Clarkson University
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

No person shall be discriminated against because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, veteran status, predisposing genetic characteristics, domestic violence victim status, marital status, parental status, ancestry, source of income, or other classes protected by law. This policy includes the commitment to maintaining a campus community free from unlawful harassment.

https://www.clarkson.edu/student-life/student-support-services/dei/non-discrimination

https://www.clarkson.edu/student-life/student-support-services/dei/non-discrimination/diversity-and-inclusion-policies#:~:text=%E2%80%9CNo%20person%20shall%20be%20discriminated,status%2C%20personal%20status%2C%20ancestry%2C

The employee discrimination team will: Explain how we Investigate incidents (formally and informally); Offer Interim Measures to stop harmful behavior (i.e. No Contact Order); Give safety and support to targets (i.e. counseling, healthcare, and an advocate); Coordinate a strategy to remediate any negative effects of incident; Act on behalf of the university to prevent retaliation and re-occurrence.) Students bias response is covered in the Undergraduate regulations, section IX-N. Equal Opportunity, Harassment, and Nondiscrimination Policy ( pg. 63-125). The victim works with the Affirmative Action Officer with options for informal intervention or formal written complaints. Formal complaints go before a Grievance Committee. https://www.clarkson.edu/sites/default/files/2023-07/2022%20-%202023%20Clarkson%20Student%20Regulations%20%281%29.pdf

Scholarship programs are used as one mechanism for recruiting. Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation Program: LSAMP at Clarkson University is dedicated to increasing the number of underrepresented African American, Latino American and Native American (AALANA) students graduating with baccalaureate degrees in the STEM fields. The Clarkson University LSAMP is part of the Upstate Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (ULSAMP), which is a partnership between five 4-year institutions and two community colleges in Upstate New York, is funded by the National Science Foundation and Clarkson University. Collegiate Science & Technology Entry Program (CSTEP). The creation of this office brings together three long-standing federal and state Education Department and National Science Foundation programs in one location, providing ease in access to services for students. Faculty: All faculty and staff employment opportunities have mandatory advertising in outlets that serve underrepresented populations (e.g., DiversityJobs.com, NYS Veterans Affairs, Indeed)

"Journey into Clarkson" brings underrepresented, first-generation, & low income students to campus to visit before deciding to attend Clarkson. In the summer, HEOP offers a college prep program for first-year students called SPREE. SPREE consists of a 4-week summer program to assist students with the transition to postsecondary education on a residential campus at no cost: tuition, housing and meals are included. Students may earn up to 8 college credits through courses such as Pre-Calculus, Fundamentals of Business, Perspectives in Science and Technology, and Physics. Students also attend field trips, activities and community events and orient themselves to campus as part of acclimation to the Clarkson experience. We have an office for Community of Underrepresented Professional Opportunities that provides mentoring, tutoring and other support services https://www.clarkson.edu/cupo Numerous professional societies are supported by the university that provide communities and support for a number of underrepresented groups. (SWE, SHPE, AISES, MAPS, NSBE, (details only available through our intranet) For Faculty women (who are underrepresented given our focus on engineering and business): The university sponsors one lunch networking meeting per semester to ensure that all women know each other and have a venue to discuss issues of particular importance. Child care and maternity leave (and impacts on tenure) - for example) ACADEMIC STAFF: Clarkson University has pursued a variety of initiatives to promote equity of its women faculty, especially its STEM women faculty. Both quantitative data and qualitative climate survey results indicate that historical and ongoing initiatives have catalyzed positive change. However, these results also suggest that continued work is needed in the following three areas: to support women faculty with attention to the intersection among faculty members' diverse identities; to develop and foster effective and inclusive institutional leaders; and to better communicate the University's values pertaining to equity and inclusion. Clarkson proposed STEM LEAF (STEM Leadership, Equity, and Advancement for Faculty) which introduced evidence-based practices and structural changes to pursue three goals: (1) to significantly reduce implicit or unintentional bias associated with gender and its intersections with race and ethnicity, country of origin, sexual orientation, and disability; (2) to systematically and equitably support the development of inclusive leadership skills by department chairs, center/institute directors, and deans and the professional advancement of women STEM faculty, and (3) to promote the sustainability of these systemic efforts through university-wide structural changes. To reduce bias, STEM LEAF implemented the Advocates and Allies program developed by North Dakota State University and introduced adaptations informed by the insights and experiences of other small private universities. In addition, Advocates purposefully discussed literature pertaining to bias experienced by women of diverse social identifies and the impact that leadership style and actions have on culturally nondominant people and on institutional climate and culture. To systematically support professional development, STEM LEAF developed new programs to support the development of department chairs and deans, adapting the experiences of the University of Washington. An annual one-day retreat was introduced as well as once per semester roundtable discussions to facilitate community building and problem solving among current and future leaders. Additionally, STEM LEAF regularized seminars and workshops for STEM women faculty to empower them to navigate a culturally biased work environment and also for potential leaders and existing chairs. To tightly weave these activities into the fabric of Clarkson's climate and culture, a comprehensive review of policies and practices was undertaken, starting with chairs' duties to ensure they reflect the values of diversity and inclusion expected at Clarkson and facilitated by this ADVANCE initiative.

All of the student support services/professional societies mentioned above as well as our NSF-funded REU and US Dept. Education McNair Scholars Program programs include opportunities for students to do research as an undergraduate. Metrics for success in these programs include the % of underrepresented students served and % who move into a research oriented graduate program. Professional Societies -https://www.clarkson.edu/diversity-inclusion/student-diversity-inclusion-services - https://www.clarkson.edu/heop