Claremont McKenna College
PA-5: Assessing Diversity and Equity

Passed by the CMC faculty in April 2007 and by the CMC Board of Trustees in May 2007 : The value that we place on diversity at Claremont McKenna College - in our student body, in our faculty and staff, and in our curriculum - derives directly from our mission to prepare our students for thoughtful and productive lives and responsible leadership in business, government, and the professions. In helping students to acquire the vision, skills, and values they will need to lead society, we must ensure that they are able to succeed in the current social, political, and economic environments, which are increasingly diverse and globally-oriented. To execute our mission, then, it is crucial that we seek to enroll a diverse student body, to recruit a diverse faculty and staff, and to place great value on respect for differences. A Strategic Approach Claremont McKenna College’s unique and distinctive mission is to educate students for thoughtful and productive lives and roles of responsible leadership. In an increasingly integrated global market, transformative leaders will be called upon for solutions to complex problems. Our graduates should be perceptive, thoughtful strategists who are able to engage critical questions that transcend a narrow world view—graduates who are prepared to foster environments in which diversity of thought and perspective is valued. Indeed, CMC’s Statement on Diversity, approved by the Board of Trustees and the Faculty, affirms the community’s shared commitment to recruit and retain the most talented and exceptionally promising students, faculty, and staff. The community is to represent a broad spectrum of political and academic philosophies, as well as to reflect diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, geographic region, age, sexual orientation, and life experiences. All CMC students are expected to graduate with the capacity to live successful, meaningful lives. In addition, the College is committed to ensure that every community member, especially each student, is fully engaged and valued at CMC, that each person thrives here, is a valued member of our community, is heard, and seen, and respected. The College supports inclusion as an open, community-wide process that reinforces respectful, civil, and deliberate discourse—particularly through constructive disagreements—on challenges of common concern. Assessment and Reflection Claremont McKenna College consistently reviews its effectiveness in building a diverse community and an inclusive campus that supports success among all students. Accordingly, the College assesses whether members of the campus community feel safe to be who they are and to express themselves fully. It considers whether its academic and social environments facilitate positive interactions among people of different backgrounds and beliefs as they communicate with and learn from one another. The College also surveys its programs, curriculum, and policies to ensure that they reflect principles of equity and inclusion. None of this curtails free speech or imposes one thought: the concern is simply with ensuring all voices can be heard and can challenge each other. In 2015-16 the review focused on a thorough empirical study of campus climate. This included student, faculty, and staff impressions of recruitment, admission, financial aid, student affairs, orientation, student counseling services, academic advising, engagement with co- and extra-curricular programs, personal and social responsibility, career services, and mentorship programming. The review was conducted in several primary ways: The CMC Student Life and Campus Climate Survey has been issued every three years since 2007 and was last administered in February 2016. The survey asks students questions about demographics, the importance of and their satisfaction with various aspects of campus life and facilities, their level of agreement with statements about CMC experiences, and their level of agreement with statements about CMC campus climate, particularly as it relates to gender identity, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, political orientation, and religion. The 2016 analysis can be found online. Additionally, in 2015-16 the College commissioned a study by the Barthwell Group, led by Dr. Akosua Barthwell Evans, to assess the inclusionary environment at CMC by conducting interviews and focus groups with stakeholders across the campus. Nearly 70 interviews were completed using customized assessment protocols, which were followed by student focus groups. A summary of the results can be found online. The College also tracks data related to compositional diversity, that is, the number of students, faculty, and staff in race/ethnicity and gender categories as defined in the federal government's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). The information from these prior reports and the most recent empirical analyses from 2015-2016 informs data-driven decisions and planning in CMC’s approach to community engagement on diversity and inclusion. CMC’s comprehensive, data-driven strategy reinforces the mission of the College, sharpens the vision for diversity and inclusion, and highlights core values through ongoing assessment and action. --Foundational Beliefs and Principles --Assessment and Reflection --Community-Wide Engagement --Policies: Bias Incidents, Harassment, and Hate Crimes

Assessment and Reflection Students making art Claremont McKenna College consistently reviews its effectiveness in building a diverse community and an inclusive campus that supports success among all students. Accordingly, the College assesses whether members of the campus community feel safe to be who they are and to express themselves fully. It considers whether its academic and social environments facilitate positive interactions among people of different backgrounds and beliefs as they communicate with and learn from one another. The College also surveys its programs, curriculum, and policies to ensure that they reflect principles of equity and inclusion. None of this curtails free speech or imposes one thought: the concern is simply with ensuring all voices can be heard and can challenge each other. In 2015-16 the review focused on a thorough empirical study of campus climate. This included student, faculty, and staff impressions of recruitment, admission, financial aid, student affairs, orientation, student counseling services, academic advising, engagement with co- and extra-curricular programs, personal and social responsibility, career services, and mentorship programming. The review was conducted in several primary ways: The CMC Student Life and Campus Climate Survey has been issued every three years since 2007 and was last administered in February 2016. The survey asks students questions about demographics, the importance of and their satisfaction with various aspects of campus life and facilities, their level of agreement with statements about CMC experiences, and their level of agreement with statements about CMC campus climate, particularly as it relates to gender identity, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, political orientation, and religion. The 2016 analysis can be found online. Additionally, in 2015-16 the College commissioned a study by the Barthwell Group, led by Dr. Akosua Barthwell Evans, to assess the inclusionary environment at CMC by conducting interviews and focus groups with stakeholders across the campus. Nearly 70 interviews were completed using customized assessment protocols, which were followed by student focus groups. A summary of the results can be found online. The College also tracks data related to compositional diversity, that is, the number of students, faculty, and staff in race/ethnicity and gender categories as defined in the federal government's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). The information from these prior reports and the most recent empirical analyses from 2015-2016 informs data-driven decisions and planning in CMC’s approach to community engagement on diversity and inclusion.

Through emails and the Diversity and Inclusion website.

https://www.cmc.edu/student-imperative/diversity-and-inclusion/conducting-review-and-climate-survey https://www.cmc.edu/sites/default/files/ir/SLCCS%202016%20Report%20Final%20.pdf https://www.cmc.edu/student-imperative/diversity-and-inclusion/conducting-review-and-climate-survey https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/