Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 68.45
Liaison Keisha Payson
Submission Date May 8, 2024

STARS v2.2

Bowdoin College
PA-5: Diversity and Equity Coordination

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.89 / 2.00 Keisha Payson
Sustainability Director
Sustainable Bowdoin
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1 

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

None
A brief description of the diversity and equity committee, office and/or officer, including purview and activities:

In March 2018, Bowdoin instituted an Office of Inclusion and Diversity (OID), led by a senior vice president who reports to the president of the college and sits on the senior officer cabinet. The Advisory Committee for a Diverse Community advises offices in charge of supporting the diverse identity groups that constitute our campus community, on matters pertaining to the academic and social experience of students, faculty, and staff. The committee advises primarily on issues related to gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and social or geographical origin. These offices include the Center for Multicultural Life, staffed by a director and student officers, and the Sexuality, Women, and Gender (SWAG) Center, also staffed by a director and student officers. These two centers are also supported by the associate dean of students for diversity and inclusion. The College also has an Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, which has a director and advisors for students of different religions. These offices also support student-run clubs relating to these issues, such as the African American Society, and the fEMPOWER groups.


Part 2 

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

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

If trainings are made available, provide:

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

A sample of the activities and trainings the College has offered:


In the spring of 2021 the College engaged with DiversityEdu to provide the entire college community (students, faculty, staff, and board of trustees) with mandatory baseline training on foundational knowledge for engaging with diversity and contributing to inclusive culture.


April 2021–April 2022 the College engaged with the Racial Equity Institute (REI) and required all to sign up for the online workshop, a Groundwater Approach to Racial Equity, designed to develop an understanding of the structural causes of racial inequality.


Spring 2023 to present, the College has partnered with Academic Impressions, which offers professional development resources to faculty and staff with many specific workshops related to anti-racism and social inclusion trainings and activities. Our director of institutional inclusion and diversity programs highlights a specific training in the recurring newsletter and invites faculty and staff to participate in a debriefing session together over lunch. Offered every year since 2009. Developed by staff in the division of student affairs. Students must opt in.



  • “Social Justice Leadership Institute” eight interactive workshops on social justice identity themes.

  • “Exploring Racial Justice: An Intergroup Dialogue for White Identifying Students” four sessions.

  • “Intragroup Dialogue on Socioeconomic Class” four sessions.

  • Offered yearly since 2008 to all staff and given by the associate dean of students for inclusion and diversity, “Affirming at Bowdoin: All Genders All Sexualities Workshop for Employees”.


Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s diversity and equity office or trainings is available:
https://www.bowdoin.edu/about/inclusion-and-diversity/index.html

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.