Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 55.04
Liaison Prabhakar Shrestha
Submission Date Jan. 13, 2023

STARS v2.2

New Jersey Institute of Technology
PA-5: Diversity and Equity Coordination

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.67 / 2.00 Prabhakar Shrestha
Director of Sustainability
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have a diversity and equity committee, office, and/or officer tasked by the administration or governing body to advise on and implement policies, programs, and trainings related to diversity, equity, inclusion and human rights?:
Yes

Does the committee, office and/or officer focus on students, employees, or both?:
Both students and employees

A brief description of the diversity and equity committee, office and/or officer, including purview and activities:

New Jersey Institute of Technology has tapped David E. Jones, a leading voice for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in higher education, to become its first chief diversity officer.

The university’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives encompass surveying, research, training and recruitment, with everything from college prep for Newark high school students and diversity leadership training for undergraduates to a management training partnership with McKinsey & Co., research into the online harassment of female and LGBTQ live streamers.

The mission of Diversity and Inclusion is to initiate and support activities that promote cultural competency among students of the NJIT Community. We are committed to raising self-awareness, mutual understanding, knowledge, and respect for others. Our approach is relational in that we believe in growth-fostering relationships, therefore we commit to providing a welcoming place for all. We pledge to offer a safe space and outlet for dialogue; we commit to provide mentorship and support; as well as engage students to become advocates for issues of injustice in our multicultural world.


Estimated proportion of students that has participated in cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
Most

Estimated proportion of academic staff that has participated in cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
Most

Estimated proportion of non-academic staff that has participated in cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
Most

A brief description of the institution’s cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:

Some of these notable DEIB initiatives include:

College prep for Newark high school students — Classes, mentoring and support for 250 Newark students in the next five years through $1.16 million in Upward Bound grants from the U.S. Department of Education. Begins this fall.

Diversity leadership training for students — A series of interactive workshops, with financial support from Liz Miller of NJIT’s External Advisory Board for Undergraduate Research and Innovation, in which a DEIB trainer helps students, particularly underrepresented minorities and women, develop the soft skills needed to thrive and advance in the workplace. Begins this fall.

The Education Opportunity Program (EOP) — Often described as “college bootcamp” by its incoming freshman class, the EOP since 1968 has provided a means for students traditionally underrepresented in STEM to attend and succeed at NJIT. 70% of the current EOP cohort are underrepresented minorities.

An architecture and design pathway for prospective students — A pre-college program that introduces high school students in the Orange Public School District to architectural drafting, computer-aided design and design principles. Complements existing programs in forensic science and math for Newark high school students. Begins this fall.

Research into the online harassment of female and LGBTQ live streamers — The study was conducted by a professor and two students — including a student who identifies as a pansexual woman — and the students presented their findings at last year’s International Conference on Interactive Media Experiences.

Survey of the campus climate — Quantitative and qualitative research that will inform an action plan for achieving diversity goals by 2025 and becoming a model for diversity in higher education. Began last year.

Council focused on Hispanics and Latinx — Launched last year, the Hispanic and Latinx Leadership Council fuels NJIT’s drive to become a Hispanic-serving institution and deepen its relationships with Hispanic and Latinx alumni, businesses and organizations.

Research into barriers in the commercialization of academic technology — Funded by a $1.24 million grant from the National Science Foundation, the New Jersey Equity in Commercialization Collective (NJECC) aims to identify and eliminate systematic barriers for women and underrepresented minorities and increase the diversity of academic researchers in STEM who participate in the state’s entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem. Began last year.

Leadership and bias-mitigation training — A component of the NSF-funded NJECC that aims to broaden participation in cybersecurity through leadership training for cybersecurity students and data-driven, bias-mitigation training for students and faculty at NJIT’s Ying Wu College of Computing. Began last year.

The recommissioned Norma J. Clayton ‘81 Learning Center — The Center serves as a university hub and sees thousands of students annually. It provides one-on-one tutoring, academic support workshops, and academic coaching and mentoring from professional staff. Honoring its namesake alumna and generous benefactor, Clayton credits the Center for providing support that ultimately propelled her to a successful and fulfilling career.


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