| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 61.53 |
| Liaison | Rachael Wein |
| Submission Date | March 2, 2020 |
Smith College
PA-6: Assessing Diversity and Equity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Rachael
Wein Assistant Director of Sustainability CEEDS |
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 2018/2019 a survey was sent to the college community called "Your Voice Matters" This survey was also used as the foundation for listening sessions. The findings from the in-person and online responses were then used by the Inclusion in Action Working Group over the summer of 2019 to reflected on how staff, students and faculty expressed their desires for achieving diversity, equity, inclusion and justice at Smith. The following represent ideals which the working group internalized after living with and discussing the Your Voice Matters survey data all summer. Here are a few of the desires of the Working Group:
We desire to be a truly inclusive community, where our actions and interactions uphold the value of difference, and all Smith community members feel that they belong.
We desire to be a community in which faculty, staff and administration mirror the diversity of identities in the student population.
We desire to be a community in which the lens of equity and inclusion is foundational to the mission, strategic priorities and student experience at Smith.
We desire ongoing opportunities to develop skills, competencies and learning in order to be better able to acknowledge, understand and address bias and inequities in ways that strengthen our community.
We desire to be a community that recognizes and respects differences that exist in entry points to learning and believe that no matter where anyone is on the journey, learning is a continuous process we engage in together.
We desire ongoing and regular opportunities to encourage and support one another, and to build a community inclusive of differences and identities.
We desire transparency and visibility in communicating Smith’s experiences, efforts, challenges, and accomplishments in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.
We desire that the voices of those most affected by exclusion and bias be central to and influential in the efforts to change policies, practices, and other structures of inequality.
We desire Smith to be an institution which fosters brave spaces for learning experiences and education—a place where everyone can extend beyond their comfort zones, have room to make mistakes, and grow together.
We desire a commitment to repair harm, foster collective accountability, and create a sustainable community of inclusion, now and in the future.
The survey was launched in October, 2016, and was made available to students, faculty, and staff. It includes both quantitative and qualitative data points. The results are being compiled and will be available in April, 2017. An action plan will be developed based on the results, starting in May, 2017.
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:
In 2018-19 members of the Smith community pursued focused improvement in these 5 areas:
Identity/representation-there are few people of color in faculty, staff and admission, education- data showed great interests in learning about difference on campus, communication- respondents wanted the administration to improve information sharing about ongoing inclusion work at Smith, including affinity housing, inclusive teaching, and peer mentoring, engagement- respondents showed concerns about how the inclusion efforts were mainly performative, and justice- a need for more resources and supports for low-income, undocumented, transgender, first-generation, and other marginalized members of the Smith community was raised. In response to these concerns Smith College is/has made the following changes:
• Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Floyd Cheung is chairing a working group charged with analyzing data from the April 2019 Inclusion in Action conference. The group is distilling themes from the data and creating action teams to explore each theme. The action teams will develop recommendations to share with the campus community and with President McCartney.
• Vice President for Information Technology Samantha Earp and Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Floyd Cheung will convene a technology inclusivity working group that will focus on the use of names and pronouns in Banner and Workday, with other systems to be reviewed in a second phase.
• The Counseling Center has hired two additional mental health counselors with the capacity to respond effectively to the needs of a diverse student body: Jamecia Estes, LICSW, staff therapist, and Lil Kraus, MSW, postgraduate counseling fellow.
• The Office for Equity and Inclusion hires a program and outreach coordinator, Raven Fowlkes-Witten '17, who will also serve as an advocate for undocumented, trans and gender-nonconforming students. The search for an inclusion education trainer/facilitator who will also serve as an advocate for low-income and first-generation students is underway.
• The Lazarus Center for Career Development will appoint a staff member specializing in helping international students secure internships and jobs.
• Author and organizer Loretta Ross holds a one-year appointment as associate professor and activist in the Program for the Study of Women and Gender. Professor Ross and Carrie Baker, professor of the study of women and gender, will host a one-day skill-building conference for students, “Calling In the Calling Out Culture,” to be held February 22, 2020.
• The Office for Equity and Inclusion is working with Facilities Management to implement gender-inclusive bathroom signage in all non-residential buildings.
• The college institutes a requirement that all current and newly hired staff and faculty complete online Title IX training. The training program “Not Anymore” covers consent, bystander intervention, sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, stalking, and healthy relationships, and integrates Smith College’s Gender-Based and Sexual Misconduct Policy.
• Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Floyd Cheung will lead a team of eight professors to teach IDP102: Thinking Through Race in Spring 2020. Students may earn one credit, and staff and faculty members are welcome to audit.
• Professor Peggy O’Neil will lead several workshops for faculty and staff who teach to develop critical conversation skills for managing difficult dialogues.
• The alumnae relations and development offices host “Dining With Diversity,” a series of panel presentations by alumnae followed by dinner conversation with students of color. The series is supported by a Presidential Innovation Challenge Grant.
• The 2019 Otelia Cromwell Day celebration focused on the theme “Acknowledging Injustice and Practicing Anti-racism” and featured keynote speaker Deborah Archer '93, a civil rights lawyer, activist and professor. Workshops throughout the afternoon offered opportunities for students, staff and faculty.
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 Smith College Equity and Inclusion website has a regularly updated document that shows year-long objectives which are aimed at building an inclusive campus. Also, achieved goals are usually shared in committees that focus on equity and justice all over campus.
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.