Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 66.97
Liaison Holly Andersen
Submission Date May 13, 2021

STARS v2.2

Bennington College
PA-5: Diversity and Equity Coordination

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have a diversity and equity committee, office, and/or officer tasked by the administration or governing body to advise on and implement policies, programs, and trainings related to diversity, equity, inclusion and human rights?:
Yes

Does the committee, office and/or officer focus on students, employees, or both?:
Both students and employees

A brief description of the diversity and equity committee, office and/or officer, including purview and activities:

Vice President for Institutional Inclusion, Equity, and Leadership Development
Delia Saenz is a nationally-recognized expert in the area of understanding diversity in groups, and has been a leader in conversations about diversity and inclusion, women and people of color in STEM fields, and sustainability.

deliasaenz@bennington.edu

Saenz is the Vice President for Institutional Inclusion, Equity, and Leadership Development and served as a visiting faculty member at Bennington in Spring 2017. Prior to Bennington, she was an associate professor in the Department of Psychology, and a research professor in the Hispanic Research Center, at Arizona State University (ASU). She received her doctorate in Social Psychology from Princeton University in 1987. Saenz has served administratively as vice provost for undergraduate education, and as vice provost for international and institutional inclusion at ASU. Her scholarly research focuses on diversity, tokenism, intergroup processes, inclusion, acculturation, and sustainability. This work, often cited for its innovation and contributions to the understanding of diversity in groups, has been funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health, the National Science Foundation, the Ford and WT Grant Foundations, the US Department of Energy, and the US Agency for International Development. Her recent work has centered on broadening the participation of women and people of color in STEM. She served as co-PI on Vocational Training and Education for Clean Energy (VOCTEC), a project focused on enhancing knowledge, awareness, and capacity-building in renewable energy technologies among developing nations.

Saenz served as director of diversity and inclusion on two multi-university engineering research centers, Quantum Energy & Sustainable Solar Technologies, and Center for Biomediated and Bioinspired Geotechnics. In this capacity, she engaged faculty, students, and staff in advancing a culture of inclusion. Beyond her contributions to scholarship and administration, Saenz has been recognized institutionally and nationally for outstanding teaching and mentoring of both undergraduate and graduate students.


Estimated proportion of students that has participated in cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
All

Estimated proportion of academic staff that has participated in cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
All

Estimated proportion of non-academic staff that has participated in cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
All

A brief description of the institution’s cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:

The first annual conference focused on promoting Inclusion as a Social Practice norm at Bennington. The conference is the culmination of creativity, advanced work, and collaboration on the part of student members of the Bennington College Community Builders (BCCB). Both as individuals and as members of distinct and intersecting identity groups, we have experienced first-hand the challenges and frustration of exclusion and bias. At times, we have witnessed expressed commitment to diversity and inclusion but rarely have these words yielded sustainable change. We firmly believe that creating a more diverse and inclusive community is important for the well-being of the student body and the success of the College as a whole.


Website URL where information about the institution’s diversity and equity office or trainings is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

During this academic year, all staff and faculty were required to also attend microaggression training.


During this academic year, all staff and faculty were required to also attend microaggression training.

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