Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 61.51
Liaison Karen Eckert, Ph.D.
Submission Date March 5, 2021
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Principia College
PA-6: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.33 / 3.00 Karen Eckert, Ph.D.
Professor and Director
Center for 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:

http://www.principiacollege.edu/srtk/nondiscrimination
"Principia does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, or age. Principia College is also committed to providing equal educational opportunity for qualified students with disabilities in accordance with the policy statements of the College. Our goal is to provide an excellent education for all students helping them overcome limitations and challenges of all sorts. In support of this commitment, Principia College strives to provide reasonable accommodation to those students on campus who need and will benefit from specific learning accommodations."


Does the institution have a discrimination response protocol or committee (sometimes called a bias response team) to respond to and support those who have experienced or witnessed a bias incident, act of discrimination or hate crime?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s discrimination response protocol or team (including examples of actions taken during the previous three years):

Student Code of Conduct defines student rights, including:
● The right to a confidential hearing within a reasonable amount of time
● The right to have a silent support person throughout the process
● The right to tell one’s side of the story
● The right to question the person bringing the case forward, unless there are extenuating circumstances
● The right to conditional appeal

The Code of Conduct provides specific, detailed guidance related to discrimination response including: Initiation of Allegations, Support Personnel, Fact-Finding, Determination of Conduct Process Path, Determination of Responsibility, Sanctions, Sanctions Implementation, and Appeals. There is a strict and explicit prohibition against retaliation.

A Community Board is at the core of our discrimination response. The Board is comprised of the Responding Party’s House [dorm] President or Vice President, two yearly selected permanent members of the student body, and three permanent yearly selected employee representatives. If the Responding Party is an international student or a student of color, at least one of the student representatives must be also an international student or a student of color.

All Student Conduct Policies and Procedures are reviewed biennially by the Office of Student Life in collaboration with community stakeholders.

Footnote: The Dean of Students has recently revised the college's Harassment, Hazing, Bullying, Bias, and Discrimination Policy/Process. The Policy/Process clearly defines the role of the Office of Student Life (and all campus residents) regarding issues of harassment, hazing, bullying, bias, and/or discrimination and the details of justice processes, appeal, and consequences. Peer-involved mediation processes are available. Details of actions taken are not generally made public; a favorable external review of our Title IX policies and protocols was undertaken in 2019.


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

Does the institution have programs specifically designed to recruit staff from underrepresented groups?:
No

Does the institution have programs specifically designed to recruit faculty from underrepresented groups?:
No

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

http://www.principiacollege.edu/international
Our hiring processes are equal-opportunity. International students are actively recruited in every admissions cycle; international students comprise some 20-30% of the student body and hale from more than 40 nations. International recruiters are employed by our Office of Admissions. See also PA-7.


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

Does the institution have mentoring, counseling, peer support or other programs to support staff from underrepresented groups on campus?:
No

Does the institution have mentoring, counseling, peer support or other programs to support faculty from underrepresented groups on campus?:
No

A brief description of the institution’s programs to support students, staff and/or faculty from underrepresented groups:

Policies and processes are readily available online, as well as from the Office of Student Life, Human Resources, and the Dean. These include Title IX Policy; Reporting of Assault or Harassment; Rights and Options of Students Who Have Experience Sexual Harassment or Violence; Title IX Education & Training, and accessing a Confidential Advisor. The Center for Teaching and Learning offers comprehensive programming for all students (and hosts a Student Ombudsman); as does the new Wholeness Center.

International students are paired with peer-mentors dedicated to helping them transition to life in the USA and support their academic growth. Additionally if requested, ESL students receive language training to help ensure a successful college experience. There is also a confidential advisor program; advisors are specifically trained for sexual assault cases.


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:

"No" to "specifically aim", but our Post-Graduate Teaching Intern (PGTI) program applies to all academic departments and the Athletics Department with an aim "To encourage Principia College seniors and recent graduates to explore college teaching as a means of service to mankind by introducing them to the vision of Principia’s educational philosophy from a teaching perspective." The program applies equally to all students and routinely includes international students and students of color.


Does the institution produce a publicly accessible inventory of gender-neutral bathrooms on campus?:
No

Does the institution offer housing options to accommodate the special needs of transgender and transitioning students?:
Yes

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

This credit has been revised in accordance with AASHE peer-review comments.


This credit has been revised in accordance with AASHE peer-review comments.

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.