Skidmore College
PA-6: Assessing Diversity and Equity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Mark
Youndt Director of Sustainability for Academic Affairs Management and Business |
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:
We continually engage in various student and employee assessment processes surrounding DEI. For example:
- We are a founding member of the Liberal Arts College Racial Equity Leadership Alliance where we gain access to deep expertise in assessing climates of inclusion for people of color and other marginalized groups. Through this alliance we engage in campus climate surveys designed to improve and inform DEI programming.
- Our Committee on Intercultural and Global Understanding (CIGU) periodically conducts confidential surveys and exit interviews with graduating students of color. During these interviews, students talk about their experiences—what worked for them and what did not, both inside and outside the classroom.
- We survey full-time faculty using the job satisfaction survey developed by the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. COACHE surveys faculty about their experiences and views as regards several important areas of their work lives: research, teaching, service; resources in support of faculty work; benefits, compensation, and work/life; interdisciplinary work and collaboration; mentoring; tenure and promotion practices; leadership and governance; departmental collegiality, quality, engagement; and appreciation and recognition. The survey provides information by rank, gender, and race.
- We conduct anonymous surveys of staff members to gather information on people’s thoughts and experiences related to working at Skidmore College. Our goal was to hear the voices of all staff members regarding their perceptions of our community and the campus climate, and to develop and implement action plans to improve our work environment where needed.
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:
While the results of each survey are complex and nuanced, the overall message of each is that we still have work to do to create the diverse, inclusive, and welcoming community outlined as a major goal in our institutional strategic plan. the How results of each survey have been used is equally complex and nuanced. Several of the most significant actions include:
- Creation of the Racial Justice Initiative
- Creation of Skidmore Multicultural Alumni Network
- Development of various diversity and inclusion workshops, trainings, discussions, and campus visitors
- The creation and hiring of our Vice President for Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity.
- The reevaluation of our general education, which we anticipate will include more emphasis on diversity and inclusion.
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:
Assessment results and/or a summary of the assessment results are shared through a report and discussed in various forums.
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:
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.