Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 47.06
Liaison Daniela Shebitz
Submission Date Dec. 11, 2023

STARS v2.2

Kean University
PA-6: Assessing Diversity and Equity

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Orley Wainberg
VP for Finance
Finance
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Has the institution engaged in a structured assessment process during the previous three years to improve diversity, equity and inclusion on campus?:
Yes

A brief description of the assessment process and the framework, scorecard(s) and/or tool(s) used:
Campus Pride - Pride Index

Since 2007, The Campus Pride Index has been the premier LGBTQ national benchmarking tool for colleges and universities to create safer, more inclusive campus communities. The free online tool allows prospective students, families/parents and those interested in higher education to search a database of LGBTQ-friendly campuses who have come out to improve the academic experience and quality of campus life. The Campus Pride Index sets the bar higher for LGBTQ-inclusive policies, programs and practices. The index is owned and operated by Campus Pride, the leading national nonprofit organization for student leaders and campus groups working to create safer, more LGBTQ-friendly learning environments at colleges and universities. The index is supported under the Campus Pride Q Research Institute for Higher Education as well as benefits from strategic partnerships with professional organizations in higher education and related LGBTQ nonprofit organizations.

IFYC Interfaith Inventory

The Campus Interfaith Inventory is an institutional tool that tracks interfaith efforts across all areas of campus life, using the Leadership Practices for Interfaith Excellence as a guiding framework. For each leadership practice, the Inventory asks a number of specific questions about the institution’s programs and practices. Since its 2016 launch, over 420 U.S. colleges and universities have partnered with IFYC to break ground on the Campus Interfaith Inventory. This first-of-its-kind tool enables campuses to capture how they are addressing issues of religious and worldview diversity, and contributes to a national picture of worldview identity, diversity, and engagement across Higher Education.

Rankin & Associates Campus Climate Survey

The Campus Climate Survey is a campus assessment, a confidential questionnaire seeking input from every member of the campus community, designed to gather information on the experiences of students, faculty and staff at Kean USA and their attitudes about the University. The information will be used to assess Kean’s policies and practices regarding inclusion and equity as well as help the University develop new policies and practices to further support individual needs, abilities and potential. Rankin & Associates Consulting, which is serving as the outside consultant firm for the Kean University climate survey, defines campus climate as “the current attitudes, behaviors, standards and practices of employees and students of an institution.” The climate is often shaped through personal experiences, perceptions and institutional efforts.

AHEAD Program Standards and Performance Indicators

An important part of enhancing program services is getting feedback directly from stakeholders. AHEAD offers a set of assessment tools designed to provide disability resource professionals with 360-degree feedback from key stakeholders: students with disabilities, faculty/instructional personnel, and campus administrators. This comprehensive tool walks the DS director and/or a team of staff through the each of the Performance Indicators, providing prompts for considering how the office responds to each area and concluding in an informed self-appraisal of each Program Standard.

Does the assessment process address campus climate by engaging stakeholders to assess the attitudes, perceptions and behaviors of employees and students, including the experiences of underrepresented groups?:
Yes

Does the assessment process address student outcomes related to diversity, equity and success?:
Yes

Does the assessment process address employee outcomes related to diversity and equity?:
Yes

A brief description of the most recent assessment findings and how the results are used in shaping policy, programs, and initiatives:
Assessment findings and results are published on the Campus Climate Survey website (shown below) and the results to shape policy, programs and initiatives through the DEI Committee and the University Planning Council (UPC).

Are the results of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment shared with the campus community?:
Yes

A brief description of how the assessment results are shared with the campus community:
A representative from Rankin & Associates presented the results of the campus climate survey at an on-campus town hall event sponsored by the Office of DEI. The event was also live-streamed for those who could not attend in person. The results of the campus climate survey are also published online.

Are the results (or a summary of the results) of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment publicly posted?:
Yes

The diversity and equity assessment report or summary (upload):
Website URL where the diversity and equity assessment report or summary is publicly posted:

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s diversity and equity assessment efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.