Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 45.14
Liaison Kristina Hope
Submission Date Feb. 2, 2024

STARS v2.2

Knox College
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Kristina Hope
Director of Sustainability Initiatives
Office of Sustainability
"---" 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:

Notice of Non-Discrimination:

In keeping with its commitment to equal rights since it was founded in 1837, Knox College particularly welcomes applications from members of underrepresented groups. Knox College does not discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, religion or religious affiliation, sexual orientation or preference, age, marital or family status, disability, veteran status, or other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law in admission, financial aid, employment, athletics, or any other aspect of its educational programs or activities. In addition, Knox College is prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and its accompanying regulations from so discriminating on the basis of
sex.

https://www.knox.edu/offices/human-resources


Does the institution have a discrimination response protocol or committee (sometimes called a bias response team)?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s discrimination response protocol or team:

Consistent with Knox College’s historical commitment to inclusivity, the College today aims to create a campus that is welcoming for all students, staff, and faculty and a climate that is safe, respectful, and free from all forms of bias. Discrimination, harassment, and bias incidents, however, often fall beyond the scope and protection of existing discrimination laws and regulations. Therefore, it is imperative that we respond as a unified educational community to address such behavior while respecting the rights of all individuals to freedom of speech and expression. It is Knox College’s position that acts of discrimination, harassment, and bias require a response that asks all members of our community to uphold our shared values of goodwill and acceptance.

A team of College officials serves as the Bias Incident Response Team, responsible for coordinating any alleged or suspected violations of bias and the resolution of such alleged bias or suspected violations. The Bias Incident Response Team is composed of: Associate Dean of the College, Dean of Students, Director of Campus Safety, Director of Human Resources, and Title IX Coordinator.

Depending on the nature of the alleged incident and whether the parties involved are faculty, staff, students, contractors, visitors or guests, the specific individuals responsible for addressing and resolving the incident may vary. In all cases, the procedures will include the basic elements outlined below:
• Initial assessment by the Bias Response Team
• Interim measures and remedies where appropriate
• Consideration of voluntary resolution, where appropriate
• Investigation and resolution if voluntary resolution is not appropriate
• Sanctioning by the appropriate College official
• Resource to the appropriate appeal process
• Protection from retaliation


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

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

Does the institution have programs designed specifically to recruit non-academic staff from underrepresented groups?:
Yes

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

Students - One example is the Gale Scholar program, which is a collaborative partnership between Knox, the local school district, (Galesburg District 205) and the area community college (Carl Sandburg College), created to encourage and support higher education aspirations and success in the target population of academically promising first-generation and income eligible youth within District 205.

Faculty - Through the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM), Knox participates in activities aimed at recruiting faculty from underrepresented groups. In addition Knox has sent faculty who are doing searches to hiring and diversity workshops.

Staff - job postings are posted at sites that cater to underrepresented groups.


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

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

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

A brief description of the institution’s programs designed specifically to support students, academic staff, and/or non-academic staff from underrepresented groups:

Students
Counseling - Counselors’ on-going professional development includes cultural competency and anti-racism opportunities. TimelyCare offers access to diverse counselors when requested/needed by students.
Intercultural Life - Our office advises and supports students in three ways
Cultural/Affinity Organizations: we advise and support each of our cultural organizations which leads to regular meetings with student leaders and interactions with students belonging to racialized and marginalized groups throughout the term
Intercultural Life Peer Educators: students trained to help conduct workshops and events through a DEI lens. They offer peer education related to social justice and anti-racism content
Individual Student Advising: Each staff member in the office meets with students at their request when students need support/advice on residential or academic issues
Student Support Services (TRIO): Team leaders are responsible for a small cohort of students within the program. They meet with their students regularly helping them to navigate Knox, classes and residential life. SSS also has peer tutors who help support students in the program with academic needs.
Disability Support Services (DSS): While not focused only on racialized students, this office does support a number of students of color with disabilities in receiving academic accommodations for classes, on-campus work and residential needs.
Academic Staff: Staff have access to TimelyCare and the EAP for mental health needs. We do not currently have any active affinity staff groups, though there has been interest expressed to begin one. This has been largely dependent on on-going interest which has not found traction in the past few years.
Non-Academic Staff: Same as above except for the mentoring program. here is a small group of staff (both academic support staff and student development staff) who meet irregularly to provide support and advice. This group met regularly pre-covid and are in the process of planning to meet more regularly before the end of the academic year.
Through the TRIO SSS & McNair grants, staff have the opportunity for professional development and can connect to our state, ten-state regional, and national association of TRIO professionals. TRIO seeks candidates for positions who also come from marginalized backgrounds, so the professional associations and conference/training content offer a strong network of mentoring and peer support to support staff from underrepresented groups.

Programs and resources supporting underrepresented students include:
• Student organizations and groups
• Cultural centers or houses, which celebrate diversity and create healthy meeting places: ABLE Center for Black Culture; Casa Latina Culture Center; Asian Culture House; Harambee House; International House; Queer & Allies (Q&A) House;and Human Rights Center.
• The Center for Intercultural Life (CIL) contributes to the College's goal of creating an inclusive campus community by acknowledging and celebrating the diverse experience of our students, faculty and staff.
• The International Student Support Office is responsible for the recruitment, transition and retention of our international student population.
• The TRIO Achievement Program supports the retention and graduation of students from modest income backgrounds and those whose parents do not have a four-year college degree.
• LGBTQ+ Advisor serves as designated campus LGBTQ+ advisor; developing and implementing programming related to the overall success, appreciation and inclusion of LGBTQ+ students at Knox


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?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s programs to support and prepare students from underrepresented groups for careers as faculty members:

The legislative intent of the McNair Scholars Program is to diversify the academy through programs offering comprehensive services for underrepresented students, offering opportunities for research and scholarly activities, teaching assistantships, and preparation for success in graduate school. Funding is available for research projects, TA/RA positions, conference travel, and graduate school visits.

Additionally, the Vovis Center has offered programs like GradX and ASSET to prepare students for grad school enrollment and funded conference travel and research/creative projects through Richter grants.

Knox participates in the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program is designed to prepare underrepresented undergraduate students for the rigors of doctoral studies through involvement in research experiences and other scholarly activities. The Knox College McNair Scholars Program mission is to increase the number of Knox College’s low-income and first-generation students and students from underrepresented groups who successfully attain PhD degrees.

Knox also participates in the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) Graduate School Exploration Fellowships (GSEF) program. The GSEF is designed for students interested in pursuing study and research in the humanities, humanistic social sciences, and arts. The GSEF program is one of three main components of the Undergraduate and Faculty Fellows Program for a Diverse Professoriate which supports the program's broad goal of expanding participation by underrepresented groups in the career pipeline from college student to liberal arts college professor.


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

Website URL where information about the institution’s support for underrepresented groups is available:
http://www.knox.edu/mcnair

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.