Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.48
Liaison Dayna Cook
Submission Date Sept. 28, 2020

STARS v2.2

Northern Arizona University
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 3.00 Matthew Muchna
Sustainability Manager
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:

Northern Arizona University does not discriminate in access to programs and activities or employment on the basis of sex, race, age, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status.
https://nau.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2018/08/Accessibility-Requirements-Visual-ID-Guide.pdf


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:

The university has a Campus Inclusion Team that provides support, information, and assistance, but is not an investigative body. https://in.nau.edu/campus-inclusion-team/Neutral investigations are conducted by the Equity and Access Office.

The Campus Inclusion Team (CIT) is committed to fostering a campus community that honors diversity, freedom of expression, and inclusiveness through individual support, campus trainings, and resource referrals. CIT does not investigate or adjudicate specific incidents of conduct or advise on disciplinary matters.

CIT recognizes the value of free speech and also that some speech may be hurtful and even disparaging. CIT can provide support for students, faculty, and staff impacted by such speech by listening, discussing, and connecting individuals with resources. University community members may report concerns related to diversity and inclusion to CIT; if a reported concern appears to involve a legal or policy violation, the CIT will refer the impacted individuals or communities to the appropriate resource.

please see our Equity and Access "File a Complaint" resources at the bottom of this page:
https://in.nau.edu/eao/make-a-complaint/

Include examples of actions taken during the previous three years:
Educational meetings with individuals who posted photos in blackface.
Support and debrief sessions for individuals impacted by free speech on campus that was hateful.


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:

A Commitment to Native American Students is one of five strategic goals for the university, as we are one of the leading universities that serve indigenous populations.
Website: https://in.nau.edu/native-american-cultural-center/commitment/#:~:text=NAU%20maintains%20a%20strong%20commitment,the%20NACC%20and%20across%20campus.

The university has an Affirmative Action Plan and program for employment (supporting info linked below).

Affirmative Action Recruitment Goals - Staff: https://in.nau.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/96/2018/08/Goals-report-Staff-20181-ek.pdf

Affirmative Action Recruitment Goals - Faculty: https://in.nau.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/96/2018/12/Goals-report-Faculty-2018.pdf

Affirmative Action Website: https://in.nau.edu/eao/plan/#:~:text=The%20affirmative%20action%20plan%20is,which%20statistically%20indicate%20a%20concern.

The Diversity Strategic Plan has goals and strategies for recruitment of underrepresented students, staff and faculty.
Diversity Plan: https://in.nau.edu/center-for-university-access-and-inclusion/diversity-strategic-plan/


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:
Learning Communities through Residence Life, such as LGBTQIA: The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Inter-sex, Ally (LGBTQIA) Studies Learning Community is, an academic community that:
Honors the contributions and experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender peoples and heterosexual allies
Provides a supportive and safe space for a first-year student
Allows you to connect with those who share your experiences or interests
Gives a sense of community that will enable you to achieve academic, social, professional and personal success.
http://nau.edu/Residence-Life/Housing-Options/Learning-Communities/A-Variety-of-RLC-Options/

Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Student Services in Student Life:
Inclusion and Multicultural Services (IMS) is here to serve all students, acting as a centrally-located gathering spot that provides culturally-relevant services and support to historically underrepresented students.
http://nau.edu/ims/

Native American Student Services (NASS) is a resource for Alaska Native/Native American students at NAU. NASS helps them achieve academic, social, and cultural goals through leadership opportunities, advising, financial aid guidance, and support. The Multicultural Student Center (MSC) provides culturally-relevant services and support to historically underrepresented students. The MSC serves primarily first-generation, underrepresented, and low-income students, providing them with peer advising, financial aid guidance, and academic support. The MSC is a strong campus partner of diversity, sponsoring activities on campus such as the annual Martin Luther King program, Heritage Month events, and a Multicultural Student Reception.
http://nau.edu/nass/

FACULTY/STAFF
The LGBTQIA Commission works to "Identified Faculty/Staff Recruitment & Retention"
https://nau.edu/lgbtqia-commission/our-work/

The Commission on the Status of Women has the goals of:
Goal 1: Actively pursue gender equity, parity, and inclusivity at NAU.
Goal 2: Cultivate a more diverse, safe, and welcoming campus that embraces and recognizes the contributions, successes, and challenges of our female faculty, staff, and students at NAU.
Goal 3: Build community by fostering a family friendly environment and promoting a healthy work-life balance for all faculty, staff, and students at NAU.
Learn more: http://nau.edu/csw/

For further example, first gen programs, clubs and organizations supporting diverse identities. The Office of Inclusion runs an Inclusion and Diversity Scholars program that provides peer mentoring to students.
See also https://nau.edu/first-gen/ and https://nau.edu/first-gen/star/

Also visit https://in.nau.edu/inclusion/services/ and https://in.nau.edu/inclusion/clubs/


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?:
No

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

The Center for Science, Teaching, and Learning has been working on this initiative since the Fall of 2018.
https://nau.edu/CEFNS/CSTL/Resources/


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:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Sections PA5-7 provided by Priscilla Mills, AVP of Equity and Access


Sections PA5-7 provided by Priscilla Mills, AVP of Equity and Access

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.