Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 31.76
Liaison Jonathan Ehrlich
Submission Date Dec. 17, 2019

STARS v2.2

United World College-USA
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.67 / 3.00 Todd Austin
Special Assistant for Strategic Initiatives
President's Office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have a publicly posted non-discrimination statement? :
Yes

The non-discrimination statement, including the website URL where the policy is publicly accessible:

The UWC-USA website includes the following non-discrimination statement: "UWC-USA admits students of any race, color, national, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national, and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs." (https://www.uwc-usa.org/learn-with-us/admissions/). A similar statement is provided in the UWC-USA Student Handbook (p. 6) and the UWC-USA Faculty Handbook (Policy 003).

A non-discrimination statement is also included on all job applications and UWC student applications.


Does the institution have a discrimination response protocol or committee (sometimes called a bias response team)?:
No

A brief description of the institution’s discrimination response protocol or team:
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Does the institution have programs specifically designed to recruit students from underrepresented groups?:
Yes

Does the institution have programs specifically designed to recruit academic staff from underrepresented groups?:
No

Does the institution have programs designed specifically to recruit non-academic staff from underrepresented groups?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s programs to recruit students, academic staff, and/or non-academic staff from underrepresented groups:

The admissions process for students at UWC-USA is distinct. Students are not selected directly by the school; they are selected by 160 volunteer National Committees (NCs) in country or through a Global Selection Programme (GSP) managed through the international office. The UWC International Office has a common set of selection criteria for all NCs, but each NC adapts it to tailors the yearly application process to the local education system and culture (see https://www.uwc.org/selectioncriteria for more details).

To help with recruiting of underrepresented groups in the US, the UWC-USA admissions team has created relationships with community groups and high school counselors within the US who work with students from underrepresented groups to encourage their application to the College.

Recruitment of non-academic staff is primarily and intentionally done in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and the surrounding areas of San Miguel and Mora Counties. According to New Mexico's Indicator-Based Information System, San Miguel County is 77.4% Hispanic and Mora County is 80.7% Hispanic (2017 data). Given the ethnic composition in the region, the majority of UWC non-academic staff members are Hispanic. In 1982 UWC-USA chose to locate its campus near Las Vegas, NM for a number of reasons, one of which was to serve the local community through economic development opportunities created by the institution. The school has decided to stay at this location with this same purpose in mind. UWC-USA is the largest private employer in the county and in the entire region of northeastern New Mexico.


Does the institution have mentoring, counseling, peer support, academic support, or other programs designed specifically to support students from underrepresented groups on campus?:
Yes

Does the institution have mentoring, counseling, peer support or other programs designed specifically to support academic staff from underrepresented groups on campus?:
No

Does the institution have mentoring, counseling, peer support or other programs to support non-academic staff from underrepresented groups on campus?:
No

A brief description of the institution’s programs designed specifically to support students, academic staff, and/or non-academic staff from underrepresented groups:

The College has several programs that are accessible to all students, but particularly for students from underrepresented groups. A primary focus is helping students with English as an Additional Languages. The College usually holds English Language Learning classes before the start of the academic year for students who have been identified by the National Committee as needing additional language training. There is also a writing center on campus with writing coaches who help students who are having difficulties with their writing. There is also a Math Center, which provides peer counseling programs for students. Students also participate in a wellness program which addresses issues of stress, cross-cultural conflict, and personal well-being. Two certified counselors on campus provide a range of services to students who experience emotional, academic, or social difficulties.


Does the institution have training and development programs, teaching fellowships and/or other programs that specifically aim to support and prepare students from underrepresented groups for careers as faculty members?:
No

A brief description of the institution’s programs to support and prepare students from underrepresented groups for careers as faculty members:
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Does the institution produce a publicly accessible inventory of gender-neutral bathrooms on campus?:
No

Does the institution offer housing options to accommodate the special needs of transgender and transitioning students?:
No

Website URL where information about the institution’s support for underrepresented groups is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.