Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.76
Liaison Josh Lasky
Submission Date Feb. 27, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

George Washington University
PA-6: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Keely Walston
Asst. to VP Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Office of Diversity and Inclusion
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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

A brief description of the programs sponsored by the institution to support underrepresented groups:

The University's Multicultural Student Services Center (MSSC) has a variety of support programs in place to support underrepresented groups on campus. MSSC is GW's center for multicultural student communication, community building, and leadership.  MSSC collaborates with faculty and major university offices to develop co-curricular and experiential learning opportunities for GW students to support the shaping of a campus climate that welcomes cultural, racial, ethnic, and intellectual diversity. The Center provides peer and professional staff, services, and other resources to support the academic, cultural, social, spiritual and professional growth of students as well as to enhance the retention, inclusion and increase in participation rates of students of color. MSSC sponsors RISE (a peer mentoring program), the Black Men's Initiative (a program geared to Black males at GW and the development of their complete selves), monthly cultural heritage celebrations, culture-centered activities, brown bag luncheons with faculty, a leadership series, lectures and other events to name a few that support the academic, social, intellectual and spiritual growth of underrepresented groups within the student body. The University Counseling Center (UCC) provides list of resources regarding culture and mental health. The UCC also provides counseling consultations at the MSSC to provide insight, support and introduction to other support resources.

The Office of Military and Veterans Affairs supports the learning, service, and excellence of students who are military members, veterans and military family members.

The Office of Disability Support Services provides registration assistance, readers, interpreters, scribes, individualized learning specialist support, adaptive materials and equipment, assistance with note taking, laboratory and library assistance, and test accommodations for students with a range of disabilities.


The website URL where more information about the support programs for underrepresented groups is available:
http://ci.gwu.edu/multicultural-student-services-center-mssc

Does the institution have a discrimination response policy and/or team (or the equivalent) 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 policy, program and/or team:

The university is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) employer committed to maintaining a non-discriminatory, diverse work environment. The university does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law in any of its programs or activities.

Contact: Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action.

Policies, procedures and programs addressing discrimination on the basis of sex, including relationship and sexual violence and stalking, can be found in the Threats and Violence Policy and Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence Policy and Procedures, and the Annual Safety and Security Report. As of October 1, 2014, the latter includes information about all possible sanctions, interim academic measures, and prevention programming. Information about confidential reporting and on- and off-campus support services can be found on the newly-created one-stop shop HAVEN website (designed in 2013) and Sexual Assault Crisis Response (SARC) team website.

A search is in progress for a new position, the Assistant Director for Sexual Assault Prevention and Response; new hire is expected to be in place by January 2015

Contact: Office of the Title IX Coordinator

Contact for questions regarding the protections against discrimination on the basis of disability: Students - Associate Dean of Students, Administrative Services, Office of the Dean of Students. Other members of the university community may contact the Executive Director of Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action.


The website URL where more information about the institution’s discrimination response policy, program and/or team is available:
http://hr.gwu.edu/eeo-statement

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

Does the institution produce a publicly accessible inventory of gender neutral bathrooms on campus?:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

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.