The Ohio State University
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Yes - The Ohio State University is committed to building and maintaining a community to reflect human diversity and to improve opportunities for all. The university is committed to equal opportunity, affirmative action, and eliminating discrimination and harassment. This commitment is both a moral imperative consistent with an intellectual community that celebrates individual differences and diversity, as well as a matter of law. Ohio State does not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or protected veteran status, or any other bases under the law, in its education program or activity, which includes employment. See below for inquiries regarding potential discrimination.

Interim Policy 1.10 Affirmative Action, Equal Employment Opportunity, and Non-Discrimination/Harassment - Revised 5/28/2020 (osu.edu) https://equity.osu.edu/sites/default/files/policy110-non-discrimination-notice.pdf

The Office of Institutional Equity was created in 2019 to help the Ohio State community prevent and respond to all forms of harassment, discrimination and sexual misconduct. This centralized office houses the university’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Protection of Minors, and Title IX functions. University policies and changes to the Student Code of Conduct were updated effective Aug. 1, 2019, to reflect the Office of Institutional Equity and new reporting processes. The Office of Institutional Equity also coordinates the university’s response to all complaints of harassment and discrimination based on age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, race, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, protected veteran status, or any other bases under the law.

In an effort to provide support to those who have experienced or witnessed an act of discrimination or bias, ODI offers the Let's Talk program. Let's Talk provides drop-in, informal mental health consultations on a first-come, first-served basis. It's free and confidental and open to all Ohio State students. It's a great option for students who may not need traditional counseling, but who could benefit from one-on-one support and consultation.

https://equity.osu.edu/resolutions

The Ohio State University’s recruitment efforts around student, staff, and/or faculty from underrepresented groups are comprised of a network of decentralized initiatives at the vice president/vice provost, dean, and chair levels. Recruitment initiatives for undergraduate students include work that takes place in the Office of Student Academic Success within the subdivision of student recruitment and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in its Young Scholars Program and Graduate and Professional Student Recruitment Initiative; as well as the Graduate School through is Summer Research Opportunities Program. In addition, most colleges such as the College of Engineering manage their own student recruitment efforts. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion also provides workshops on inclusive hiring practices for faculty and staff. These workshops include recruitment strategies to diversify candidate pools and unconscious bias awareness.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion provides academic support programs targeting underrepresented minorities, first-generation and low-income college students, students with disabilities, single-parent students, LGBTQ students, and students from Appalachian counties in the State of Ohio. Our programs serve pre-collegiate student pipelines, undergraduates, graduate and professional students, and faculty. These programs include:

The Morrill Scholarship Program (MSP) is the largest scholarship program of its kind, rewarding over 400 scholarships to high school seniors each year. These scholarships are awarded to students who show commitment to academics, diversity and social justice by excelling in the classroom and making a positive impact in their communities.
The Young Scholars Program supports academically talented first generation, low-income students with high financial need to advance their goal to pursue higher education.
The mission of the Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male is to examine and address critical issues in society that impact the quality of life for African American males throughout the lifespan. The Center conducts robust research studies and evaluations that inform social policy and theory on African American males and develops research-based programs, models, and initiatives. To this end, the Center serves as a national resource for those individuals interested in learning about best practices and groundbreaking research on African American males throughout the lifespan.
The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation Program increases underrepresented minority student recruitment, retention, persistence, and attainment of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees.
ACCESS Collaborative promotes college success for under-resourced, single parent students with full physical custody of their children by coordinating university and community resources/services.
The Latinx Student Success Team works with campus offices, departments, and student organizations to develop programs that focus on community outreach and engagement; academic and cultural support, and inclusion.
The Bell Fellows Program is a mentoring and professional development program for PhD students working on topics related to African American males.
Dissertation Boot Camp is a writing retreat that provides underrepresented PhD candidates with the time and space to work on their dissertations with other Ohio State students and faculty.
Preparing for the Professoriate Retreat is designed to prepare current Ohio State doctoral students for graduate school admission and the demands that accompany the professoriate experience.
Graduate/Professional Student Recruitment Initiative is Ohio State's premier diversity recruitment program for students considering post-baccalaureate studies at Ohio State.
The Frank W. Hale Black Cultural Center is housed in what was once the nation’s first student union built at a public university and offers students, particularly those who are underrepresented minorities, a home away from home on campus.
The Women’s Place works to create an equitable climate at Ohio State in which women faculty and staff have the opportunity to advance, lead and thrive. TWP catalyzes change at the university by focusing on these four areas: policy, culture, leadership, and reporting the status of women.
The Annual National Conference on Diversity, Race & Learning focuses on issues of diversity, cultural inclusion and acceptance, making strides toward the goal of meaningful change. The conference offers a multi-leveled examination of diversity and its implementation within institutions of higher education, the corporate world, and the larger community.

In addition, there are many programs to support underrepresented groups located in the colleges and in other non-academic units such as the Office of Student Life and the Women’s Place. The Women’s Place serves as a catalyst for institutional change to expand opportunities for women’s growth, leadership, and power in an inclusive, supportive, and safe university environment consistent with the goals of the university.

Ohio State’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) supports a number of programs to increase diversity of higher education faculty, such as the Hale Center, the Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male, and the nine-city Young Scholars Program, as well as being home to a wide-range of retention, mentoring, scholarship, and access programs.

The Bell National Resource Center established the Doctoral Fellows program in 2009 for graduate students who were interested in the work of the Center and are interested in academic careers as professors or postdoctoral researchers. This program is designated for Ohio State doctoral students who show much promise of becoming productive scholars on topics related to African American males. More specifically, it includes ongoing professional development and mentorship that will prepare students for the academic rigors of the academy.

Dissertation Boot Camp is a writing retreat that provides PhD candidates from underrepresented populations with the space to work on their dissertations with other Ohio State students and faculty. It is specifically designed for those students who seek to kick start their dissertations or to continue writing chapters on their dissertation.