Amherst College
PA-6: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Amherst College does not discriminate in admission, employment, or administration of its programs and activities on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender expression, and gender identity), age, disability, genetic information, military service, or any other characteristic or class protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Amherst College complies with all state and federal laws that prohibit discrimination, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Equal Pay Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/dean_faculty/fph/fachandbook/preintroduction

The diversity office is currently in the process of developing a formalized policy to respond to a bias incident or act of discrimination. Currently, the college has a team of responders including members of the President's senior staff and other college administrators who are tasked with creating an appropriate response on a case-by-case basis for each incident.

We are dedicated to recruiting students, staff and/or faculty from underrepresented groups. This is a core goal of our strategic plan. - This is the core mission and strategic plan of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion which covers students, faculty, and staff: https://www.amherst.edu/amherst-story/diversity/office-of-diversity-inclusion/mission-strategy Our admissions process is fully committed to diversity and inclusion, and we have won awards for our work in this area. A few examples: Diversity Open Houses As part of Amherst College's commitment to diversity, the Office of Admission hosts two weekend Diversity Open Houses (DIVOH) in the fall in an effort to introduce prospective applicants to Amherst's campus, student body, faculty, classes and residence halls. Early Overnight for Native Students (EONS) In hopes of creating a dynamic and robust Native American community at Amherst College, the Office of Admission invites eligible high school students to participate in our Early Overnight for Native Students (EONS), a three-day, overnight, on-campus program designed to introduce prospective applicants to the local Native community. Diversity Interns Diversity Interns are current Amherst students who work with the Office of Admission to reach out to prospective students from different cultural, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. The Diversity Interns can provide information and personal perspectives on what the Amherst College community has to offer. Meet these students, learn more about their work and contact them with questions through our Diversity Interns page. We travel internationally and attend diverse recruitment events: https://admission.amherst.edu/portal/ontheroad?c=&country= More information on student diversity: https://www.amherst.edu/amherst-story/diversity/actions-to-promote-diversity-and-inclusion https://www.amherst.edu/admission/diversity - These pages show the guidance given to faculty to ensure diverse pools of candidates, and as a result of this work we have seen meaningful increases in faculty diversity: https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/dean_faculty/faculty_hiring/steps-timeline-for-tenure-line-searches/building-the-candidate-pool https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/dean_faculty/faculty_hiring/steps-timeline-for-tenure-line-searches/april-deadline/-new-page-recruitment-fundamentals For staff we have expanded the outreach we do for positions to include posting on diverse organizations and websites. Many groups have begun doing blind and then non-blind resume reviews - blind first to avoid making decisions based on names or gender assumptions, and then non-blind to ensure we aren't removing people that may have taken a less traditional path. We review the candidate pools and do additional outreach if the pool is not diverse. We recognize that step one is getting diverse applicants.

The Multicultural Resource Center has implemented a peer-based mentoring program that focuses on academic support. Additionally, the MRC as well as the Women's and Gender Center and the Queer Resource Center offer programs on navigating identities and training in dialogue between peer groups. These can take the form of weekly meetings in the resource centers' safe space, dorm information sessions, campus-wide dialogue days, and much more. They also provide educational opportunities to students to create a more inclusive community by acknowledging, celebrating, and promoting the diverse experiences of every student. The counseling center provides assessment, counseling, brief psychotherapy and referral to Amherst College students on a voluntary and confidential basis. In addition, the following resources are available for all faculty, staff, and students : Diversity Fellowships The Five College Consortium sponsors dissertation fellowships intended to promote diversity in the academy. After review by a committee composed of representatives from Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and Smith, four fellowships are awarded, each based at one of these colleges. The Fellowship, which is open to applicants in all fields, provides a $30,000 stipend, benefits, research support, housing assistance, and research and teaching mentorship. Creating Connections Consortium Amherst is a member of Creating Connections Consortium. C3 offers new ways of connecting undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty and staff and liberal arts colleges to opportunities that value and support diversity. website: https://www.amherst.edu/amherst-story/diversity/for-students-faculty-staff

We just received a $500,000 grant from the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program. The grant will fund an initiative aimed at attracting and preparing Amherst students from underrepresented groups for graduate study and academic positions in the humanities. The overarching goal of the College’s program is to contribute to the Mellon Foundation’s mission to diversify the faculty ranks of American colleges and universities. https://www.amherst.edu/news/news_releases/2018/2-2018/amherst-college-wins-prestigious-500-000-andrew-w.-mellon-foundation-grant