Seattle University
PA-5: Assessing Diversity and Equity

Achieving and engaging diversity has provided the focus for the university’s Task Force on Diversity and Inclusive Excellence. The task force, appointed in September 2013, was charged with assessing the current state of equity and inclusion at Seattle University and recommending further steps for the university to move forward with enhancing our core value of diversity. In order to better understand the campus climate, the task force and university leaders recognized the need for a comprehensive tool that would provide campus climate metrics for students, faculty, and staff. To that end, the university appointed the Climate Study Working Group (CSWG) in 2014. The CSWG was comprised of faculty, staff, students, and administrators. Ultimately, Seattle University contracted with Rankin & Associates Consulting (R&A) to conduct a campus-wide study entitled, “Seattle University Assessment for Learning, Living, and Working.” Data gathering focused on the experiences and perceptions of various constituent groups. Based on the findings, the Task Force on Diversity and Inclusive Excellence developed recommendations to share with the university community. In September 2015, the University published the results of the 2015 academic year's Campus Climate Report. Seattle University community members completed 2,634 surveys for an overall response rate of 29%. Only surveys that were at least 50% completed were included in the final data set for analyses. Response rates by constituent group varied: 24% (n = 1,081) for Undergraduate Students, 18% (n = 362) for Graduate Students, 36% (n = 285) for Law Students, 49% (n = 566) for Staff/Administrators, and 46% (n = 340) for Faculty. Areas of strength identified by the assessment are: high levels of comfort with the climate at Seattle University; Positive attitudes about workplace climate (by employees); Positive attitudes about faculty work (by faculty respondents); Positive attitudes about academic experiences (by students); Intent to Persist (by students respondents). But certain areas of improvement were also identified and were addressed in the The Task Force for Diversity and Inclusive Excellence's January 2016 report, discussed below.

The January 2016 final report emphasizes heavily the University's goals to address the affordability of Seattle University and the impact of financial distress on students by developing and expanding strategies for assisting low-income students and students experiencing financial hardship. Furthermore, large efforts are to be made to adequately prepare students for engagement in a diverse society and ensure the infusion of diversity and inclusion into the curriculum and disciplines across all schools and colleges by exploring the development of enhanced inclusive excellence curricular offering(s) and the adaptation of existing courses and programs. In the January 2016 Final Report, The Task Force for Diversity and Inclusive Excellence identified six goals, each supported by several initiatives, that will propel the university’s commitment to equity, access, and community. 1. Realize an organizational infrastructure that embeds inclusive excellence in all aspects of the Seattle University experience 2. Integrate inclusive excellence across curricular and co-curricular offerings 3. Build and sustain the capacity of students, staff, and faculty to engage, teach, and lead through an inclusive excellence lens 4. Meet the challenges and opportunities of recruiting and graduating a diverse student body 5. Meet the challenges and opportunities of recruiting and retaining talented faculty and staff 6. Maximize the university’s capacity for social change in the local community One of the accomplishments resulting from the Task Force's Final Report (Initiative 1.A of Goal 1) was the creation of a Chief Diversity Officer position (2017).

The executive summary, final report and presentation of the survey results are available to all with a Seattle University login and password. Also, the report is posted on Seattle University's Office of Diversity and Inclusion webpage. Two hard copies of the full report are available for 24-hour checkout at the Lemieux Library.