| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.45 |
| Liaison | Keisha Payson |
| Submission Date | May 8, 2024 |
Bowdoin College
PA-6: Assessing Diversity and Equity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.88 / 1.00 |
Keisha
Payson Sustainability Director Sustainable Bowdoin |
Has the institution engaged in a structured assessment process during the previous three years to improve diversity, equity and inclusion on campus?:
A brief description of the assessment process and the framework, scorecard(s) and/or tool(s) used:
Bowdoin College assesses student diversity and educational equity in a holistic manner throughout the students’ tenure. Considerations during the admissions process include gender, socioeconomic status, geography, and first-generation status, among others. The Bowdoin Class of 2026 is composed of 43 percent domestic students of color, 6 percent international, and 17 percent first generation to college.
Over half of the 2022–2023 Bowdoin students have need-based financial aid. In 2018, THRIVE, a college-wide initiative designed to foster achievement, belonging, mentorship, and transition, particularly among students that have historically been under-represented on college campuses, was established to transform the college experience and improve graduation rates for students who identify as low-income students, and/or first-generation college students. A deep commitment to data-informed programming has been a key feature of THRIVE’s design from the start. Every year for the past four years, the College has collected and analyzed quantitative and qualitative data from THRIVE students to better understand their experiences, with a particular focus on students participating in THRIVE's Geoffrey Canada Scholars (GCS) program.
In 2021, the College created and filled the new associate director of assessment position to manage the assessment of THRIVE along with other equity-related assessment projects. The associate director of assessment has employed the use of logic models to clarify the inputs, outputs, and outcomes of THRIVE and other College programs.
Does the assessment process address campus climate by engaging stakeholders to assess the attitudes, perceptions and behaviors of employees and students, including the experiences of underrepresented groups?:
Does the assessment process address student outcomes related to diversity, equity and success?:
Does the assessment process address employee outcomes related to diversity and equity?:
A brief description of the most recent assessment findings and how the results are used in shaping policy, programs, and initiatives:
Through a dedicated formative assessment effort and data-informed approach, improvements to the THRIVE initiative have been made each year. While the THRIVE and GCS assessment results have led to a variety of programmatic and institutional shifts, the following were some of the most significant changes:
• A success coach was hired, and a success coaching curriculum was formed in response to assessment feedback in which students shared that they wanted more one-on-one support, particularly in a way that allowed them to explore their interests and life trajectories. Success coaching meetings were piloted in the 2021–2022 academic year with thirty-two GCS students. Preliminary analysis of student feedback tells us that success coaching is being well received.
• The GCS program starts with a Summer Institute for first-year GCS students to help them adapt to the College’s courses and campus setting and to introduce them to key campus resources (library staff, mental health counseling, etc.). An intensive writing course has become the core academic component of the institute and based on student feedback in earlier cohorts, the THRIVE director and academic affairs staff members advocated for the summer institute course to be credit-bearing, which was approved by the faculty.
• The THRIVE assessment team reviewed the academic suspension data over the past decade and discovered inequities, particularly among men of color. This assessment bolstered the commitment to revise the College’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy. The academic suspension policy was changed to be based on a student’s GPA and not an antiquated point system, which also makes advising students easier.
Are the results of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment shared with the campus community?:
A brief description of how the assessment results are shared with the campus community:
The Bowdoin website includes retention and graduation rates broken down by gender and race/ ethnicity.
Sensitive student data is shared with campus leaders to influence programmatic changes and priorities. For example, a recent analysis of student retention and graduation rates based on demographic characteristics is being shared with Bowdoin’s senior officers. These officers will then be able to share components of the analysis with campus and departmental leaders.
Are the results (or a summary of the results) of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment publicly posted?:
The diversity and equity assessment report or summary (upload):
Website URL where the diversity and equity assessment report or summary is publicly posted:
Website URL where information about the institution’s diversity and equity assessment efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.