| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 53.49 |
| Liaison | Julia Angstmann |
| Submission Date | Dec. 20, 2021 |
Butler University
PA-6: Assessing Diversity and Equity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.88 / 1.00 |
Antwain
Hunter Associate Professor History |
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:
In October 2020, University President James Danko announced that he had commissioned an advisory group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members to evaluate the mission, structure, and role of the Butler University Police Department (BUPD). This group was directed to recommend actions on how the University might appropriately utilize BUPD on campus to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of all community members, in particular, students of color and LGBTQ+ students.
The advisory group commissioned Black Onyx Management (a local company whose stated purpose is to “help organizations empower Black and marginalized communities”) to conduct an in-depth analysis of the Butler community’s views of, and interactions with, BUPD. As a part of the project, Black Onyx Management conducted interviews with 52 members of the Butler community. They also sent a survey to the Butler community, to which more than 1,200 students, faculty, staff, and neighbors responded.
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:
Findings by Black Onyx and recommendations be the BUPD Advisory Committee below. These recommendations will be implemented with BUPD in the upcoming months.
Among Black Onyx Management’s main findings:
•Students, faculty, and staff, regardless of race/ethnicity generally feel safe on campus.
•Asian, Black, and multiracial BU community members are less likely to view BUPD as fair and transparent and, in turn, less likely to trust, respect, and like BUPD.
•The BU community is less knowledgeable about BUPD officers and training. They are also less knowledgeable of how to file complaints, and report being less likely to report sexual assaults or hate crimes.
•The BU community, regardless of race/ethnicity, wants to see alternatives to policing but do not want to see BUPD defunded or abolished.
•The BU community desires for BUPD to be more diverse and better trained in de-escalation, as well as implement body-worn cameras.
•The BU community desires for mental health professionals to respond to mental health calls for service.
The BUPD Advisory group reviewed the findings and recommendations from Black Onyx Management and developed a set of recommendations that were presented to President Danko, focused on:
•Increasing Accountability
•Advancing Diverse Hiring and Promotion Practices
•Enhancing Transparency
•Establishing Mental Health Crisis Response Protocol
•Improving Communication and Presentation
•Implementing More Community Engagement Programming
In their report, the Advisory Group determined that BUPD is serving the University and surrounding community in a manner that is generally beneficial and adequate. However, it became evident throughout the course of this inquiry that there are opportunities to better provide and facilitate safety and security to the Butler community, especially students of color and LGBTQ+ students.
Among the recommendations presented by the Advisory Group:
•Implement body-worn cameras
•Establish a BUPD Oversight Board
•Adopt and implement a diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging training curriculum
•Implement strategies (e.g. talent pipeline) to increase the diversification (both race and gender) of BUPD officers and all department personnel
•Develop a comprehensive and culturally responsive and University-wide mental health initiative, making BUPD an integral partner in that effort
•Seek better communication mediums
•Develop BUPD event programming for students and the campus community around informative content that promotes diversity, inclusiveness, and accessibility
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:
An email from Butler University was sent to all Butler faculty, staff, and students with the results of the survey, a report from Black Onyx to the Advisory Group leading the inquiry, and the BUPD Advisory Group's recommendations based on the findings.
Black Onyx Report: https://www.butler.edu/sites/default/files/butler-report_0.pdf
Butler Advisory Group Report: https://www.butler.edu/sites/default/files/bupd-advisory-group.pdf
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.