American University
PA-4: Diversity and Equity Coordination

The mission of the Center for Diversity & Inclusion (CDI) is to advance American University’s commitment to respecting & valuing diversity by serving as a resource and liaison for students, staff, and faculty on issues of equity through education, outreach, and advocacy. To achieve this mission, the center is dedicated to: Enhancing LGBTQ, multicultural, first generation, and women’s experiences on campus; Promoting student retention, graduation, and academic achievement; Collaborating with campus partners, in particular those that work with international students, students with disabilities and students with active religious affiliations to create a safe, supportive & empowering community for all, regardless of identity. The Center for Diversity & Inclusion initiates conversations and implements programming in the spirit of diversity and inclusion in order to promote a supportive environment where all students are celebrated and valued. PCDI serves as the eyes and ears of the AU community. One of the hallmark engagements is "PCDI Listens," which is an ongoing series of listening engagements in the campus residence halls. As the name implies, we actively sit with our students, meeting them where they are, hearing their concerns, and connecting the students with appropriate resources. PCDI also regularly meets with various campus stakeholder groups (e.g., Muslim Students Association, Black Faculty Staff Association, the Interfaith Council, student leadership, Faculty Senate, etc.). PCDI also reviews and provides guidance on institutional policies and procedures, metrics and measurements, assessments, and cultural competence trainings/workshops.

Students: Approximately 89% (~1500) students completed "Challenging Yourself: Inclusive Practices" during welcome week. In addition, AU is completing its pilot of the American University Experience pilot. (https://www.american.edu/provost/undergrad/auexperience/) The American University Experience (AUx1 and AUx2) is a full-year graded General Education course specially designed for students transitioning into their first year of college at AU. AUx will become a mandatory course for all first-year students in the fall of 2018 as part of the new AU Core Curriculum. AUx1 helps students transition to their first year at AU. Themes covered in this standardized course include freedom of expression; campus resources; exploring and expressing identities; building academic success; budgeting time and money; health and wellness; finding community; rights and responsibilities; diversity, bias, and privilege; and setting goals for success. AUx2 builds upon concepts introduced in AUx1, blending personal exploration of social identity formation with a multidisciplinary approach to race and ethnicity. Staff:It is mandatory for all staff and administrators to take unlawful harassment prevention and Title IX training. In addition, a diversity and inclusion course series is available for faculty and staff (these are not mandatory). Faculty: It is mandatory for all faculty to take unlawful harassment prevention and Title IX training. There is a Faculty Development Leadership Cohort on Diversity and Inclusion. A cohort was trained in-depth in fall 2017 and will oversee a series of peer education sessions in the academic units throughout spring 2018. In addition, the Center for Teaching, Research, & Learning (CTRL) offers ten faculty trainings/workshops along with noontime lunch conversations (open to the larger community) throughout the academic year (e.g., Inclusive Pedagogy: Teaching English Language Learners; the Universal Classroom: Designing Your Course for Diverse Learners).