Unity Environmental University
PA-6: Support for Underrepresented Groups

We welcome and support ALL members of our college community as well as collaborators and stakeholders. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry or national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expressions, gender identities, age, socioeconomic status, family status, marital status, disability, veteran status, or other status protected under local, state or federal laws in the recruitment and admission of students and in the recruitment and employment of employees. http://unity.edu/about/diversity-equity-inclusion

When a student who have experienced a bias incident, our team provides one on one assistance for the affected student. During the reporting period, there were only 2 reported incidents of discrimination, and both were addressed and the students involved reported satisfaction with the response. Unity College emphasizes prevention through orientation and providing access to services and response teams. We have a Unity Commission intended to hear complaints related to inclusion, civility, and community, which has an email alias to accept concerns. The Unity Commission on Community Standards & Inclusivity (The Unity Commission) is a cross-functional body of Unity College professionals whose sole charge is to hear college community concerns (Specific to Community Standards and Inclusivity), represent those matters to the Unity College President, ensure appropriate and timely resolution, maintain communication with the concerned party or parties, and provide information to the larger community as appropriate. The Student Code of Conduct has clear guidelines for student behavior, and violations are addressed by the Dean of Students and the Judicial Review Board, each of which can impose sanctions that include community restitution and education, as well as more serious penalties. The Employee Handbook similarly details expectations for college employees, and concerns are addressed through Human Resources.

For Students: The college recruitment plan is regionally based, with specific focus placed on regions that are identified as having high numbers of underpresented populations on campus. In particular, we attend college fairs in more urban areas; we specifically reach out to first generation and military; and we attend ethnic-specific college fairs. For Staff: The College partners with both Goodwill Industries and Restorative Justice to recruit staff members who are reentering the workplace after juvenile detention or incarceration. For Faculty: The College posts positions on diversity specific websites and College representatives attend the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, an initiative of the Compact for Faculty Diversity that gathers minority doctoral scholars.

Our Collaborative Learning Center (CLC) and Counseling Services centers are available to help students with a wide range of support services including study skills, cultural counseling, sexual orientation, conflict resolution, and much more. The ADA Coordinator works across departments to support differently abled students. Unity has SafeZone trainings for any faculty, staff, and students on campus to support the LGBTQA community. Unity also hosts projects from Love Is Louder and It Gets Better campaigns