Bryn Mawr College
PA-6: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Bryn Mawr College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age or disability in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other College administered programs, or in its employment practices. In conformity with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, it is also the policy of Bryn Mawr College not to discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational programs, activities or employment practices. The admission of only women in the Undergraduate College is in conformity with a provision of the Act. Inquiries regarding compliance with this legislation and other policies regarding nondiscrimination may be directed to the Equal Opportunity Officer, who administers the College’s procedures, at 610-526-5275. https://www.brynmawr.edu/financial-aid/policy/policy-non-discrimination-policy

The Bias Response Team includes the Dean of the Undergraduate College, Dean of Graduate Studies, Equal Opportunity Officer, Assistant Dean of the College for Diversity, Social Justice and Inclusion & Title IX Coordinator. The role of Bias Response Team is to help to establish the facts and the nature of a reported incident; ensure that personal support is available to the targeted individual(s) and/or group(s); assist in directing all parties involved to available community resources and proper channels for reporting and action; assist in mediating communication between the individual(s) reporting the incident and the individual(s) responsible for it; maintain ongoing and follow-up communication with involved parties to address the concerns and needs of all parties involved. The Bias Response Team also tracks incidents to assess the potential impact of incidents on the community; gauge emerging patterns and climate of the College; and inform community educational and training initiatives such as teach-ins, solidarity programs, campus speakers and bias awareness programming. https://www.brynmawr.edu/bias-response/bias-incident-response-team-0

Undergraduate Recruiting: Undergraduate admissions invests in targeted outreach, travel, and on-campus programs to interest high-achieving students of color and first-generation students in Bryn Mawr. Programs include mailings to and visits with community-based organizations working with underserved students; targeted marketing to first- generation, high-performing students of color and to community organizations that work with such students; targeted travel to selected cities to conduct access and diversity workshops for students of color; and full travel scholarships for under-resourced prospective students of color to participate in the fall prospective student event. An Officer for Access and Inclusion, supported by a student intern, is a liaison to the campus community and connects prospective and current students. In addition, Bryn Mawr has partnered with the Posse Foundation which identifies students from under-represented groups that are overlooked by the traditional college application process. The College currently hosts a traditional Posse from Houston, TX (in its fourth year) and a STEM Posse from Boston (in its fourth year; previously hosted a traditional Posse from Boston for 12 years). Faculty: Search procedures designed to increase the number of minority candidates included in our searches and to increase the number of minority candidates hired include: a. position recruitment plans specific to the field and position b. special attention is given to advertising in places where minority candidates can be reached (including institutional membership in The Registry, National Registry of Diverse and Strategic faculty) c. Search committee member on every search, the ‘Diversity Representative’, who meets with interviewees and advises the search committee d. Search committee members receive training on diversity in searches. As a result of this process, faculty of color have been appointed to 4 of 7 open tenure track positions this year and 11 of 24 positions over the previous three years. Staff :"Bryn Mawr tries to attract a diverse candidate pool and uses all available means to communicate employment opportunities at the College that will foster diversity. Depending on the position, searches are conducted at either a local level or at a national level. When conducting a local search, the College tries to pool from the entire Philadelphia metropolitan area. When newspapers are utilized, we include the advertisement in various papers that cover the entire metropolitan area, not just the immediate suburban region. We also make it clear to prospective applicants that the College is easily accessible by two train lines, both which originate in or near the City of Philadelphia. When conducting a national search, the College uses national publications and websites that appeal to diverse audiences. This includes, for example, publications such as Latinos in Higher Education and websites such at that run by the Association of Black Admissions and Financial Aid Officers. Ads placed through Higher Ed Jobs and The Chronicle of Higher Education will be included in the "Diversity/Inclusion" listing on their web sites, as appropriate."

Bryn Mawr has partnered with he Posse Foundation which provides 100% Scholarship funding as well as other support systems such as mentoring and career development. Bryn Mawr College also provides the McBride Scholars Program. The Katharine E. McBride Scholars are women over the age of 24 who are in the process of beginning or completing their college education. McBride Scholars participate in the same classes and programs as traditionally-aged students. https://www.brynmawr.edu/admissions/mcbride-scholars. The College offers many academic programs to support students who are underprepared for the demands of a rigorous undergraduate education. These include a FIPSE "First in the World" grant-funded program to provide mathematics support coordinated with topics in several introductory science courses (e.g. Chemistry, Physics); a Quantitative Center that offers a Quantitative Seminar and tutoring services; a Writing Center that offers peer tutoring; and a 1/2 credit seminar for first-seminar students that builds study skills, time management skills, etc. The College has a voluntary mentoring program offered to all new faculty members.

In 1988, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation made a long-term commitment to help remedy the serious shortage of faculty of color in higher education through the Mellon Minority Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) program. Bryn Mawr College has participated in the MMUF program since its inception in 1988. In any given year, there are ten MMUF students at the College: five seniors and five juniors. The application process is open primarily to sophomores and takes place every spring. http://www.brynmawr.edu/mellon/about.html

Gender neutral bathrooms are available across campus and in all dormitories.