Indiana University Indianapolis
PA-5: Assessing Diversity and Equity

Between December of 2015 and February 2017 Indiana University conducted a comprehensive external diversity assessment of its multi-campus, public research institution to strengthen university-wide strategic planning. An outside consultant, Halualani and Associates, conducted the assessment to ensure an objective and comprehensive evaluation was completed. The assessment serves as a baseline measurement for Indiana University in diversity achievement and progress for each campus. The assessment included: • a thorough assessment of all diversity, inclusion, and inclusive excellence efforts and programs via diversity mappings across seven campuses; • a thorough assessment of retention-graduation/student success initiatives and efforts via retention-graduation mappings across seven campuses; • a diversity benchmarking through the Atlas database which enables a comparative ranking of Indiana University across comparable peers/universities/systems in terms of specific diversity, inclusion, and inclusive excellence areas; and • an evaluation of the organizational capacity, effectiveness, and impact of the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural Affairs. The Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs will continue to work with each campus to ensure that the research is optimally leveraged and that best practices are shared. https://diversity.iu.edu/about/diversity-assessment.html

On the IUPUI campus, there were over 1,570 diversity efforts over the five year assessment period with 69% of these efforts institutionalized and in place for many years. Noted as impressive & of a high quality level, 96% of these efforts were centrally focused on diversity and inclusion. IUPUI has strongly exerted itself to create a diverse student population and build a campus climate that is supportive and inclusive with 94% of these efforts in the 2nd order (commitment demonstrated by an action, effort, or program) stage. The majority of the diversity efforts were categorized as: Events (61%, 950), Student Organizations (6%, 96), Mission Statements (4%, 70), and Student Recruitment (4%, 66), with the remaining efforts (25%) spread across 19 other types. IUPUI mostly defines diversity in terms of the following: Race/Ethnicity 23%, Gender 20%, Intersectionalities 17%, and Socioeconomic Class 14%. All of IUPUI’s main divisions are active participants in its diversity efforts, with a notable finding that all of its academic schools have a diversity strategy in place. IUPUI’s Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion have been the “heavy lifters” in IUPUI’s diversity efforts in terms of carrying out 90% (1401) of IUPUI’s diversity efforts. IUPUI’s past diversity efforts, however, did not always reveal a clear, distinctive diversity strategy that anchored the campus. However, this will be addressed through the diversity-related goals that are laid out in “Our Commitment to Indiana and Beyond: IUPUI Strategic Plan” (especially in the “Promote an Inclusive Campus Climate” Objective). IUPUI has taken the critical steps of integrating diversity as a major goal area in its current strategic planning effort. Other recommendations are for IUPUI to do more in the area of high-impact retention-graduation interventions for diverse students; increased focus on political ideology, active duty/veterans, age, and generation; More needs to be done with regard to engaging campus members into difficult conversations around power differences, inequalities, and disparities (especially health-related) experienced by different groups and in various contexts; continued emphasis on disability, sexual orientation, language, and regional origin; create customized diversity efforts for staff and faculty members; Examine the Integration of Diversity Content, Topics, Pedagogies in All Curricula (UG, GR); and Continue Campus Climate (Experiences) Assessment every Two years. https://diversity.iu.edu/doc/iupui-diversity-mapping-infographic.pdf https://diversity.iu.edu/doc/iupui-powerpoint.pdf

A number of events were held to discuss the process and later, the results, findings, and recommendations. These were open to all and were widely attended. Summaries were also publicized in News at IU and other outlets. https://news.iu.edu/stories/2017/10/iu/releases/27-diversity-assessments.html Results are also available online. https://diversity.iu.edu/about/diversity-assessment.html INCLUSIVE CAMPUS ENVIRONMENT TOOLKIT https://diversity.iu.edu/about/campus-environment-toolkit/index.html serves as a reference guide to information and resources to support university community members as they address situations, to offer strategies for action, and provide steps you can take to help build safe and inclusive campus communities.