Macalester College
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable state and federal laws, such as titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, The Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and The Americans with Disabilities Act and ADA Amendments, and in pursuing Macalester College’s own goals of diversity and inclusion, College employees shall not discriminate on the grounds of sex, gender identity, race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability, marital status, membership or activity in a local commission dealing with discrimination issues, family genetics and medical history, veteran status, sexual orientation, and status with regard to public assistance in employment policies and practices, education, and all other areas of the College. This policy applies to all employment practices and terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to promotions, transfers, compensation, terminations, training and participation in College sponsored benefits or programs.

This policy addresses all forms of sexual discrimination, including sexual assault and harassment. Macalester College does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational, extracurricular, athletic, or other programs or in the context of admissions or employment. Sex discrimination is prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, a federal law that provides that: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Macalester College, as an educational community, will promptly and equitably respond to all reports of sexual misconduct in order to eliminate the misconduct, prevent its recurrence, and address its effects on any individual or the community.

(https://www.macalester.edu/about/nondiscrimination/)

Macalester strives to foster an inclusive and welcoming community where any student, staff, or faculty member, regardless of background, can live, learn, and thrive. To that end, the Bias Response Team (BRT), a group of professional staff members, focuses on addressing incidents that undermine the values of inclusivity and human dignity that our campus holds.

The Team’s purpose is to:

- assist those who feel aggrieved
- help students, faculty or staff understand how their behavior has affected others
- track and monitor incidents that negatively impact our campus climate
- develop programming and other efforts that lead to the interruption of bias, harassment, and discrimination
- recommend promising practices for structural change based on trends and findings of bias

https://www.macalester.edu/bias-response-team/

Students
QuestBridge at Macalester:
The mission of QuestBridge is to connect America’s brightest low-income students to the country’s best universities and colleges like Macalester. Our rich tradition of multiculturalism, internationalism, high scholarship, and service to society is an ideal fit for QuestBridge. Additionally, Macalester meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students.

The best place to begin learning more about QuestBridge is www.questbridge.org/. You will find information about the 39 college partners, including information on National College Match, College Prep Scholarship, and Quest for Excellence Awards.

Within Admissions, we do multicultural fly-in programs for underrepresented groups.

Pre@Mac is a program for underrepresented high schoolers to get them more familiar with Macalester and Higher Education.

Scholarships & Need-Based Aid
Macalester meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students. Whether applicants are Non-Matched Finalists, Non-Participating Finalists, or Non-Finalists, they will be considered for merit scholarship and need-based aid provided they complete the FAFSA, CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE (CSS code: 6390) and submit parent federal income tax returns.

Staff (*Ashley Ellingson)
According to the Director of Employment Services, we are developing more purposeful outreach to connect with underrepresented groups through strategic ad placement and increasing our presence within these communities, such as Gay Pride, Transgender Job Fair, booth/presence at Rondo days (community festival), etc....
We have also developed our Staff Affirmative Action Work Group (SAAWG) to closely mirror the hiring process of faculty. This group will serve as partners within staff hiring processes to assist with the initiative to diversify our staff hiring decisions.

Faculty (*Donna Maeda--affirmative action for faculty searches)
In the Employee Handbook is a section on Affirmative Action
"The Affirmative Action Policy Statement for Faculty hiring at Macalester College (henceforth, the Affirmative Action Policy or the Policy) sets out the principles, policies and procedures that support the diversification of faculty with respect to US racial minorities and women. The Affirmative Action Policy is a part of the larger efforts to promote multiculturalism as described in the College Mission Statement, and is therefore complementary to Affirmative Action Policies administered by the Office of Employment Services, diversity policies employed in College Admissions, and supporting statements of principles by the Board of Trustees and the President acting on its behalf...." More details are included here: https://www.macalester.edu/employmentservices/employeehandbook/12additionalpolicies/12-11affirmativeactionforfacultyhiring.html

Allies Project
Participation in the Allies Project gives faculty, staff, and students the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to creating a safe environment and community for all people regardless of sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, religion, age, or ability. Allies of the Allies Project provide support and resources to individuals and/or groups who are exploring their own feelings and/or struggling with issues related to their multiple identities.

MOSAIC Program:
This program is designed to increase the number of historically marginalized students at Macalester College who are selected to participate in and receive opportunities for study abroad/away, internships, fellowships, and scholarships, and to increase their application and admittance to graduate and professional schools.

Identity Collectives:
The Identity Collectives recognize the multiple and intersecting identities we all carry and the importance of a supportive community as we explore our privileged and marginalized identities. Each collective group is facilitated by trained faculty, staff, and students.
The following collectives are available for students: Asian Women of the Diaspora, Black Women of the Diaspora, Men of Color, Mixed People, Queers of Color, Gender Variant, White Identity, Working Class, and Women of Color.
The objective of Collectives is to provide students the opportunity to talk together about diversity issues both within their specific collectives and in inter-group dialogues.

International students host family program:
The Friends of Macalester International Students (FoMIS) Host Family Program at Macalester College places Twin Cities area residents and Macalester international students together for a cross-cultural exchange of ideas and friendship. The program has been in existence for over 30 years, and now includes approximately 150 families and 200 students. The program is administered by Macalester College International Student Programs.
Ametrica is a pre-orientaion program between international students and domestic students to help them transition into Macalester.

Let's Talk: the Health and Wellness Center provides “Let’s Talk” as a program that provides easy access to informal, confidential consultations with counseling staff members from Macalester.It acts a good source of guidance for underrepresented students, and is best fit for:
- Students who are not sure about counseling and wonder what it’s like to talk with a counselor
- Students who are not interested in ongoing counseling but would like the perspective of a counselor
- Students who have a specific problem and would like to talk it through with someone
- Students who have a concern about a friend and want some thoughts about what to do
https://www.macalester.edu/healthandwellness/counseling/lets-talk/

Bonner Scholars program:
A program for first generation college students. The Bonner Community Scholars Program is a four-year civic engagement program providing leadership programming, academic support, engagement opportunities and a social network.

Being a Bonner Scholar involves a commitment not only to service, but also to learning how to be an effective change agent for one’s campus, community, and beyond. Ideal Bonner candidates are passionate about civic engagement and eliminating systematic inequalities, demonstrate community involvement, embrace working in a team setting, have leadership potential, and a commitment to the Bonner mission of “Access to Education & Opportunity to Serve.”

https://www.macalester.edu/cec/civicleadershipprograms/bonnerscholars/#/0

Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program:
The fundamental objective of MMUF is to increase the number of minority students, and others with a demonstrated commitment to eradicating racial disparities, who will pursue PhDs in core fields in the arts and sciences. The program aims to reduce over time the serious under-representation on the faculties of individuals from certain minority groups, as well as to address the attendant educational consequences of these disparities.

Consortium for Faculty Diversity in Liberal Arts Colleges:
Macalester College is a member of Consortium for Faculty Diversity in Liberal Arts Colleges (https://www.gettysburg.edu/offices/provost/consortium-for-faculty-diversity/contact-persons-at-member-institutions). The Consortium is committed to increasing the diversity of students, faculty members and curricular offerings at liberal arts colleges with a particular focus on enhancing the diversity of faculty members and of applicants for faculty positions.