Coastal Carolina University
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Coastal Carolina University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, genetic information, mental or physical disability, or status as a disabled or Vietnam-era veteran in its admissions policies, programs, activities, or employment practices. For more information, visit Title IX or EEO.

https://ci.coastal.edu/~mmurphy2/disclaimer/

In his June 28, 2020 message to the Coastal Carolina University Community, President DeCenzo announced, “Effective immediately, a review team will convene to review any future submissions of hate-filled messaging from members of our community. This team will include faculty, staff, and student representation and will recommend a course of action to the University leadership for each specific incident.” CART was created in response to a bias incident at CCU, and in an effort to build trust and transparency in the University’s response to bias incidents.

Since that time, any member of our university community can report hate and/or bias-related incidents through online, accessible bias incident reports. All incidents—regardless of severity—can be reported. When a bias incident is reported, the Community Accountability Review Team (CART) determines the most appropriate method of follow-up, and uses the report to address issues of concern and provide appropriate education to the campus community. The review team consists of seven voting members – 2 Faculty; 2 Staff; and 3 Students.

Individuals have the ability to submit a Bias Incident Form anonymously, should they wish to do so. If an individual provides identifying information about themselves, CART may direct that person to the appropriate supportive resources on campus. For example, bias incidents involving students are directed to the Student Advocacy and Intervention (SAI) team, within CCU’s Dean of Students Office. The SAI is dedicated to providing comprehensive advocacy and intervention services to assist students in managing all aspects of their personal, social, and academic success in an effort to balance the needs of individual students with the needs of the campus community. SAI serves to, inter alia, assist students who are struggling to function academically, socially, or mentally as a result of a personal challenge or crisis; and aid students in identifying and navigating offices both on and off campus to meet their respective needs. SAI areas of assistance include bias incidents.

Faculty/Staff Bias Reports are directed to the appropriate offices within HR.

If the report identifies conduct that is criminal in nature, or otherwise illegal, such as conduct that would constitute illegal discrimination or harassment, CART may determine that law enforcement involvement is necessary.

As part of its broader goal of proactively addressing bias and creating an inclusive campus community, all new, incoming students are required to complete an online course called “Get Inclusive - Voices for Change.” Additionally, the LiveWell Office offers its Step UP! Initiative, which is a prosocial behavior and bystander intervention program that educates students to be proactive in helping others. The goals of Step UP! are to: Raise awareness of helping behaviors; increase motivation to help; develop skills and confidence when responding to problems or concerns; and ensure the safety and well-being of self and others. Step UP! is a leadership program that educates students to be proactive in helping others. Step UP! Champions are students who make our community safer by choosing to intervene and take action using one of the three D's. (Direct, Distract, Delegate).

Sources:

CCU President Response to Hateful Language: https://www.coastal.edu/president/communications/responsetohatefullanguage/

CART: https://www.youtube.com/embed/T8TAjHK_OWY
https://www.coastal.edu/sai/studentresources/reportingbias/communityaccountabilityreviewteam/

Bias Reporting Process & FAQs: https://www.coastal.edu/dei/ccuclimate/reportingbias/ https://www.coastal.edu/sai/studentresources/reportingbias/faqs/

Student Advocacy Intervention team: https://www.coastal.edu/sai/

New Student Orientation: https://www.coastal.edu/nsfp/orientation/onlineorientation/

Step Up! https://www.coastal.edu/livewell/initiatives/stepup/

CALL ME MISTER
Mister stands for Mentors Instructing Students Towards Effective Role Models. The purpose of the program is to assist with the recruitment, training and certification of elementary teachers from disadvantaged communities who are planning to teach in South Carolina schools, especially the lowest performing elementary schools. It seeks to help build a more diverse group of educators by providing academics, social, and financial support to under-represented individuals interested in entering the teaching profession.
https://www.coastal.edu/admissions/callmemister/

SPECIAL PROGRAMS URL: https://www.coastal.edu/academics/academicprograms/specialprograms/

Bridge Program: The Bridge Program is a comprehensive, rigorous, residential program that provides an opportunity for participants to improve their academic skills and meet the admission requirements of Coastal Carolina University. Jointly administered by Coastal Carolina University and Horry Georgetown Technical College, the program provides support for the transition from high school to college and places primary emphasis on engaged learning in an active community of teacher-scholars and students. Students are invited to participate in this program based on their SAT/ACT and high school GPA.

CEaL Program: The Coastal Excellence and Leadership (CEaL) Program at Coastal Carolina University grants conditional admission to some students who fall just below the University's admission requirements. Admission to the CEaL program is by invitation only to a select group of students who have demonstrated academic potential through their hard work in high school classrooms. Students in the CEaL program must participate in and successfully complete a rigorous summer program before beginning their first fall semester at Coastal Carolina University.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOLAR RECRUITMENT: International Visiting Scholars is a program run by Coastal Carolina University that welcomes distinguished visitors and experts from around the world to classroom discussions, expand research and creative programs, and enrich the vibrant cultural life of the university and community. Some examples of past International Visiting Scholars would be Ms. Honghong Lyu from China who researched the area of English Methodology. Another example is Ms. Salma Oubkkou form Morocco who was CCU’s first Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant. She has a Master of Arts in Cultural Studies and is working on her doctorate in cultural studies. She taught Arabic Language during the 2018-2019 school year at Coastal Carolina University and also shared her culture through on-campus and community engagements.
https://www.coastal.edu/globalinitiatives/campusinternationalization/visitinginternationalscholarsandlecturers/

Non-Academic Staff: South Carolina is making our Veterans a priority for employment within state agencies and institutions. The South Carolina Department of Administration has announced that effective January 1, 2021, honorably discharged members of the United States Armed Forces who are given employment preference by the United States Government will be given preference for appointment and employment in every state government agency and higher education institution.

https://www.coastal.edu/hreo/careersatcoastal/
https://admin.sc.gov/dshr/recruitment

INTERCULTURAL INCLUSION INITIATIVES
URL: https://www.coastal.edu/intercultural/initiatives/

The collegiate experience is one that will challenge each individual’s perspective. The initiatives offered through the office of Intercultural and Inclusion Student Services are designed to support and advocate for underrepresented student populations, as well as serve as an educational resource for other student populations in an effort to ensure that Coastal Carolina University remains an inclusive campus. These initiatives include:

Students Navigating and Advising Peers (SNAP) is a traditional mentoring program that provides first-time freshmen students with tools for collegiate success. This program partners each new student with a seasoned upperclassman mentor who will assist them with adjusting to college life. Through the establishment of relationships with upperclassmen, freshmen in the program gain peer adjustment on campus resources, services and involvement to aid both academic success and discuss how mentees are adjusting and address any issues they are experiencing. Outside of the designated first meeting time, mentors remain in high contact with their paired mentees to provide a sense of continuous support.

‌The Leadership Challenge program recognizes academic skills and leadership potential in historically systemically nondominant students as a means of reinforcing their identity with the University; promotes the development of leadership potential through seminars, workshops, conferences and practical experience; and involves students in University and community service projects.

The African American Initiative for Men (AAIM) is a retention program administered by Intercultural and Inclusion Student Services. This initiative is designed to improve the academic and personal growth of men in the program. The goals of the program are to: Increase the retention and matriculation of African American men at CCU; and raise University perceptions and expectations of African American men.

The Safe Zone program is based on the commitment of Coastal Carolina University faculty, staff and students to the value of cultural diversity and the needs of lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer (LGBTQ) students, faculty and staff. Safe Zone members are committed to providing an environment in which every student and employee is free to thrive on an academic, professional, and personal level within a community that is based on respect and dignity. We are proud of Coastal Carolina University's culturally diverse population and support cultural diversity in every way possible. Safe Zone sends a message that sexual orientations and gender presentations are part of our culture and are acknowledged and supported. Safe Zone provides a visible network of volunteers for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other individuals seeking information and assistance regarding sexual orientation, gender identity, harassment and/or discrimination.

The Women of Color initiative is designed to enhance communication, camaraderie, and mentorship opportunities among all women of color. Students are provided a venue for all to come together and share common concerns and discuss issues that affect them on and off-campus. Empowerment sessions are one avenue used for students to express themselves, and to gain guidance and information.‌

COUNSELING SERVICES AND CETEAL SUPPORT SESSIONS FOR ACADEMIC AND/OR NON-ACADEMIC STAFF

Drop In Sessions offered monthly during FA/21: https://www.campusce.net/ccuceteal/course/course.aspx?catId=12

Faculty and Staff of Color Issues During Covid: According to the CDC, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought social and racial injustice and inequity to the forefront of public health. It has highlighted that health equity is still not a reality as COVID-19 has unequally affected many racial and ethnic minority groups, putting them more at risk of getting sick and dying from COVID-19. This drop-in session for faculty and staff of color is a safe space to voice your issues, concerns, and to listen to others about their reality and how they are coping with COVID-19. Angel Only-Livingston and her colleagues from Counseling Services will lead this session.

Women's Issues During Covid: National data demonstrates that women are the primary caregivers and breadwinners across the country. With COVID-19 women have had to juggle taking care of their children, parents, and work responsibilities in ways they never had before. The stress on women during COVID-19 has risen and will take a toll on one's health. This drop-in session for women is a safe space to discuss the stress that one is dealing with and talk about ways to recognize and reduce the added stress.

INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP WITH NATIONAL CENTER FOR FACULTY DEVELOPMENT

Starting in September 2021, CCU secured an Institutional Membership with the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD). The NCFDD is an independent faculty development center dedicated to supporting academics in making successful transitions throughout their careers. All faculty, postdocs, and graduate students at CCU have access to the following resources:

• Weekly Monday Motivator
• Monthly Core Curriculum Webinars
• Monthly Guest Expert Webinars
• Access to Multi-Week Courses
• Access to Dissertation Success Curriculum for graduate students
• Private Discussion Forum for peer-mentoring, problem-solving, & moderated writing challenges
• Monthly accountability buddy matches
• Access to 14-Day Writing Challenges
• Access to the Member Library that includes past webinar materials, referrals, and readings

The Institutional Membership is an annual subscription for an unlimited number of faculty, graduate students, post-docs, and administrators at an institution. This membership grants members on-demand access to our online members-only resources. Broadly speaking, these resources provide external mentoring and professional development training centered on helping faculty achieve outstanding research and writing productivity while having a full and healthy life off-campus.

The above outlines the benefits of membership from the point-of-view of individual faculty. From an institutional perspective, the NCFDD Institutional Membership provides a powerful recruitment, retention, and support mechanism for faculty, graduate students, and post-docs, particularly those from under-represented populations. Due to the growing awareness of the substantive nature of our core curriculum, under-represented faculty are increasingly viewing NCFDD membership as a positive and tangible sign of a university’s commitment to diversity.

See attached NCFDD Flyer for additional information.

URL: https://www.facultydiversity.org/institutions/coastal-carolina-university
URL: https://www.facultydiversity.org/institutions

WOMEN IN STEM FELLOWSHIP

In addition, CCU has a Women in STEM Fellowship, which equips female students in male-dominated STEM majors with the tools to deal successfully with challenges, intimidation, and stereotype threat and to make them feel like they belong in their areas of interest. The fellowship offers a mentoring program, financial support for conference travel, research, workshops, and other professionalization opportunities, and brings prominent female speakers in STEM fields to CCU to serve as role models for our fellows.
Women in STEM Fellowship Goals:
• Create a mentorship program in which female undergraduate and graduate students will offer advice and support to new female STEM majors
• Bring together female STEM students in monthly meetings that can serve as consciousness-raising sessions and community-building programs
• Support undergraduate research, conference travel, and memberships with pertinent professional organizations, such as the Association for Women in Math and Women in Computing
• Bring prominent female speakers in STEM fields to CCU to give campus-wide lectures and workshops on their experiences
• Select students to be CCU ambassadors who will reach out to younger female students in elementary and middle schools in the area to encourage interest in the STEM fields
• Conduct workshops on life-long learning skills to support success in students’ graduate and professional endeavors, such as graduate school application and grant writing techniques

URL: https://www.coastal.edu/womenstem/

Sources provided within descriptions.