Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 47.09
Liaison Tom Hartzell
Submission Date June 28, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Calvin University
PA-6: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.83 / 3.00 Michelle Loyd-Paige
Exec. Associate to the President for Diversity and Inclusion
President's Office
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Non-Discrimination Statement 

Does the institution have a publicly posted non-discrimination statement? :
Yes

The non-discrimination statement, including the website URL where the policy is publicly accessible:
Calvin College prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local statute or ordinance. http://www.calvin.edu/admin/hr/ Calvin College does not discriminate with regard to age, race, color, national origin, gender or disability in any of its educational programs or activities. http://calvin.edu/admissions/facts-standards/

Bias Response Team 

Does the institution have a discrimination response protocol or committee (sometimes called a bias response team) to respond to and support those who have experienced or witnessed a bias incident, act of discrimination or hate crime?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s discrimination response protocol or team (including examples of actions taken during the previous three years):
Calvin College is committed to performing all of our tasks as a caring and diverse community. Each person – faculty, staff, student, trustee, volunteer, visitor, contractor, and vendor – who has chosen to engage with the Calvin community thereby affirms he or she is willing to uphold the community's stated standards of conduct and ensure that Calvin College provides a safe environment for students, staff, faculty, and guests of the college. Harassment, discrimination and retaliation of any form are a violation of a person’s rights, dignity, and integrity. Such acts debase the integrity of the educational process and are contrary to the mission and values of Calvin College. In response to any reported misconduct, the college will take appropriate steps to eliminate the misconduct, prevent its recurrence, and remedy its effects. The college will review and investigate all reports, and provide for fair and impartial evaluation and resolution. Retaliation against a person who makes a good faith report of harassment or discrimination or anyone participating as a witness in an investigation or hearing is prohibited. - example of a response: Nov 22, 2015 an act of racism occurred on campus. The response was swift. The college president sent a letter to the whole campus denouncing the act; gathering spaces for prayer and to express concerns were designated; campus offices were closed at 4:oo pm to host a solidarity forum (see link below); and the person responsible for the act was removed from campus after an investigation. http://www.calvin.edu/chimes/2015/11/25/we-stand-together-calvin-college-shows-solidarity-against-displays-of-racism/

Recruitment Programs 

Does the institution have programs specifically designed to recruit students from underrepresented groups?:
Yes

Does the institution have programs specifically designed to recruit staff from underrepresented groups?:
No

Does the institution have programs specifically designed to recruit faculty from underrepresented groups?:
No

If yes to any of the above, provide:

A brief description of the institution’s programs to recruit students, staff and/or faculty from underrepresented groups:
Of our eight pre-college programs, five are directed towards under-represented students: Entrada, S.T.E.P., Aspirando Alto, MLK Young Leaders program, and Hop on the Bus. https://calvin.edu/offices-services/pre-college-programs/programs/ Additionally, the college offers scholarships (MOASIC, First Generation, Entrada) which attract under-represented students. https://calvin.edu/offices-services/financial-aid/types/scholarships/additional-awards/ While we have no formal program to recruit under-represented employees, all search committees and hiring officers must complete an unconscious bias workshop to increase awareness of potential bias in the hiring process. Additionally, HR reviews all employee recruitment plans and requires that ads are placed in venues that have diverse audiences (additional funding for ads is available); ... these efforts yielded a 25% increase in the number of people of color in our application pool and 25% of new staff hires for fall 2016 were people of color.

Mentoring, Counseling and Support Programs 

Does the institution have mentoring, counseling, peer support, academic support, or other programs to support students from underrepresented groups on campus?:
Yes

Does the institution have mentoring, counseling, peer support or other programs to support staff from underrepresented groups on campus?:
Yes

Does the institution have mentoring, counseling, peer support or other programs to support faculty from underrepresented groups on campus?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s programs to support students, staff and/or faculty from underrepresented groups:
The college offers: mentoring, peer support groups, academic support groups, and leadership development opportunities for underrepresented students. Affinity group gatherings for employees of color are offered twice every semester. One-on-one get-to-know you meetings between the lead diversity officer and all new faculty and staff of color are held each fall. Mentoring relationships develop out of these meetings. The provost office offers scholarship development sessions for under-represented faculty (females and people of color) Additionally, the college has an intention living-learning community called "Grassroots" where a self-selected set of 20 - 30 diverse students live on the same dorm floor and commit to exploring issues of race and racism together.

Support for Future Faculty 

Does the institution have training and development programs, teaching fellowships and/or other programs that specifically aim to support and prepare students from underrepresented groups for careers as faculty members?:
No

A brief description of the institution’s programs to support and prepare students from underrepresented groups for careers as faculty members:
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Optional Fields 

Does the institution produce a publicly accessible inventory of gender-neutral bathrooms on campus?:
Yes

Does the institution offer housing options to accommodate the special needs of transgender and transitioning students?:
Yes

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
https://calvin.edu/offices-services/student-organizations/sexuality-and-gender-awareness

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Grassroots floor: http://www.calvin.edu/housing/housing-options/living-learning-communities/residence-halls/2nd-van-reken/ Additional Resources for Transgender students: https://www.calvin.edu/dotAsset/efe8261c-1780-453b-9d99-e8d40a555a62.pdf Additional information on providing a safe enviroment: https://calvin.edu/offices-services/student-life/programs/sexuality-series/lgbt-homosexuality-faq.html

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.