Connecticut College
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Connecticut College is committed to the goal of achieving equal opportunity for all and, accordingly, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, expression and characteristics, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, visible or invisible disability, or status as a disabled veteran of the Vietnam era. The College complies with federal and state legislation and regulations regarding nondiscrimination. This policy applies to faculty and staff, applicants for faculty and staff positions, students and applicants for educational programs and activities. Inquiries concerning this policy should be addressed to the Affirmative Action Officer, Fanning Hall, Connecticut College, 270 Mohegan Avenue, New London, Connecticut, 06320-4196. https://www.conncoll.edu/employment/nondiscrimination-policy/

The Bias Incident Review Team is a committee chaired by the Associate Dean of Equity and Compliance Programs and is made up of faculty and staff and meets when there is a bias incident report. Their work includes preemptive action through education, effective and thoughtful response to egregious incidents, and timely and developmental response to behaviors through education and facilitated conversations. When a student experiences or witnesses a bias incident they can work with a staff liaison who will help support them through the bias reporting protocol. To the extent possible, those handling complaints will maintain the privacy of all parties involved. The following types of support are offered to students who have witnessed or experienced a bias incident: contact limitation orders, help with gaining accommodations for coursework (deadline extensions, etc.), education about the legal processes for bias, harassment and hate crimes, and relocation to a new residence hall.

Students are recruited through the programs Explore Weekend, Spring Preview, and the Posse Program. Explore Weekend is a program hosted each fall for high school seniors of underrepresented backgrounds, as well as those committed to diversity and social justice. Explore offers an introduction to the liberal arts environment of Connecticut College and a chance to learn about campus resources for students of color. Explore participants experience life on campus through the lens of our multicultural community (https://www.conncoll.edu/explore-weekend/). Spring Preview is a similar event targeted towards admitted students .

Connecticut College is a partner college of the Posse Program, which provides supportive, multicultural teams and four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships to public high school students (https://www.conncoll.edu/academics/dean-of-the-college/posse/program-mission-and-goals/).

Any prospective student with an interest in social justice was able to participate in Social Justice Days held in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 (https://www.conncoll.edu/admission/on-campus-events/social-justice-days/).

The Dean of the Faculty and the Division of Institutional Equity and Inclusion work together to follow a written protocol for establishing diverse applicant pools for faculty positions. The process includes meeting with search committees to train them on implicit bias and identifying resources in their specific fields to help diversify the applicant pool.

The Genesis orientation program supports first generation students of color through an orientation program and a peer mentoring program (https://www.conncoll.edu/campus-life/race-and-ethnicity-programs-at-unity-house/programs-and-services/genesis/). The Women of Color Collective (WOCC) and the Men of Color Alliance (MOCA) are mentoring programs with students paired with faculty or staff mentors. The Queer Peer mentoring program matches LGBTQIA first years with upper class students (https://www.conncoll.edu/gsp/lgbtqia-center/programs/). Finally, the Posse Program pairs students in each Posse cohort with faculty mentors (https://www.conncoll.edu/academics/dean-of-the-college/posse/conn-posse-staff-/current-posse-mentors/).

New Faculty from underrepresented groups attend an orientation program where they are matched mentors from the senior faculty.

A support network for staff of color meets monthly to discuss relevant topics pertaining to their work within the campus community.

The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) Program aims to increase the number of underrepresented/minority students in faculty positions at colleges and universities. The Andrew Mellon Foundation in New York City sponsors the program through some 40+ participating colleges, of which Connecticut College is one. Each year, faculty members select up to five rising juniors who seek to pursue a Ph.D. in core fields in the arts and sciences. The program provides these fellows with faculty mentorship and research training, as well as a yearly stipend, summer research support, funding for research-related travel and the opportunity to attend conferences with other Mellon fellows. Mellon fellows who, in preparation for professorial careers, enroll in Ph.D. programs after graduation are then eligible for repayment of their undergraduate loans up to a maximum of $10,000.
https://www.conncoll.edu/equity-inclusion/mellon-mays-undergraduate-fellowship-program/

Data was provided by the Dean of Institutional Equity, the Director of Race and Ethnicity Programs and the Associate Dean for Equity and Compliance Programs.