| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 78.69 |
| Liaison | Lindsey Kalkbrenner |
| Submission Date | Feb. 14, 2023 |
Santa Clara University
PA-6: Assessing Diversity and Equity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Raymond
Plaza Director Office for Diversity and Inclusion |
Has the institution engaged in a structured assessment process during the previous three years to improve diversity, equity and inclusion on campus?:
A brief description of the assessment process and the framework, scorecard(s) and/or tool(s) used:
In 2018, Santa Clara conducted a Campus Climate Study as a direct response to the recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Commission on Diversity and Inclusion and the Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion. The climate survey offered members of the university community the opportunity to describe their personal experiences and observations, and to offer suggestions for change to help enhance the campus climate at Santa Clara. Nearly 3,000 students, faculty, and staff participated, with an overall response rate of 27%.
The Campus Climate study was conducted during January - February 2018 by Rankin & Associates. The study was titled: "Assessment of Climate for Learning, Living and Working" and was sent to all SCU faculty, staff, and students (undergraduate and graduate) through email and posted throughout the school. It was designed to understand the feelings and attitudes of faculty, staff, and students in terms of what it means to live, work and study at Santa Clara through a series of 117 free-response and multiple-choice questions.
The 2018 Campus Climate Study resulted in the development of ten priority areas that were grouped around three themes in early 2019.
Theme A: Cultivate and enhance a culture of respect and belonging, grounded in our mission and values. Under this theme, the following were priorities: Honest, Open, Respectful Engagement; Reduction of Sexual Misconduct and Support for Survivors; Positive Classroom Environment; Community of Belonging; and Support for Community Members with Disabilities.
Theme B: Promote and advance diversity & inclusion initiatives. Under this theme was the continued prioritization of Diversity and Inclusion.
Theme C: Review and improve policies and processes to address concerns expressed in Campus Climate Survey. Under this theme, the following were priorities: Bias Incident Response; Compensation, Benefits, and Housing; Conflict Resolution; and Professional Growth and Fair Treatment.
Each priority area has a Coordinator that was responsible for convening a group to examine and address the priority. The work began in Winter of 2019 and continues through today in different iterations.
Since 2020, the Office for Diversity and Inclusion has offered and provided/tailored departmental and unit climate studies to understand better what is happening at the departmental/unit level. The first of these studies began in Fall of 2020 and continues through today, 2023. The results of the departmental/unit studies have provided valuable insight into students' perspectives of what is happening in the classroom setting and how they view their departments. On the unit level, provided an opportunity to better understand what is happening with the staff employees.
In January 2022, the institution embarked on the development of the new Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Strategic Plan. Inclusive Excellence Liaisons from each college/school, center for distinction, and Vice Presidential area were convened. Over a period of a year, they conducted a SWOT analysis in their areas, as well as worked on the development of implementation strategies and goals that would align with an Inclusive Excellence framework. The Inclusive Excellence Framework is focused on five critical areas: (1) Access & Success, (2) Education & Scholarship, (3) Infrastructure & Accountability, (4) Community Engagement, and (5) Climate & Intergroup Relations.
The JEDI Strategic Plan will serve as one of the main pillars of the new institutional strategic plan that will be developed in the 2023-2024 academic year.
In terms of future assessments, the goal is to do another campus-wide climate study in 2024, with smaller focused studies in the successive years, before conducting another campus-wide study in 2028.
Does the assessment process address campus climate by engaging stakeholders to assess the attitudes, perceptions and behaviors of employees and students, including the experiences of underrepresented groups?:
Does the assessment process address student outcomes related to diversity, equity and success?:
Does the assessment process address employee outcomes related to diversity and equity?:
A brief description of the most recent assessment findings and how the results are used in shaping policy, programs, and initiatives:
Based on the results of the Campus Climate survey, the working group was able to assess the current attitudes, behaviors, and standards and practices of employees and students at SCU.
72% of respondents were comfortable with the overall climate
87% of faculty respondents felt valued by students in the classroom
80% of student and faculty respondents were comfortable with the classroom climate
77% of staff respondents felt that their supervisors provided adequate support for work-life balance
Many of the overall challenges involved employees and students considering leaving SCU, unwanted sexual conduct, and exclusionary conduct. These findings have led to many actions being taken to improve both the experience of students and employees through a more targeted approach toward diversity and inclusion. More concrete steps include a Quarterly Diversity Forum, discussions with the Student, Faculty, and Staff Senate, and conversations through Difficult Dialogues, a program on campus that engages students to meet and discuss in a safe, judgment-free zone. Proposals for policy changes will be brought to the University Coordinating Committee or to the University Policy Committees and recommendations will be sent to Faculty, Student, and Staff Affairs committees. Plans for new initiatives to change climate culture have already begun, with a priority on top action items.
In terms of the departmental studies, one of the prominent findings is students’ desire to see their respective communities be reflected in the discipline - from assignments to authors, to ensure that diverse voices are being heard. In addition, diversity and inclusion issues are not always just about race, but around gender and other power dynamics.
Are the results of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment shared with the campus community?:
A brief description of how the assessment results are shared with the campus community:
The results were shared with the University Community in two town halls forums held in early October 2018. The results and the next steps are available at www.scu.edu/voice for anyone within the SCU community. One can access the full report and the presentations by logging in with their SCU credentials.
Updates to the work done on the ten priority areas have been made available on the SCU website and through other communications.
In terms of the departmental/unit studies, the results are shared with the department/unit leadership and the staff in the spirit of transparency. We ensure that any identifying information is removed to ensure confidentiality. These are not publicly available.
Are the results (or a summary of the results) of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment publicly posted?:
The diversity and equity assessment report or summary (upload):
Website URL where the diversity and equity assessment report or summary is publicly posted:
Website URL where information about the institution’s diversity and equity assessment efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Since the data is intended for members of the SCU community and is considered proprietary, specific results are not available for publication or distribution.
Since the data is intended for members of the SCU community and is considered proprietary, specific results are not available for publication or distribution.
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.