Indiana University Southeast
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Indiana University prohibits discrimination and harassment based on arbitrary considerations of such characteristics as age, color, disability, ethnicity, sex, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status. The Office of Affirmative Action works to ensure compliance with federal, state and university equal employment opportunity and affirmative action policies and requirements. These procedures guide the Office of Affirmative Action when handling any incident of alleged discrimination related to any of the IU campuses, including IU Southeast.

Official Policy: Non-Discrimination/Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action
UA-01
https://policies.iu.edu/policies/ua-01-equal-opportunity-affirmative-action/index.html

Indiana University pledges itself to continue its commitment to the achievement of equal opportunity within the University and throughout American society as a whole. In this regard, Indiana University will recruit, hire, promote, educate, and provide services to persons based on their individual qualifications.

As required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Indiana University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational programs and activities, including employment and admission. Questions specific to Title IX may be referred to the Office for Civil Rights or the university Title IX Coordinator.

Indiana University shall take affirmative action, positive and extraordinary, to overcome the discriminatory effects of traditional policies and procedures with regard to the disabled, minorities, women, and veterans.

Indiana University Southeast is committed to creating welcoming, inclusive, and respectful campus communities where everyone can thrive and do their best work—a place where all are treated with civility and respect. If you experience, witness, or are aware of a bias incident, report it. Reporting an incident allows us to support those impacted and take steps to prevent future incidents.

This can be done in the following ways:
IU has an electronic Bias Report mechanism, or faculty, students, and staff can contact the Office of Associate Dean of Students via email, phone, or in person. The electronic bias report mechanism is also available as an App in IU's app system, One.IU.edu, and is mobile-friendly.

Website to report bias:
https://reportincident.iu.edu/

What to expect once a report is submitted:
A campus team of trained university officials from the Office for Institution Equity (OIE) privately reviews all submitted bias incident reports with responses typically 1-2 business days of reporting an incident.

IU uses a five-step process to respond to bias incidents.
Report: A bias responder receives a report of a bias incident.
Respond: The bias responder contacts the reporting party within two business days to gather information about the incident. (Reports can be submitted anonymously, but an anonymous report limits the bias responder’s ability to gather information and respond to the incident.)
Note: Reporting an incident does not necessarily mean you have to participate or move forward with a complaint under the university’s procedures. If you request that no action be taken, IU will weigh this request against its duty to maintain a safe community.

Non-retaliation provision
Retaliation against anyone who has reported an incident, provided information, or participated in a university investigation in response to a reported incident is prohibited by the university and will not be tolerated. The university will take steps to prevent retaliation, and will impose sanctions on anyone or any group who is found to have engaged in retaliation in violation of this policy. Concerns about potential retaliation can also be reported on the online Bias Report.

A trained campus representative will:
• Review the report.
• Identify if there is an immediate emergency, if a criminal offense occurred, or if other university/campus partners are to be notified.
• Gather other preliminary information.
• Offer the complainant and witnesses resources and support.
• Assist the complainant in contacting local law enforcement if desired.
• Determine if the complainant wants to move forward with an investigation.
• In appropriate cases where facts are not in dispute, the respondent accepts responsibility, and a resolution may be issued, with the consent of both the complainant and respondent.

Many times the complainant wants a university official to be aware of a situation of student misconduct but does not want to move forward with a formal investigation. And that is ok. In most situations, the university is able to honor the complainant’s request. However, there are rare situations in which the nature of the incident or information known does require the university to proceed with an investigation. In these situations, the complainant can choose how involved they are in the process.

When the complainant or university chose to move forward with student misconduct procedures, an investigative officer will be assigned to handle the case.
• Responses to bias incidents may include:
• If a professor is involved, administrators may grant the student alternative courses for the same credit so the student does not need to take a class with the professor involved in the case, and professors may be asked to use double-blind grading screens.
• A notice to the campus community about the incident to create awareness and influence change.
• Educational conversations, workshops, seminars, and trainings.
• Removal of graffiti or flyers.
• Mediation and facilitated dialogue
• Support and assistance to affected individuals and/or communities.
• Resolution agreements (e.g., behavioral contracts).
• Verbal warnings.
• Referrals to relevant resources (e.g., Counseling and Psychological Services’ Let’s Talk program)
• Referrals to other offices or departments as appropriate (e.g., the Office of Student Conduct or the IU Police Department)

An individual can also notify the Director of Staff Diversity and Equity about a bias incident.

IUS is committed to maintaining an employment and learning environment free of discrimination, The IUS Office of Equity and Diversity is the campus's neutral unit charged with investigating allegations of discrimination and harassment in the working and learning environment. A staff member will meet with the individual filing the complaint. Except in limited circumstances. a grievance form must be completed and signed by the Complainant before any actions will be taken in response to the complaints.
• Some complaints are referred to the Office of Equity and Diversity from other university offices. Any discrimination complaint filed with Human Resources will be forwarded to the Office of Equity and Diversity for investigation.

The Office of Equity and Diversity attempts to resolve all complaints of discrimination internally in a fair and equitable manner. The Office of Equity and Diversity does this by:
• Conducting a fair and objective investigation into the allegations of discrimination.
• Making recommendations for appropriate action to persons of authority in the department or unit involved based on the results of the investigation.
• Notifying the Vice Chancellor and/or the Complainant and Respondent of the university's action;
• Handling conflict resolution through mediation;
• Conducting equal opportunity/affirmative action training workshops and distributing compliance materials.

IUS also provides students with the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct which can include:
• Right to Freedom from Discrimination
• Right to Freedom from Harassment
https://studentcode.iu.edu/rights/index.html

DACA @ IU
https://daca.iu.edu/
IU's commitment: Indiana University has long recognized the absolute necessity of a diverse and inclusive community to an excellent education. All IU students, regardless of their background or country of origin, are welcome in our community. Each and everyone brings perspectives and experiences that, taken together, enrich the educational experience and prepare our students to thrive in the 21st century. Our student body expresses who we are as a community and reflects our foundational commitment to inclusion and diversity.

As a public institution bound by federal and state laws, Indiana University is able to, and will, take several steps to support all IU students, regardless of personal characteristics or background:

o We respect the privacy of all students equally, in their studies, work, and personal lives, and therefore will only inquire into, record, use, or communicate a person’s immigration status when required by law or when necessary to protect a person’s safety; in particular, we protect the privacy of all student records as required by the Federal Educational Records Protection Act (FERPA).

o We provide counseling and support to students on immigration-related concerns.

o We will counsel students about and connect students to available resources for educational and living expenses for which they are legally eligible.

o We vigorously investigate and refer for prosecution anyone who threatens, intimidates, or harasses any member of our community, and make special efforts to protect those who are targeted or at risk for physical harm, threats or intimidation.

o We will continue and intensify IU's long-standing advocacy for expanded access to higher education for all Indiana University students living in the United States, including specifically advocating for the continuation of DACA and for the equal treatment of such students for all educational programs. President McRobbie signed a letter last year in conjunction with many other university presidents and chancellors stating our support of continuing and expanding the DACA program.

Office of Equity and Diversity provides diversity statistics.
These reports can be found here:
https://uirr.iu.edu/facts-figures/index.html?_ga=2.252450380.45977458.1654013999-1226420419.1637698014&_gac=1.261312383.1652806031.CjwKCAjwj42UBhAAEiwACIhADhEcw_Bt4nRTkcDb6L45q1JAiYHJ4LTSZ4EF54u1SzetkKzlboVN7xoCKEoQAvD_BwE

Sexual Misconduct
https://stopsexualviolence.iu.edu/report/index.html

Non-Discrimination/Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policies
http://policies.iu.edu/policies/categories/administration-operations/equal-opportunity/Equal-Opportunity-Affirmative-Action.shtml

Affirmative Action Plan
Our objective is always to employ and promote the best person for the job. The annual AAP is used as a management tool to identify and remove barriers to the employment and advancement of women, minorities, veterans, and disabled workers.
https://www.ius.edu/diversity/staff/affirmative-action/plan.php

Affirmative Action Policies
University employment policies protect all employees from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
https://policies.iu.edu/adm-operations/index.html?_ga=2.54845166.45977458.1654013999-1226420419.1637698014&_gac=1.257034873.1652806031.CjwKCAjwj42UBhAAEiwACIhADhEcw_Bt4nRTkcDb6L45q1JAiYHJ4LTSZ4EF54u1SzetkKzlboVN7xoCKEoQAvD_BwE

Federal and State Employment Law
We are committed to the practice of equal opportunity and affirmative action in all aspects of federal and state employment law.
https://www.ius.edu/diversity/staff/affirmative-action/laws.php

Grievance form
https://webdata.ius.edu/forms/se-view.php?id=229969

Diversity Staff Complaint
https://www.ius.edu/diversity/staff/complaint-process.php

(1) Student Recruitment
The following are strategies IUS has developed to help with recruitment.

1. Increase interactions with programs (e.g., Project Ahead, Upward Bound, and GEAR UP) that identify those students more likely to persist from among underrepresented populations.

P-12 Partnerships
1. Partner with middle and high schools to connect our campus to academies/magnets through academic and social opportunities.
• Establish regular meetings with area school superintendents, building staff, and other educators to identify partnership opportunities to reach high-achieving and underrepresented student populations.

2. Increase campus diversity through school partnerships that address needs created by demographic changes.
• Create marketing and recruitment materials that are user-friendly to culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students/families.
• Identify and employ high-impact practices that recruit and retain a diverse student population.
• Increase partnerships with agencies/organizations that support CLD students.
• Develop and deploy recruitment and marketing strategies aimed at addressing the unique needs of students in rural communities.

IUS will use high-impact practices (HIPs) and resources to promote equity in student retention, academic success, and degree completion
1. Decrease gaps in HIPs among academic programs and resource utilization between subgroups (e.g., first-generation college students, underrepresented minority students, and early career students), paying particular attention to groups with lower rates of persistence.

2. Increase focus on recruiting those students with traits that make them more likely to persist. Leverage admitted high-ability students and scholarship recipients to attract peers.
o Create opportunities for “bridge” experiences that expose prospective high-ability students to academic quality, rigor, and cultural diversity.
o Develop a “next generation” communication plan. Initiative A: Create communication sub-plans for segmented target populations including parents, minority students, 21st Century Scholars, and high-ability students. Utilize messaging that connects prospective students to academic quality and successful outcomes.

3. Increase overall diversity among incoming students to be more reflective of our region.
o Initiative A: Increase recruitment and support efforts for international students. Identify populations of potential students most likely to enroll at IU Southeast. Work to mitigate the impact of systematic barriers to application processing and enrollment. Continue to offer scholarships for international students to increase student yield.
o Initiative B: Build relationships that allow us to increase campus participation in community-based minority support and interest groups. Commit scholarship and other resources as appropriate to those relationships.
o Initiative C: Leverage campus and academic events, study abroad opportunities, and campus community resources to highlight and promote diversity among our prospective and incoming students

IUS offers the following scholarships:
21st Century
https://www.ius.edu/21st-century-scholars/

Frank O’Bannon
https://studentcentral.indiana.edu/pay-for-college/funding-options/grants/indiana-residents.html#:~:text=Frank%20O'Bannon%20Grant,associate's%20degree%20at%20IU%20Bloomingto

AICPA Scholarships for Minority Students
https://www.ius.edu/student-central/paying-for-college/funding-opportunities/scholarships/scholarship-listing.html?award=aicpa-scholarships-for-minority-students

Association of American Indian Affairs
https://www.ius.edu/student-central/paying-for-college/funding-opportunities/scholarships/scholarship-listing.html?award=association-of-american-indian-affairs

Black Achievers Scholarship
https://www.ius.edu/student-central/paying-for-college/funding-opportunities/scholarships/scholarship-listing.html?award=black-achievers-scholarship

Hispanic Scholarship Fund
https://www.ius.edu/student-central/paying-for-college/funding-opportunities/scholarships/scholarship-listing.html?award=hispanic-scholarship-fund

ICHE Minority Teachers & Special Education Scholarship
https://www.ius.edu/student-central/paying-for-college/funding-opportunities/scholarships/scholarship-listing.html?award=iche-minority-teachers-special-education-scholarship

J. Terrence and Peggy Cody Scholarship
https://www.ius.edu/student-central/paying-for-college/funding-opportunities/scholarships/scholarship-listing.html?award=j-terrence-and-peggy-cody-scholarship

Jerrol Z. Miles Scholarship
https://www.ius.edu/student-central/paying-for-college/funding-opportunities/scholarships/scholarship-listing.html?award=jerrol-z-miles-scholarship

(2) Academic Staff Recruitment
IUS Faculty Search Committees along with the Office of Equity and Diversity- must themselves be diverse; women and minority members should be included according to IUS’s “Academic-Professional Recruitment & Search Guide” titled “Building the Foundation for a Diverse Community”.

This guide is provided to “Search Committee” members to ensure that they follow the ongoing commitment of IUS to diversity and inclusion while recruiting academic staff. The charge of the committee must include diversity initiatives of the department.

When the IUS Search Committee announces a position they must stress the university’s commitment to diversity and they are encouraged to do this by adding wording such as “interact with a diverse student and faculty community.” They also use inclusive language. Here is an example of two standard statements that are included in the announcement:
o “Consistent with the University’s commitment to diversity, persons from traditionally underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.”
o “IU Southeast is committed to a learning environment that actively seeks to support students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds.”

Additionally, the Search Guide encourages the committee members to conduct bias-free recruitment. Examples of this can include:
o Age
o Citizenship
o Race/Color
o Religion
o Disability
o Ethnicity/National Origin
o Veteran/Military Status
o Marital/Family Status
o Family
o Pregnancy
o Gender
o Sexual Orientation

For additional information:
https://www.ius.edu/digital-publications/recruitment-search-guide/2017/#25/z

IU Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines Academic Recruitment
https://institutionalmemory.iu.edu/aim/handle/10333/3985

Resources provided by the Office of Equity and Diversity
https://www.ius.edu/diversity/faculty/index.php

(3) Non-Academic Staff Recruitment

• Existing measures include policies for Fair Treatment in the Workplace (including a bias-free environment) and Affirmative Action Recruitment. Additionally, all supervisors must attend Equal Opportunity Employment training.
https://expand.iu.edu/browse/e-training/hr/courses/hr-iub-eeo

Human resources policies can be viewed here:
http://policies.iu.edu/policies/categories/human-resources/index.shtml

• IU Office of Institutional Equity provides guidance on IU’s commitment to equal opportunity and affirmative action. The office thus supports and advises the efforts of officers on all IU campuses in ensuring a diverse and equitable work and academic environment for all members of the university community. More: equity.iu.edu/about/index.html

• IU is dedicated to providing equal access to our employment environment while at the same time taking affirmative actions to recruit and retain outstanding female faculty and staff as well as those historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, veterans, and persons with disabilities in compliance with its Non-Discrimination/Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policy, Executive Order 11246 (as amended by 11375), Section 402 of the Veterans Readjustment Act, and Section 503 of Rehabilitation Act.

Students
The CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) program at IUS is committed to the mission of Indiana University. IU’s mission explicitly states IU “strives to achieve full diversity and to maintain friendly, collegial, and humane environments…”.

In alignment with the University’s mission, CAPS supports all students and supports students who experience discrimination, harassment, and trauma related to violence often because of the color of their skin. Systemized, historical, and recent violent acts targeted toward certain populations understandably create emotional distress, depression, and anxiety.

CAPS also provides links to the following resources to students
Self-care for people of color after psychological trauma
http://www.justjasmineblog.com/blog-1/self-care-for-people-of-color-after-emotional-and-psychological-trauma/

Racial Healing Projects
https://www.racialhealingproject.com/

Online resources
• ASHA International – BIPOC Mental Health Resources -Articles(coping with anticipatory grief, coping with traumatic stress, navigating racial battle fatigue) and an extensive list of resources.
https://myasha.org/bipoc-mental-health-resources/

• BIPOC Mental Health Resources | Coordinating Centers of Excellence-Extensive list of resources developed by the Northeast Ohio Medical University.
https://www.neomed.edu/ccoe/mental-health-resources/bipoc/

• Black Mental Health Alliance-Resources, events, programs, and a "Find a Therapist" locator.
https://www.blackmentalhealth.com/

• Black Mental Wellness-Information and resources about mental health and behavioral health topics from a Black perspective, as well as training opportunities for students and professionals.
https://www.blackmentalwellness.com/

• Latinx/Hispanic Communities and Mental Health | Mental Health America (mhanational.org)-Resources, book recommendations, and Therapist Directory.
https://www.mhanational.org/issues/latinxhispanic-communities-and-mental-health

• Latinx Therapy – Mental Health Resources- Podcasts, YouTube Channels, books
https://latinxtherapy.com/resources/

• Liberate - Daily meditation app for the Black experience (liberatemeditation.com)-Subscription-based meditation app
https://liberatemeditation.com/

• Melanin and Mental Health- Podcasts, books and other resources to support the focus on supporting the Black and Latinx communities, including a "Find a Therapist" locator.
https://www.melaninandmentalhealth.com/about-us/

• Ourselves Black-Provides information on promoting mental health and developing positive coping mechanisms through a podcast, online magazine and online discussion groups.
https://ourselvesblack.com/

• POC Online Classroom-Contains readings on the importance of self-care, mental health care, and healing for people of color and within activist movements.
https://www.poconlineclassroom.com/self-care/

• Sista Afya-Organization that provides mental wellness education and resources to support Black women. (Clinical services available only in IL.)
https://www.sistaafya.com/

• Therapy for Black Girls-Podcasts, blogs, and the option of an online group chat dedicated to encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls. Includes a "Find a Therapist" locator.
https://therapyforblackgirls.com/

•IUPUI CAPS Self-help Guidebooks and Handouts- Share-point resource for IUPUI community – specifically helpful sections may include: anxiety and stress, in-the-moment coping techniques, relaxation, and sleep hygiene.

Educational Resources can be found at this link:
https://www.ius.edu/personal-counseling/anti-facism-bias-discrimination-resources.html

CAPS also provides a treatment directory for community-based providers which can be found here:
https://www.ius.edu/personal-counseling/anti-facism-bias-discrimination-resources.html

Additionally, CAPS provides self-help resources, which can be found here:
https://www.ius.edu/personal-counseling/self-help.html

Care Management Services are also provided to current students at no charge. The Counselor/Care Manager is available to provide services and/or resources to students who may encounter needs that extend beyond the academic focus. These needs may be related to housing/homelessness, food insecurity, medication, and medical insurance.

Additional information can be found here:
https://www.ius.edu/personal-counseling/anti-facism-bias-discrimination-resources.html

IUS Employees (faculty + staff)
IU offers a SupportLinc EAP (Employee Assistance Program) at no cost to all employees, IU Residents, Graduate Appointees, Fellowship Recipients, and their household members. This is a confidential resource that provides 24/7 access to professional counseling and referrals. SupportLinc’s licensed counselors can provide short-term assistance with issues such as grief and loss, substance abuse, relationship problems, work-related pressures, stress and anxiety, and more. Eligible employees and household members have access to SupportLinc services at no cost, including (but not limited to):
• Unlimited 24/7 telephone access to licensed counselors for in-the-moment support
• Up to six (6) face-to-face counseling sessions per presenting issue at no cost (in-person or virtual)

This service is currently providing support to employees during the Ukraine war.
https://hr.iu.edu/benefits/eap.html

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Mentoring, counseling and support programs section:

We marked "no" for the following two questions:
Does the institution have mentoring, counseling, peer support or other programs designed specifically to support academic staff from underrepresented groups on campus?
Does the institution have mentoring, counseling, peer support or other programs to support non-academic staff from underrepresented groups on campus?

We acknowledged that an Employee Assistance Program is available to all IUS employees in the "brief description" box. However, we are not able to provide additional information on other services offered at this time which is why we indicated "no" for the questions above.

Additional information can be found here:
The Office of Diversity and Equity
https://www.ius.edu/diversity/

More Context:
IUS Southeast Recruitment Plan 2015-2020
https://www.ius.edu/student-affairs/files/ius-recruitment-plan-2015-2020.pdf

Goal 2: Increase focus on recruiting those students with traits that make them more likely to persist. Leverage admitted high-ability students and scholarship recipients to attract peers (pg. 4).

o Objective 2 – Increase yield rates with an emphasis on high-ability students. Initiative A: Create opportunities for “bridge” experiences that expose prospective high-ability students to academic quality, rigor, and cultural diversity.
o Objective 3 – Develop a “next generation” communication plan. Initiative A: Create communication sub plans for segmented target populations including parents, minority students, 21st Century Scholars, and high ability students. Utilize messaging that connects prospective students to academic quality and successful outcomes.

Goal 4: Increase overall diversity among incoming students to be more reflective of our region (pg. 5).
o Initiative A: Increase recruitment and support efforts for international students. Identify populations of potential students most likely to enroll at IU Southeast. Work to mitigate the impact of systematic barriers to application processing and enrollment. Continue to offer scholarships for international students to increase student yield.
o Initiative B: Build relationships that allow us to increase campus participation in community-based minority support and interest groups. Commit scholarship and other resources as appropriate to those relationships.
o Initiative C: Leverage campus and academic events, study abroad opportunities, and campus community resources to highlight and promote diversity among our prospective and incoming students

IUS Southeast Recruitment Plan 2015-2020
https://www.ius.edu/student-affairs/files/ius-recruitment-plan-2015-2020.pdf