Susquehanna University
PA-6: Support for Underrepresented Groups

In administering its affairs, the university shall not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. From https://www.susqu.edu/about-su/our-leadership/finance-and-administration/human-resources.

Susquehanna has an Anti-Harassment & Non-Discrimination policy (attached in the additional resources section) for faculty and staff. The policy allows for an informal and formal complaint process to take place. Some outcomes have included: training and support provided by the Director of Workforce Diversity & Inclusion, support through our Employee Assistance Program, local therapists on-campus to provide support after on-campus incident, and accommodations such as having a third party present for meetings, change in office layout and change in reporting/supporting relationships.

For faculty: At least one member of every hiring committee should serve as the trained Diversity Advocate. Training is provided by the Office of Workforce Diversity and Inclusion. Materials requested from each candidate should include a request for a statement on how the applicant will contribute to the university’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, including the applicant’s knowledge of and experience with inclusive pedagogical practices in classroom teaching, advising, and mentoring. This is a required application component. Per the Faculty Handbook, the Department Head should send copies of the job ad to leading institutions in the field at which minority enrollment is high. One of the requirements for every candidate will be their ability to demonstrate how they will contribute to the university’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. The Faculty Handbook and the Strategic Plan emphasize the goal to recruit and hire faculty of U.S. underrepresented status. The Department Head needs to schedule a meeting for the full Search Committee with the Dean and/or Director of Workforce Diversity and Inclusion within a week of the ad posting to discuss diversity advocacy throughout the process. For students: A program called "Pittsburgh Promise" targets students in Pittsburgh, the majority of whom are underrepresented. We are also a partner with the Milton Hershey School, which exclusively serves underrepresented populations. A $1.2 million NSF grant (Noyce Scholars) currently supports the recruitment and education of chemistry, physics and mathematics majors pursuing teaching careers in high-need school districts. We recruit Noyce scholars from historically underserved populations (minority, low-income and first-generation students) to increase the presence of relatable role models in math and science. The Susquehanna University Service Leaders (SUSL) program also targets underrepresented students. The SUSL program is a learning opportunity for SU students to engage in a four-year leadership and training opportunity to impact youth development in the region. Susquehanna also received a $600,000 NSF S-STEM grant in 2012 to provide financial support and mentoring to academically qualified biology students who have been historically underrepresented in the sciences, and a second S-STEM proposal is currently pending. For staff: In Athletics, the University worked with the NCAA and received a Division III Strategic Alliance Matching Grant to help support a newly created position. Information can be found at these two links: http://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/2017DIIISAMG_Guidelines_20170914.pdf http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/inclusion/division-iii-strategic-alliance-matching-grant-recipients In the Library, the University recently joined the Diversity Alliance through the American Library Association. We are currently interviewing for this position. Information is available at this link: http://www.ala.org/acrl/issues/diversityalliance

For students: mentoring, counseling, and support programs include the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Let's Talk lunches, mentoring, HAVEN, Activist in Residence, Safe Zone training, inclusive workspaces, student clubs and organizations such as Black Student Union, Asian Cultural Association, ALAS, Diversity Council, Gender and Sexuality Alliance, National Congress of Black Women, SU International, Teresa Palmer Society, WomenSpeak, S-STEM mentoring (Biology). For faculty: mentoring, counseling, and support programs for faculty from underrepresented groups are sponsored by the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) together with the Provost's Office and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. The Director of Workforce Diversity and Inclusion in the Human Resources office provides diversity awareness training modules for faculty and staff, and responds to incidents of bias reported by faculty and staff. CTL includes information in our new faculty mentoring program on the different challenges faced by colleagues from underrepresented groups, both to make those faculty aware themselves of other resources for support on campus, and to help colleagues understand the different pressures and demands on their time many such faculty experience. There are also groups for faculty of color and LGBTQ faculty that meet regularly for peer support. Right now those are mostly self-organized and informal, but CTL and the Provost's office try to facilitate such faculty networks by paying for refreshments for meetings and making connections between faculty from underrepresented groups during orientation and mentoring sessions. The Center for Diversity and Inclusion also includes faculty from underrepresented groups in a lot of their programming for students. In a sense, most of that programming aims to support students of underrepresented groups on campus also effectively creates a network of support for the faculty and staff who participate.

Our Women in STEM mentoring program began in Fall 2016 to support female STEM students. Programming targeted toward careers in academia has included several panel discussions with faculty representatives, a panel discussion on summer student research experiences (several panelists were working in academic settings), individual mentoring, and workshops on fellowship opportunities.