Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 55.06
Liaison Michael Amadori
Submission Date Feb. 27, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Hobart and William Smith Colleges
PA-6: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.42 / 3.00 Solomé Rose
Former Diversity Officer
Office of Diversity & Inclusion
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have a publicly posted non-discrimination statement? :
Yes

The non-discrimination statement, including the website URL where the policy is publicly accessible:

Hobart and William Smith Colleges are committed to providing a non-discriminatory and harassment-free educational, living, and working environment for all members of the HWS community, including students, faculty, staff, volunteers, and visitors. HWS prohibits discrimination and harassment in their programs and activities on the basis of age, color, disability, domestic violence victim status, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other status protected under the law. Discrimination on the basis of sex includes sexual harassment, sexual violence, sexual assault, other forms of sexual misconduct including stalking and intimate partner violence, and gender-based harassment that does not involve conduct of a sexual nature.

URL: http://www.hws.edu/policy.aspx


Does the institution have a discrimination response protocol or committee (sometimes called a bias response team) 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 protocol or team (including examples of actions taken during the previous three years):

Reporting and Procedures for Dealing with Bias Related Crimes and Incidents

All members of the Colleges’ community are encouraged to report hate crimes and bias related incidents. In addition to reporting directly to the Office of Campus Safety, hate crimes and bias incidents may be reported anonymously on the bias incident reporting form located on the Colleges’ web site at: http://www.hws.edu/about/bias_reporting.aspx.

In addition, members of the campus community are encouraged to report hate crimes directly to the Geneva Police Department.

A bias indicator is an objective fact, circumstance, or pattern standing alone or in conjunction with other facts or circumstances that suggests that the offender’s actions were motivated, in whole or in part, by bias. The following are some of the factors that may indicate bias motivation.

1. Racial, ethnic, gender, and cultural differences exist between the perpetrator and victim.
2. Comments, written statements, and gestures were made.
3. Drawings, markings, symbols, and graffiti were left.
4. Organized hate groups or their members were involved.
5. The victim previously had received bias motivated harassing mail or phone calls.
6. The victim’s or witness’s perception of the incident is that it was motivated by bias.
7. The location of the incident indicates bias motivation.

A bias-related incident (not a hate crime) committed by a staff member will be referred to Human Resources for disciplinary action. Faculty members will be referred to the Provost. Students will be referred to the appropriate dean. If the offender is a visitor he will be asked to leave the campus immediately. The visitor will be arrested if he or she refuses to comply and the visitor may be banned from future presence on the campus.

Students have been asked to leave the Colleges and/or, participate in restorative justice measures such as educational workshops. In a few cases criminal charges have been levied as well.


Does the institution have programs specifically designed to recruit students from underrepresented groups?:
Yes

Does the institution have programs specifically designed to recruit staff from underrepresented groups?:
No

Does the institution have programs specifically designed to recruit faculty from underrepresented groups?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s programs to recruit students, staff and/or faculty from underrepresented groups:

Student Recruitment from Underrepresented Groups: Posse - In 2012, The Colleges partnered with Posse, one of the most successful college access and youth leadership development programs in the country. Posse helps to identify promising youth in public high schools around the country through a process that takes into account academic and leadership potential that may have been overlooked by standard practices. In doing so, Posse expands the pool from which top colleges and universities recruit students from diverse backgrounds.

The Colleges also have academic opportunity programs to ensure that students from lower socioeconomic statuses are able to attend HWS.

Faculty Recruitment from Underrepresented Groups: The Colleges are a member of the Consortium for Faculty Diversity and have used that body to recruit and retain faculty of color.


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

Does the institution have mentoring, counseling, peer support or other programs to support staff from underrepresented groups on campus?:
No

Does the institution have mentoring, counseling, peer support or other programs to support faculty from underrepresented groups on campus?:
No

A brief description of the institution’s programs to support students, staff and/or faculty from underrepresented groups:

Academic Opportunity Programs, which includes HEOP and the HWS AOP program, is an access and academic support program that by nature is fluid in its operation by creating a web of support for first generation and traditionally underrepresented populations in higher education. Our program population is made up of HEOP (75%) and HWS AOP students (25%) totaling approximately 90. The Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) is funded by the New York State Department of Education and Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Program students now enjoy an 90% or higher graduation and retention rate. HEOP is regarded as one of the most successful academic access and support programs of its type in the nation based upon student achievement and graduation rates according to the Teagle Foundation.

Support services offered to students include the following: Academic, personal, financial and career counseling: The Academic Opportunity Program staff can assist its students by providing essential counseling and advising support in the areas of academic, financial aid and social support. The staff also works closely with students to help them take advantage of many other campus resources available such as Career Services, the Counseling Center, faculty advisers, and the Center for Teaching and Learning.

Tutorials: Tutoring and academic support is provided by both Academic Opportunity Program staff and through the Colleges' Center for Teaching and Learning.

Full-need financial aid package: Financial aid is provided through a combination of grants, loans and work. First-year students also receive assistance in purchasing their books and supplies.


Does the institution have training and development programs, teaching fellowships and/or other programs that specifically aim to support and prepare students from underrepresented groups for careers as faculty members?:
No

A brief description of the institution’s programs to support and prepare students from underrepresented groups for careers as faculty members:
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Does the institution produce a publicly accessible inventory of gender-neutral bathrooms on campus?:
Yes

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

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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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.