| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.99 |
| Liaison | Sarah Gilly |
| Submission Date | Aug. 31, 2023 |
Stevens Institute of Technology
PA-6: Assessing Diversity and Equity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.88 / 1.00 |
Luke
Hansen Transportation and Sustainability Development Manager Facilities and Campus Operations |
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:
DEI Campus Climate Study Overview – Explored climate perceptions from undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and staff with goal of better understanding improvements that could increase retention and recruitment of minoritized groups (e.g., women; LGBTQ+; Black or African American; Latino/a/x/e). Campus-wide survey questions were adapted from standardized survey; focus groups (1 faculty, 1 staff) drawn from survey respondents. Peak Research, LLC. Administered the survey and conducted focus groups in April and May 2022. All findings reported are statistically significant (p<.01 or p<.05) with medium or large effect sizes.
Response Rates:
Faculty (37%): Non-tenure stream (30%); Tenured (29%); Tenure-Stream (25%); Lecturer (6%) Adjunct (10%); Women (34%); White (74%); Asian (21%); Hispanic (4%); Heterosexual (95%); one or more disability (19%); under 45 (40%)
Staff (43%): Women (67%); White (73%), Multiracial (11%); Asian (11%); Black (6%); Heterosexual (91%); one or more disability (28%); under 45 (58%)
Undergraduates: 1st Year (33%), 2nd Year (20%), 3rd Year (28%), 4th Year (16%), 5th Year (3%); Women (42%); White (62%); Black (2%) Asian (27%); Hispanic (12%); Multiracial (7.8%); Heterosexual (82%); No disabilities (64%); University-owned housing (37%); Off-campus housing (62%); 1st Gen (23%); School of Engineering (73%); School of Business (16%); SSE (6%); CAL (6%)
Master’s Students: Women (37%); White (11%); Asian (84%); Hispanic (3%); Black (2.1%); Multiracial (2%); Heterosexual (97%); No disabilities (78%); US Citizen (15%); Temporary Resident (73%); 1st Gen (53%); School of Engineering (49%); School of Business (41%); SSE (10%); Online Courses Only (15%)
PhD Students: Women (45%); White (37%), Asian (55%); Hispanic (5%); Black (4.1%); Multiracial (4.1%); Heterosexual (89%); No disabilities (73%); US Citizen (15%); Temporary Resident (73%); 1st Gen (41%); School of Engineering (78%); School of Business (5%); SSE (17%)
Findings:
Overall, employees at Stevens rate the workplace as good in all five major categories. Staff experience the workplace better than faculty in all five categories. Men experience the workplace better than women in three categories. Faculty and staff give campus safety the highest ratings and opportunities for professional development the lowest ratings. Faculty and staff rate their experience on all twelve indicators as neutral or positive. Staff feel more of a sense of belonging than faculty. Women faculty rate their experience in the workplace as less positive than men faculty on five of twelve indicators. Black and multi-racial and Hispanic staff respondents gave higher ratings on two indicators. Faculty and staff report that they "rarely" or "never" read, heard, or saw insensitive or negative comments about different populations in the Stevens community. Women faculty "read, heard or saw" insensitive or negative comments or materials more often than male faculty for all seven identities. Men faculty perceive Stevens as more welcoming to employees for all seven identities than women faculty.
The number of undergraduate and graduate students has continued to grow over the last five years with large increases in women’s enrollment (29% to 37%) and underrepresented racial/ethnic groups (14.6% to 19%). In addition, our international graduate student population rose from 60% to 67% along with a 72% increase in enrolled graduate students. As a result, we have been on a path to design and offer structured resources that support retention of these groups.
We have also seen increases in the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded to underrepresented racial/ethnic groups (9% to 15%). The percentage of Masters’ degrees awarded to students who are underrepresented (Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, or Hispanic or Latino) increased from 2% - 5%. The findings of our campus climate study identified key patterns in experiences for students at Stevens. Undergraduate students rate the overall experience at Stevens as good for three of five major categories. Master’s students rate the overall experience more positively than undergraduate and PhD students in all five major categories. Undergraduate men experience Stevens significantly better than women in two of five categories. White undergraduate students experience Stevens significantly better than multiracial and Asian students in three of five categories. Undergraduates without disabilities experience Stevens significantly better than students with disabilities in two of five categories. Heterosexual undergraduates experience Stevens significantly better than students who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual in two of five categories. Undergraduate students perceive Stevens as less welcoming to students for all seven identities compared with graduate students. Master’s students perceive Stevens as more welcoming to students for all seven identities. Undergraduate women students rate climate experiences for all seven identities lower than undergraduate men. Undergraduate students report the greatest frequency of insensitive comments or materials for women students. Master’s students report the greatest frequency of insensitive comments or materials for racial or ethnic minority students. Doctoral students report the greatest frequency of insensitive comments or materials for students with different nationalities. Undergraduate women rate the experience of insensitive comments or materials as significantly more frequently across identities than undergraduate men.
2022-2023 DEI Climate Study Faculty – To better understand the climate study findings related to faculty experiences, we commissioned a deeper dive into faculty responses using survey and semi-structured focus groups or individual interviews. Survey questions were adapted from standardized surveys; focus group questions were drawn from survey respondents. Peak Research, LLC. administered survey and conducted focus groups in April and May 2022. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were chosen to solicit opinions, perspectives, and ideas from faculty, department chairs, and deans. Additional focus groups and interviews were conducted from November 2022-January 2023. A simple thematic analysis was used to organize the comments transcribed during the focus group or interview.
Analysis Process:
Thematic analysis was performed on the transcriptions of the focus groups and the semi-structured interviews. The chat function was used during the focus groups to collect additional data that could be de-identified and copied verbatim into the focus group transcripts. The Zoom settings were set to have chat between only the facilitator and participants so confidential comments and remarks could be made and recorded for analysis. Themes were selected based upon frequency of mention and intensity of mention. To protect the identities of the participants, codes were given to identify the research methodology – focus group (FP) or semi-structured interview (Int) – and then the role of the participant – faculty member (F), chair (C), or dean (D) and the gender – female (F) or male (M).
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:
To help unite the campus, Stevens would benefit from a strategy of organizational change around diversity, equity, and inclusion that includes institutional level staff and resources to effect structural change. To complement the needs and context of the institution, Stevens will seek to stimulate campus-wide conversations, co-led by faculty and administrators, aimed at understanding the contours of DEI at Stevens and coming to a relative consensus around priorities for the next decade. Developing an understanding of gender and racial disparities at Stevens workplaces will be critical to moving forward and embedding concepts of equity and inclusion into standard workflow processes at the department, school, and university levels.
The findings of campus-wide climate assessment and subsequent faculty-focused study have already led to a number of process and policy changes, as well as direct interventions. These changes include but are not limited to: mandatory compliance and bias training for all faculty searches, on-going climate data-discussions with faculty and staff to increase transparency and feedback, the development of a repository for faculty search processes, inclusive leadership for staff and high-level administrators, hire of a PhD-level DEI director-role in the Office of the President, and creation of a campus-wide DEI Network of faculty and staff who lead or co-coordinate efforts that promote Stevens’ DEI objectives.
While efforts and interventions to improve the campus climate are continuing to be developed, the following are in progress and will begin or increase Spring 23.
- Creating a Staff Advisory Committee – to represent the concerns, needs, etc. of non-academic staff
- Provide more direct support and advocacy for the needs and concerns of Black or African American employees and students
- Develop and offer training to faculty on inclusive practices and pedagogies, specifically around bias, microaggressions, and course management
- NameCoach registration campaign to promote accurate pronunciation of names across the campus community
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:
Findings were presented to various stakeholders including the Board of Trustees, President’s cabinet, faculty, and staff. Findings will continue to be examined with the community more deeply through themed campus-wide data discussions for example: experiences of women students, faculty, and staff at Stevens.
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.