Center Fundraising Committee.
  • Identified resources for and launched search for inaugural Director of Multicultural Center, to be completed Fall 2022.

FY21 Highlights:

  • Multicultural Center Planning Committee has been formed, comprised of a diverse group of faculty, staff, students, with an emphasis on racial and ethnic minority representation and engagement.
  • Minority owned and operated architect, landscape and engineering firms have been engaged for the design of the project. This is the first time the University has hired a minority architecture firm to design a project of this size and scope.
  • The prominence of the Center has influenced and expanded the original plans and will now include renovations of additional space within lower F Wing.
  • Developed draft mission, goals, and resource requests, including staffing, for the new Multicultural Center.

Lead Unit: Executive Vice President

Progress: 100%

    

FY23 Highlights:

  • Secured private support and directed Foundation resources to programs aimed at reducing barriers for students including the Student Emergency Relief Fund, Housing Essentials Fund,
    Social Justice and Equity Fund, and others.
  • Developed working relationships with Head TALONS and Residential Life Residential Assistants to create a larger pool of diverse, engaged students for photo and video shoots and other projects. 
  • Integrated the role of Multicultural Communications Specialist within the Strategic Communications team to build relationships with university partners to tell more stories about underrepresented students. 
  • Individual strategic mixed media marketing plans were implemented for Hispanic/Latinos, Blacks, Asians, and Veterans. 
  • Identified diverse roster of students featured in various video projects, including Gala video, Open House video and Experience 淫性视频 Day (A Day in the Life) video
  • Provided art direction and design support for President鈥檚 Holiday Card and President Kesselman鈥檚 Retrospective Video.

FY22 Highlights:

  • Featured and promoted calendar of events for Black History Month, Latino Heritage Month and Asian-American month, Black Lives Matter Lecture series, FLH Symposium, Juneteenth and more.
  • Coordinated and implemented advertising campaigns targeting underrepresented populations. Applications increased dramatically: Black: up 81%, Asian: up 48% and Latinx up 79%.
  • Provided art direction and design support for the following videos that promoted diversity and inclusion: LEAD Summit event promotional Video and Black Lives Matter: Excellence
    Matters.
  • The Social Justice and Equity Fund awarded $5,000 for students traveling to West Africa with Dr. Donnetrice Allison.
  • The Alumni Conference on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion continued through FY22. Topics for events held in FY22 include: Between the World and Me, College as a First Generation Student, Challenges Women of Color Face, and Critical Race Theory.

FY21 Highlights:

  • Launched Alumni Conference on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. 
  • The Scholarship Selection Committee has worked to expand the definition of 鈥渕erit鈥 beyond the grade point average to include a more holistic view of student achievement and involvement. 
  • Established a new giving campaign focused on 鈥淎dvocacy for Social Justice.鈥 
  • Coordinated and implemented advertising campaigns targeting underrepresented populations. Latinx results show an increase in applications of 7%.
  • Successfully developed, pitched and wrote web stories and news coverage to demonstrate and promote the diversity and inclusion among students, faculty and staff. 
  • Strengthened partnership with Production Services to review video projects that included students/faculty to ensure a wide range of backgrounds were represented. 
  • Supported the development of the Campus Committee on Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Celebrate Diversity Digest, a monthly newsletter from the CCDIE providing news and resources about issues of diversity and inclusion at 淫性视频 and within higher education. 
  • Established the #淫性视频Voices social media series that the Digital Engagement team regularly adds to. About 50 posts have reached more than 250K on Facebook and Instagram. 

Lead Unit: Human Resources

Progress: 75%

   

FY23 Highlights:

  • OHR and OEOIC are completing development of EEO/Discrimination training via Vector Solutions. Anticipate training will be offered in summer, fall.
  • New manager training has been updated and is ongoing.
  • Refresher training for managers on discipline, reclassifications, MER, etc. is ongoing. 

FY22 Highlights:

  • Along with OHR, ODI and OEOIC present during new manager orientation, covering the scope and responsibilities of their office along with the programs, policies, procedures, and
    resources that they oversee.
  • OHR working with OEOIC to build a more in-depth, customized EEO/Discrimination training to be assigned to all employees during the 22-23 academic year.

FY21 Highlights:

  • Employees received Discrimination Awareness in the Workplace training.
  • Cabinet received training for anti-bias, microaggression. 
  • Partnered with OEOIC to require all new and current university employees take Vector Solutions on-line training on both Title IX and Discrimination Awareness to help maintain and provide a university environment that is free from discrimination on the basis of sex, including gender.

Lead Unit: Administration & Finance

Progress: 100%

   

FY23 Highlights:

  • The Office of Procurement & Contracting in partnership with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) hosted a business workshop for Small Business Enterprises (SBE),
    Minority/Woman Business Enterprises (M/WBE), Veteran-Owned Businesses (VOB), and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses (DVOB).
  • The Office of Risk Management assisted the campus community with using diverse food service vendors within Atlantic City鈥檚 University District for University events. 
  • The Division of Administration and Finance continued to collaborate and support Academic Affairs, the Atlantic City Operations team, and various others as the University embarked on
    Year 2 of the 淫性视频 Atlantic City Summer Experience program 鈥 Live, Work, Learn. 

FY22 Highlights:

  • The Procurement & Contracting team, with the support of A&F Administration, helped coordinate and facilitate a Small Business Workshop that specifically targeted local businesses in the Atlantic City area.
  • The Division of Administration & Finance collaborated with Academic Affairs, the Atlantic City Operations team, and various others in the roll out of the new 淫性视频 Atlantic City Summer Experience program 鈥 Live, Work, Learn.
  • The Division of Administration & Finance collaborated with ITS and General Counsel on the Esports Innovation Center at 淫性视频 in Atlantic City initiative. 

Lead Unit: Administration & Finance

Progress: 100%

   

FY23 Highlights:

  • The Office of Budget & Financial Planning worked with various University Divisions and Offices to identify and secure funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion operating and capital initiatives during the annual budget process. 
  • The Office of Procurement & Contracting participated in New Jersey鈥檚 Office of Diversity & Inclusion鈥檚 (ODI) implementation of the Supplier Diversity Management System (SDMS).

FY22 Highlights:

  • The Office of Budget & Financial Planning worked with various University Divisions and Offices to identify and secure funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion operating and capital initiatives. 
  • The Procurement & Contracting team participated in a statewide disparity study led by the NJ Office of Diversity & Inclusion (ODI). 
  • Disbursement Services supported University diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives by assisting end users with entry to new funds and orgs in Banner and Bank of America Works. 

Lead Unit: Human Resources

Progress: 40%

   

FY23 Highlights:

  • Exit interview questionnaire via Qualtrics completed and implemented.

FY22 Highlights:

  • OHR is developing an exit survey for departing employees.

Lead Unit: Student Affairs;Facilities & Operations

Progress: 100%

   

FY23 Highlights:

  • Completed construction of Atlantic City Phase II Residence Hall, which will increase capacity from 500 to nearly 1000 residents on the Atlantic City Campus.

Lead Unit: Diversity & Inclusion; Human Resources

Progress: 100%

   

FY23 Highlights:

  • OHR has completed transition and implementation of new applicant tracking system, PageUp.

FY22 Highlights:

  • OHR partnered with the ODI to issue letters to community partners such as the Hispanic Alliance of Atlantic County, NAACP local chapters (Pleasantville and Atlantic City) to strengthen
    relationships with diverse community groups for advertising vacant positions. 
  • OHR is advertising vacancies in a multitude of diverse publications such as the Asian, Women鈥檚, LGBTQ+, Hispanic and Black Doctoral Job Networks.
  • The Office of Human Resources and the Office of Diversity & Inclusion collaborated over the past year on outreach to local community organizations.

FY21 Highlights:

  • Talent acquisition continues to expand diversity sourcing capabilities by posting to sites that serve multiple diverse populations.
  • Increased the numbers and variety of diversity publications and diversity job boards used to attract underrepresented job candidates.
  • Purchased the JobTarget 鈥渄iversity package鈥 to ensure positions are posted to 60+ diversity job sites that specifically target ethnic minority groups, veterans, women, individuals with disabilities, the LGBTQ community as well as older workers.
  • Joined the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities as a first step toward becoming a Hispanic-Serving Institution (at least 25% Hispanic).

Lead Unit: Diversity & Inclusion; Human Resources

Progress: 100%

   

FY23 Highlights:

  • OHR updates to search process, and coordination with search chairs/committees ongoing. 

FY22 Highlights:

  • Partnered with ODI to update the Search Advocate training program for a wider audience. This will allow search advocate training to take place more than just once a year, as is the current practice. Manager search advocate training is tentatively scheduled for summer 2022.
  • New Applicant Tracking vendor, PageUp, offers redacted information feature for initial applicant screenings, reducing potential bias from impacting initial screenings. PageUp tentatively scheduled to launch in Fall 22. PageUp will rank the candidates鈥 applications by matching their requirements to those on the job description, allowing for an unbiased review and selection of qualified candidates. 
  • Prior to any search committee launch, Talent Acquisition will be meeting specifically with search chairs, assigned administrative support staff, and search advocates to review the steps of the search process in depth. The goal of these meetings is to increase efficiency and effectiveness of searches and reduce the likelihood of searches being failed or losing candidates due to untimeliness.
  • A Search Advocate Workshop was offered as a Summer Institute in May where twelve (12) employees were trained as search advocates for upcoming searches. 

FY21 Highlights:

  • The Search Advocate Program has been enhanced to ensure that search advocates are involved in the search process at the earliest stage, which is when the job description/ad are developed.  Search advocates must approve the job description/ad before posting.  
  • Increased the number and variety of diversity publications and diversity job boards used to attract underrepresented job candidates.
  • OHR developed detailed EEO reports that provide key applicant data to hiring managers so that they can confirm that a fair and equitable search is being conducted by their search committee.  
  • The final job description and ad will not be finalized until there is input from the search committee, including the search advocate.

Lead Unit: Academic Affairs

Progress: 100%

   

FY23 Highlights:

  • Assess Year 1 of DEI Fellowship and new cohort.DEI fellowship resulted in 2 hires who are continuing into Fall 2023.
  • Focus planning for Center for Teaching and Learning Design (CTLD) programming.
  • Assess R1/R2 course attribute process and effectiveness.
  • Finalize changes to Faculty Evaluation procedure (focus on DEI).

FY22 Highlights:

  • Hired 35 new faculty and 15 professional staff in FY21 and approved 14 additional faculty hires and 10 staff for FY22. 
  • Special attention has been given in both years to strategic hires that build diversity within the division.
  • Funded training for 12 new search advocates trained to identify and mitigate unintended bias in the search process in Summer 2020; scheduled a comparable summer institute for up to 12 candidates for 2021.
  • Each program in Academic Affairs, with oversight of the School Dean, reviewed the specific reappointment, tenure and promotion program standards to reflect diversity, equity and inclusion in all aspects of faculty life.
  • The Vera King Farris Fellowship expanded to include a Doctoral Fellowship (VKF Fellowship). 

FY21 Highlights:

  • Hired more than 40 new faculty and professional staff in FY21 and approved 14 additional faculty hires for FY22.  
  • Special attention has been given in both years to strategic hires that build diversity within the division. 
  • Funded training for 12 new search advocates trained to identify and mitigate unintended bias in the search process in Summer 2020; scheduled a comparable summer institute for up to 12 candidates for 2021.

Lead Unit: Academic Affairs; Diversity & Inclusion

Progress: 85%

   

FY23 Highlights:

  • Review all Policies and Procedures.
  • Finalize changes to Faculty Evaluation procedure (focus on DEI).

FY22 Highlights:

  • Reviewing and revising all academic policies for FY23 implementation.
  • Each program reviewed tenure and promotion guidelines and updated for implementation FY23.

FY21 Highlights:

  • Revised University Procedure 6101 and search advocate documentation and training to explicitly designate search advocates as full members of all search committees.

Lead Unit: Information Technology

Progress: 100%

   

FY23 Highlights:

  • CIO joined the Cumberland County Technical Education Center advisory board to further encourage students to apply to continue their studies at 淫性视频 or to consider employment opportunities at the University
  • Hosted multiple High Schools for visitation and professional development for the teachers in their computer science programs.

FY22 Highlights:

  • Met with local technical high schools to discuss placement of graduates into IT employment at 淫性视频. Consensus was they are now preparing students for college, not employment in IT.

Lead Unit: Student Affairs

Progress: 50%

   

FY23 Highlights:

  • Successfully recruited and hired nearly 30 full-time staff during FY23, of which 55% identified as BIPOC.
  • Highlighted hires of new staff in The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education.

Lead Unit: Equal Opportunity & Institutional Compliance; Human Resources

Progress: 100%

    

FY23 Highlights:

  • OHR is completing EEO/Discrimination training module through Vector Solutions. Anticipate training will be offered during summer and fall.
  • Clery CSA training ongoing.
  • Title IX, Discrimination Awareness, and Sexual Violence awareness training to all new employees.
  • Assign courses, as needed, such as Implicit Bias and Microaggression Awareness, Making Campus Safe for LGBTQ+ Students, Sexual Harassment Prevention, Diversity Awareness, Diversity & Inclusion.

FY22 Highlights:

  • Annually assign Title IX and Discrimination Training to all employees and annually assign Clery CSA training to identified CSAs
  • Assign Title IX, Discrimination Awareness, and Sexual Violence awareness training to all new employees
  • Assign courses, as needed, such as Implicit Bias and Microaggression Awareness, Making Campus Safe for LGBTQ+ Students, Sexual Harassment Prevention, Diversity Awareness, Diversity & Inclusion.

FY21 Highlights:

  • All new and current university employees are required to take Vector Solutions on-line training on both Title IX and Discrimination Awareness to help maintain and provide a university environment that is free from discrimination on the basis of sex, including gender.
  • Employees received Discrimination Awareness in the Workplace training. 
  • Cabinet received training for anti-bias, microaggression.

Lead Unit: Planning & Research

Progress: 100%

   

FY23 Highlights:

  • Provided ongoing data files and statistics for the Eligible to Enroll campaign, both quantitative and qualitative.
  • Enhanced term-over-term persistence rate analysis for first-time and transfer cohorts by converting the analysis to an interactive dashboard.
  • Have begun adding filters for key affinity groups (first-generation, veteran/military, student success scholars, and EOF by location) to internal persistence dashboards.

FY22 Highlights:

  • Created multiple interactive tools to calculate overall and weekly admissions funnel goals for first-time, transfer, and graduate students.
  • Provided enrollment models and projections for specific departments on campus, Board of Trustee meetings, presentations to Cabinet, or to serve as discussion topics for various meetings.
  • Provided ongoing data files and statistics for the Eligible to Enroll Campaign, both quantitative and qualitative.
  • Provided various analyses to the Summer Planning Committee.

FY21 Highlights:

  • Completed a comprehensive analysis regarding student responses to key BCSSE survey questions to better predict factors impacting third-semester retention rates. Shared results with Retention Working Group and SEMP Research team.
  • Enhanced term-over-term persistence rate analysis for first-time cohorts to include persistence by initial AGI range.
  • Continued efforts to ensure post-baccalaureate certificates are being awarded in a trackable and reportable manner.
  • Completed an in-depth analysis of 鈥渆arly alert form鈥 recipients and their persistence and graduation rates. Shared results with Retention Working Group and SEMP Research team.
  • Piloted a text-message campaign to encourage students on a course waitlist to consider registering for the same course in a different term.

Lead Unit: Diversity & Inclusion; Human Resources

Progress: 85%

   

FY23 Highlights:

  • In collaboration with ODI, OHR updated the Search Advocate training and facilitated six Search Advocate workshops for managers in summer 2022.
  • OHR partnered with ODI to update Bystander Intervention training for employees. Presented to Cabinet and Provost senior leaders on content of the workshop and currently working to run workshops in divisional/department meetings.
  • OHR offered various EAP webinars and a two-day Emotional Intelligence workshop for managers which includes a significant section on managing diversity.

FY22 Highlights:

  • Partnered with ODI to update the Search Advocate training program for a wider audience.
  • Partnered with ODI to update Bystander Intervention training for employees to be offered in 2023.
  • OHR working with OEOIC to build a more in-depth, customized EEO/Discrimination training to be assigned to all employees during the 22-23 academic year.
  • The ADA-504 Steering Committee developed two recorded educational power points: (1) Reasonable Accommodation Process for Employees, and (2) Accessibility and Accommodation in Instruction, with faculty as the target audience. 

FY21 Highlights:

  • A Diversity and Inclusion Educators Group was formed in September 2020 to bring together trainers in Human Resources, Student Affairs, and Diversity & inclusion to discuss and develop diversity training for employee populations.  The group is working on adapting for the workplace, the Step Up intervention program for students. 
  • The ADA-504 Steering Committee is working on a Blackboard Ally instructional guide for faculty to use in making more accessible their course materials. 
  • The President鈥檚 Cabinet has had three conversations on race since July 2021 facilitated by various faculty and administrators. 
  • Campus Police received a session on raising awareness of micro and macro-aggressions and bias (implicit and explicit). 

Lead Unit: Student Affairs

Progress: 100%

   

FY23 Highlights:

  • Hosted approximately 40 student lead programs and co-sponsored events in the Multicultural Center since ribbon cutting.
  • Increased student participation in Deeper Spaces Social Justice Retreat from Fall 2022 participation.
  • Facilitation 160 Cultural Heritage Theme Month programs.

FY22 Highlights:

  • Residential Life hosted more than 10 programs with more than 750 attendees focused on diversity and social justice through co-supervision of Sankofa, and the LaMesa programming model.
  • Implemented Cultural Heritage Month programming for campus community.
  • Partner with Student Senate to renew multi-year MOA to support Cultural Heritage Month programming for campus.

Lead Unit: Student Affairs

Progress: 25%

   

FY23 Highlights:

  • Sponsored SPACES Multicultural Reception and Deeper SPACES Social Justice Retreat for students, faculty and staff during the Fall 2023 semester.
  • Marketed The Argo student newspaper to multiple culturally-based student organizations resulting in the most BIPOC students on staff in recent history. 

淫性视频 is dedicated to building a community that values differences of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, national origin, socio-economic status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, age, ability, or disability.

We accept our responsibility to create and preserve an environment that is free from prejudice and discrimination, and to take actions that affirm our commitment to inclusivity and diversity.

We strive for a campus where all of our students, faculty, and staff know they belong, regardless of their race and ethnicity, age, religion, disability, socio-economic status, gender expression, gender and sexual identity, national origin, culture, or ideological beliefs.

To support this vision, 淫性视频鈥檚 curriculum and programs should reflect the diversity of our community and the wider world, and embrace inclusive teaching and learning styles. They should also foster a multicultural environment and cultural competence throughout the campus, and promote inclusive conversations concerning the advancement of the University. Finally, recruitment, hiring, and administrative practices should place high value on all aspects of diverse identities and experiences.

We will do this by developing strategies and tactics that:

  • Focus on recruiting, hiring, and retaining a high-quality and increasingly diverse faculty and staff.
  • Build enrollment strategies to reach students who have not previously seen 淫性视频 as their academic home.
  • Ensure access to sufficient resources so that all students have the opportunity to participate in these foundational elements of 淫性视频鈥檚 liberal arts education.
  • Restructure institutional aid to better address financial need, thereby spreading available funds across a larger population of financially disadvantaged students.
  • Intentionally create culturally affirming learning opportunities and spaces that foster a sense of belonging, safety, and wellness for all students.