Hope College
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Hope College affirms the dignity of all persons as made in the image of God. Hope College is committed to being a welcoming, vibrant and caring academic community where academic excellence and the pursuit of knowledge are strengthened by our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; and grounded in the historic Christian faith, where the full humanity of all may flourish in an environment in which there is room for different perspectives that bring people together. It is the policy of Hope College not to discriminate on the basis of age, disability, ethnicity, familial status, genetic information, height, national origin, race, religion (except in the event of a bona fide occupational qualification), sex (including gender expression, gender identity, pregnancy, sexual orientation), theological perspectives (e.g., conservative, progressive, traditional), veteran status, weight or any other legally protected attribute, status or characteristic.
Our commitment to an equitable and inclusive place of learning, living, and working together, and to prevent discrimination and harassment, is the responsibility of all members of the Hope community.
Our Notice of Non Discrimination can be found at https://hope.edu/compliance.

Hope College is committed to fostering an environment in which all persons have an equal opportunity to work and to pursue learning freely, whether in group settings or in close relationships between individual students, faculty, and staff.
The Equity and Compliance Office reviews allegations of incidents that fall under Hope’s Non-Discrimination Policy. Support for individuals reporting incidents of harassment, discrimination, or bias is provided throughout the formal process in the form of a trained victim advocate or Equity Resolution Process (ERP) pool member assigned to work as an advisor/advocate for the individual. Alternatively, if the individual prefers, they may choose a non-trained advisor from outside the ERP pool or they may proceed without an advisor.
For students reporting witnessing a bias or discrimination incident, support is offered via various support offices on campus, including the Victim Advocate, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI), Counseling and Psychological Services, and Campus Ministries. Additionally, Student Development provides the Coordinated Assistance Response and Education Team which provides an integrated approach to student support and intervention. Examples of support provided include one-on-one advising/advocacy, psychological and emotional support, and academic schedule support.
For staff and faculty who report witnessing a bias or discrimination incident, support is offered first through Human Resources with additional support provided through Hope’s Employee Assistance Program which partners with Employee Assistance Center Work/Life. Additional support for employees may be provided via the Vice President for Culture and Inclusion who serves as a confidential resource. Examples of support provided include individual advising, psychological and emotional support, and workplace navigation support.
EQUITY RESOLUTION PANEL
Allegations under the nondiscrimination policy are resolved using the Equity Resolution Process. Members of the Equity Resolution Panel are trained in all aspects of the resolution process, and can serve in many roles at the direction of the Senior Director for Equity and Compliance/Title IX Coordinator.
https://hope.edu/offices/title-ix/equity-resolution-panel.html


TITLE IX COORDINATOR
The Title IX Coordinator[1] and ADA/504 Coordinator oversees implementation of Hope College’s policy on equal opportunity, harassment and nondiscrimination. The Title IX Coordinator acts with independence and authority free of conflicts of interest. To raise any concern involving a conflict of interest by the Title IX Coordinator, contact the Hope College President at 616-395-7780 or president@hope.edu. To raise concerns regarding a potential conflict of interest with any other administrator involved in the ERP, please contact the Title IX Coordinator.
Inquiries about and reports regarding this policy and procedure may be made internally to Taylor Sinclair
INQUIRIES MAY BE MADE EXTERNALLY TO:
Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-1100
Customer Service Hotline #: (800) 421-3481
Facsimile: (202) 453-6012
TDD#: (877) 521-2172
Email: OCR@ed.gov
Web: http://www.ed.gov/ocr
THE LOCAL OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS CAN BE CONTACTED AT:
Office for Civil Rights (Cleveland Office)
U.S. Department of Education
1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 325
Cleveland, OH 44115-1812
216-522-4970
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Contact: http://www.eeoc.gov/contact/

Students–
Children’s After School Achievement (CASA) is a community after-school program of Hope College that promotes educational achievement among underrepresented children. The program has been running successfully at Hope for over 30 years and exposes children from underrepresented backgrounds to a college environment and begins the process of helping them to envision themselves attending college–hopefully, Hope College.
By way of intentional collaboration with local schools, we seek to build strong learners in the early years of their education, support their right to quality education, and promote equal access to the tools they need to be successful.
To do so, we offer one-on-one tutoring sessions to 110 elementary school students during the school year and individualized classroom instruction and enrichment to 85 students during a six-week summer program. https://hope.edu/offices/childrens-after-school-achievement/
CASA is a feeder program for the Hope College Trio Upward Bound Program as well. Hope’s program is one of the longest successfully running programs in the country (50+ years). At Hope’s January 2018 Board of Trustees meeting, current Hope students, from freshmen to seniors, shared their journeys from CASA and TRIO/Upward Bound to Hope College. It was a wonderful testament to the success and impact of these two programs and they led elementary and high school students to success as Hope College students and beyond. TRIO is a set of seven federally-funded educational opportunity outreach programs and one staff training program. It seeks to motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds, namely low-income and/or first-generation students. TRIO programs provide academic tutoring, personal counseling, mentoring, financial guidance and other supports necessary for educational access and retention. https://hope.edu/offices/upward-bound/about-trio.html
SCHOLARSHIP - From a minimum of $6,000 to a full-ride scholarship, Hope proactively supports students from historically underrepresented groups. Additional scholarships are available to all minority students based on geography and academic performance.
PHELPS SCHOLARS PROGRAM - A living and learning community focused on diversity and inclusion, PSP works directly and indirectly to recruit students from historically underrepresented groups. This program is available for all freshmen students who have a desire to form strong multicultural relationships and live on campus in a more inclusive setting. From academic to social to experiential, the Phelps Scholars Program engages students on and off-campus through live changing conversations and excursions.
RECRUITING PARTNERSHIPS - Hope partners with several organizations around the country to actively recruit students from historically underrepresented groups. Hope seeks out/partners with organizations based on geography, faith background and accessibility. From underwriting prospective student travel to meeting financial need to providing special programming, Hope seeks out ways to collaborate throughout the recruiting process. A couple of examples include:
Participation in the Nobel Network Schools - Noble is a nonprofit organization that runs 17 charter public high schools and one middle school in the city of Chicago. Founded as Noble Street Charter School in 1999, we now serve over 12,000 students, and they come from every neighborhood in the city. Every year, 99% of our seniors are accepted into college before they graduate high school. Our schools are free and open-enrollment – any student who completes 8th grade and lives in Chicago may attend.
Taste of Hope - Has been an on-campus recruitment event specifically for inviting students/parents from underrepresented groups to campus. This event did not run in 2019 and was beginning to get redeveloped in 2020, however, due to the Covid-19 Crisis this did not happen.
CENTER FOR DIVERSITY & INCLUSION - A hub for multicultural life on Hope's campus, CDI works directly and indirectly with the Admissions office to recruit and support students from historically underrepresented groups. From cultural events and gatherings to direct contact with prospective students, CDI plays a key role in engaging and supporting students throughout their Hope journey.
SPECIAL EVENTS - Hope hosts a variety of special events, both on and off-campus, for prospective students from historically underrepresented groups focused on multicultural life, diversity and inclusion. Events give students a chance to meet with faculty, staff and current students to learn more about campus life. All of these events are free of charge and/or include significant financial assistance for prospective students and their families.
GROUP VISITS - The Admissions office offers opportunities for larger groups (3 or more) of students from historically underrepresented groups to visit campus free of charge. Visits include a campus tour, a meal and a panel discussion with current faculty, staff and students. Groups often consist of middle-school age students who are experiencing a college visit for the first-time.
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Academic staff –
The Hope Faculty Fellows (HFF) Teaching Fellowship is a one-year, salaried faculty fellowship with a teaching focus. As a Hope Faculty Fellow, mentoring is provided for both teaching and professional scholarship/creative performance. Mentoring includes New Faculty Orientation, Initium, departmental mentoring and a campus mentor. The fellowship includes furnished housing, a campus meal plan, and substantial fringe benefits. Although the fellowship is for one year only, a regular full-time, tenure-track position may be possible for the following year subject to performance and position availability. ABD applicants will receive a course release to complete the PhD. during the fellowship year. This program is designed as a pipeline program for increasing the representation of faculty from underrepresented backgrounds in higher education. To identify potential Fellows, we actively recruit at professional meetings such as the Southern Regional Education Board Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, the McKnight Doctoral Fellows annual conference, and the Howard University Preparing Future Faculty Summit.
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Non-Academic Staff–
Hope College has an active recruitment process for non-academic staff and we've expanded our outreach network of places we post staff job ads to enhance the diversity of our pools. We also have trained Equity Advisors who serve on staff and faculty hiring committees as a resource for equitable search processes.

Students –
1st Gen Program -Being first gen means that your parents or legal guardians did not complete a bachelor’s degree, and this describes 15% of all Hope College students. It also means that you are particularly well suited to succeed at Hope College. https://hope.edu/academics/first-year-experience/first-generation.html
Phelps Scholars - The Phelps Scholars Program prepares students to succeed and thrive in a world filled with people from many different backgrounds and who hold many different views. The Phelps Scholars Program is a unique combination of residential life, academic engagement and social activities that prepares students to be leaders in an increasingly global society. Phelps Scholars make a one-year commitment to live in community with others from a broad range of cultural backgrounds, and they explore together the issues of diversity that shape our world.
https://hope.edu/academics/phelps-scholars/
Guided by Christian faith, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) serves as a haven of support and celebration of racial/ethnic diversity and academic excellence, providing educational and developmental opportunities aimed at preparing all members of the campus and community to thrive in a diverse and global world. CDI provides advisory support to multicultural student groups on campus to support their success and sense of belonging. https://hope.edu/offices/center-diversity-inclusion/student-organizations.html
BLACK STUDENT UNION (BSU)
HOPE'S ASIAN PERSPECTIVE ASSOCIATION (HAPA)
LATINO STUDENT ORGANIZATION (LSO)
Pan African Student Association
Prism
Hopes Advocates for Invisible Conditions
Women of Color United

Events/Activities/Resources for students, faculty, and staff: https://hope.edu/offices/center-diversity-inclusion/events-and-programs/index.html
DIVERSITY LECTURE SERIES The Diversity Lectures Series features distinguished leaders and experts in diversity and inclusion, with a focus on research and scholarship. Hispanic Heritage Month lecture, Disability and Inclusion Lecture, Indigenous People’s lecture, MLK Civil Rights lecture, Black History lecture, Asian Heritage lecture, Ceasar Chavez lecture, Affirming LGBTQ+ lecture, LGBTQ+ History month
STEP2SUCCESS Step2Success (S2S) is a pre-orientation program that helps incoming students of color build connections and establish a sense of community, belonging and support during their transition to Hope College.
COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS - relevant topical discussions hosted by CDI
MENTORING - now being done out of BCCC as PODS - no longer a CDI program
My Truth Series & SENIOR RECOGNITION in the MSO Stole Ceremony and the Diversity Awards
My Truth Series - The Center for Diversity & Inclusion is pleased to release the My Truth Series. This series contains daily blogs and videos that will be released throughout the finals week, capturing the lived experiences of diverse students at Hope College.
The MSO Stole Ceremony celebrates the graduating seniors of the Multicultural Student Organizations: Asian Student Union, Black Student Union, Hope Advocates for Invisible Conditions, Latino Student Organization, Pan African Student Association, Prism and the Women of Color United. Seniors graduating any time in 2023 will be honored as members of the organizations.
Diversity Awards - Awards from the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Culture and Inclusive Excellence and Disability and Accessibility Resources will be given to graduating seniors and others from Hope College


PARTNERSHIP WITH GRAND RAPIDS AFRICAN AMERICAN HEALTH INSTITUTE - paused due to COVID
DIVERSITY INSTITUTE now offering Racial Healing Circles and CQ in conjunction with Hope’s Truth Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Center and the Office of Culture and Inclusive Excellence. We aspire to restart the Diversity Institute now that our staff has grown.
LEADERSHIP EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM - this is now the Early Access Reception held 2 times with the BCCC.


Natural and Applied Sciences Faculty and Staff Antiracism group
Natural and Applied Sciences Faculty of Color Group
NCFDD membership - National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity


-----Spearheaded by the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, GROW is a campus-wide collaboration of promoters, allies, and influencers working towards building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community. GROW Council was specifically designed specifically to support efforts, events, and advocacy for staff and faculty from underrepresented groups and is made up of allies from across the campus community. https://hope.edu/offices/center-diversity-inclusion/grow/index.html




-----As part of Hope's Strategic Plan-Goal 4 Objective 2: Recruitment, retention and vendor strategies will employ best practices in developing a diverse and inclusive community.


OBJECTIVE 2
Recruitment, retention and vendor strategies will employ best practices in developing a diverse and inclusive community.
KPI 1: DIVERSE APPLICANT POOLS
Hiring managers will be trained and equipped to recruit diverse applicant pools.
KPI 2: RETENTION, PROMOTION AND JOB SATISFACTION
Five-year average rates of retention, promotion, advancement, and job-satisfaction among underrepresented faculty and staff groups will be consistent with those of the majority. [Baseline: No baseline. To be established by spring 2015.]
KPI 3: MINORITY OWNED BUSINESS DIRECTORY
The college will implement a program to identify and invite minority- and women-owned businesses to participate in RFP processes and seek vendor opportunities.
KPI 4: RETENTION AND GRADUATION
Retention and graduation rates of degree-seeking students in each demographic sector (domestic minority, international, first generation, low SES) will be consistent with college-wide rates. [Baseline: First-year retention is 88%. Retention for identified sectors is slightly lower than average. Four-year graduation is 67%. Four-year graduation rate for identified sectors are 13-22% lower than average. Source: Frost Research Center.]
KPI 5: EMPLOYEE DIVERSIFICATION
The percentages of domestic minority and international staff and faculty will increase annually. [Baseline: 3.4% Resident and Non Resident Aliens; 8.4% Domestic Minority; 11.8% total base. Source: November 2014 IPEDS: Human Resources.]
KPI 6: DOMESTIC MINORITY AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ENROLLMENT
The percentage of domestic minority and international students will increase to 20% in the next ten year period. [Baseline: 2013-2014 -- 15%]. (Appears in 3.1.5.)

Hope has partnered with Howard University and the University of Texas at El Paso as a participant in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Postdoctoral Program for Preparing Future Faculty. This program supports two-year positions at Hope for recent doctoral graduates who are members of underrepresented groups in the natural sciences or psychology. These positions allow recent graduates to teach at an undergraduate level, with an active faculty member, and gain research experience by working on current research projects with active faculty.
Hope’s Graduate Experiential Mentoring (GEM) Program is designed to provide experiences for students from underrepresented backgrounds that increase their exposure to graduate school environments, encourage them to prepare for graduate school, and inspire them to become faculty members. A primary experience for the students is attending the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship (MDF) Program annual meeting. The MDF Program is designed to increase the number of African American and Hispanic scholars who have earned the Ph.D. degree “in crucial disciplines where members of underrepresented groups have not historically enrolled and completed degree programs.” (http://fefonline.org/mdf.html) This interdisciplinary program provides a pipeline opportunity not only for the recruitment of potential faculty members, but also for Hope College undergraduate students to have an opportunity to enter the pipeline to the Ph.D. and to a career as a faculty member in academia. Each year, Hope College’s Chief Officer for Culture and Inclusion identifies Hope undergraduate students of Black and Latinx heritage who are potentially thinking about graduate school and sponsors multiple students to attend the McKnight Doctoral Fellows conference. The students attend sessions alongside the matriculating doctoral students and have the opportunity to be in rooms with hundreds of scholars who come from similar backgrounds as they do. Being able to “see oneself” in this fashion helps to make the prospect of graduate school and a future as a professor seem less daunting and more attainable for students of color. As Hope College does not offer graduate programs of study, our role is to encourage undergraduate students to enter the pipeline. Students who attend the conference say that it increases their desire to attend graduate school and that it inspires them to see so many people of color who are working toward their doctorate degrees. The Chief Officer for Culture and Inclusion serves as a mentor for these students as they seek guidance for applying to graduate school and as they consider becoming faculty members. Conversations are ongoing for further development of this program.
As part of Hope's Strategic Plan-Goal 4 Objective 2: Recruitment, retention and vendor strategies will employ best practices in developing a diverse and inclusive community.
KPI 1: DIVERSE APPLICANT POOLS
Hiring managers will be trained and equipped to recruit diverse applicant pools.
KPI 2: RETENTION, PROMOTION AND JOB SATISFACTION
Five-year average rates of retention, promotion, advancement, and job-satisfaction among underrepresented faculty and staff groups will be consistent with those of the majority. [Baseline: No baseline. To be established by spring 2015.]
KPI 3: MINORITY OWNED BUSINESS DIRECTORY
The college will implement a program to identify and invite minority- and women-owned businesses to participate in RFP processes and seek vendor opportunities.
KPI 4: RETENTION AND GRADUATION
Retention and graduation rates of degree-seeking students in each demographic sector (domestic minority, international, first generation, low SES) will be consistent with college-wide rates. [Baseline: First-year retention is 88%. Retention for identified sectors is slightly lower than average. Four-year graduation is 67%. Four-year graduation rate for identified sectors are 13-22% lower than average. Source: Frost Research Center.]
KPI 5: EMPLOYEE DIVERSIFICATION
The percentages of domestic minority and international staff and faculty will increase annually. [Baseline: 3.4% Resident and Non Resident Aliens; 8.4% Domestic Minority; 11.8% total base. Source: November 2014 IPEDS: Human Resources.]
KPI 6: DOMESTIC MINORITY AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ENROLLMENT
The percentage of domestic minority and international students will increase to 20% in the next ten year period. [Baseline: 2013-2014 -- 15%]. (Appears in 3.1.5.)

In 2017 the City of Holland Human Relations Commission recognized the
Latino Student Organization
Hope Democrats
Hope United for Justice
with the 2017 Youth Social Justice Award on recognition of advocacy and awareness around the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

Latin Americans United For Progress (LAUP) also recognized Hope College for extraordinary support. http://laup.org/

In April 2019 all Hope faculty, staff, and students were invited for a research showcase and awareness event by the students of "Challenging Bodies: Disability, Gender, and Culture." Student research topics include: ASL at Hope, housing options for upper-level students with disabilities, gender neutral housing options, improving signage on campus, accessibility of the Pull, and more.
"Join us, to learn, and share ideas on how the college can take a leading role in national efforts and advance our strong legacy of access and inclusion."