| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 77.34 |
| Liaison | Sally DeLeon |
| Submission Date | Feb. 27, 2022 |
University of Maryland, College Park
PA-6: Assessing Diversity and Equity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Emily
Hightower Sustainability Coordinator Environmental Safety, Sustainability, and Risk |
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:
In 2017, the University of Maryland began conducting an assessment of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) towards the goal of revising the University’s 2010 Strategic Plan for Diversity. Primary pieces of this assessment included the Campus Climate Survey (2018) and the Report on Diversity Assets (2017). These assessments were independently, externally reviewed and analyzed. They provide several recommendations for the university relating to EDI.
In addition to these structured reports, UMD’s administration began working with Black student leaders in 2020 to assess critical issues towards addressing anti-Black racism on campus in addition to increasing equity, diversity and inclusion. The student leaders provided 25 critical issues and goals based on four years of research and current issues, and partnered with UMD’s administration to address them.
2018 Campus Climate Survey
All University of Maryland faculty and staff were invited to participate in a campus climate survey in January and February of 2018. This was the first campus climate survey offered to all members of the UMD community. The effort to hear and understand the experiences and perspectives of all campus community members was an initiative from the Office of the Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) at UMD and the leadership of Chief Diversity Officer Roger L. Worthington in partnership with an external consultant. The survey included a core set of common items for all survey participants as well as items specific to the experiences of students, staff, and faculty individually. The majority of common items were analyzed using factor analysis (a data reduction technique) to produce composite variables.
2017 Report on Diversity Assets
The self-study of diversity and inclusion programs is the most comprehensive attempt to map the University of Maryland's diversity assets in the history of the institution. Prior to this study, few, if anyone, on campus had a full understanding of what various departments and offices were doing to further EDI at the university. Units across campus were asked to self-report information relating to their missions and major EDI programs/initiatives. Those assets were then mapped according to the university's organizational structure.
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:
The 2018 Campus Climate Survey final report was released in December 2018 and its findings provide a baseline data about diversity, equity, and inclusion and information for the campus to use to identify clear and actionable steps to fulfill the institutional strategic plan. The main report included over 311 pages of analysis, data, and recommendations and offered eight key findings. These pertained to the perception of campus climate around diversity, equity and inclusion; the value and commitment to diversity and inclusion by members of the UMD community; personal experiences with hostile, inappropriate, offensive, or biased conduct at UMD; physical and emotional safety at UMD; sense of belonging at UMD; university response to hate/bias incidents; and departments that hinder diversity and inclusion efforts.
The 2020 Critical Issues and Recommendations from Black student leaders provide 25 recommendations that include: increasing diversity of all students, staff, and faculty; providing mandatory racial bias training; diverting funding from historically anti-Black institutions to programs that support Black students; increasing Black student mental health and support resources; immediately responding to hate speech or actions and increasing staff support for Bias Incident Support Services; increasing administrative accountability and oversight; creating safe spaces for remembrance, education, and progress; creating direct partnerships with surrounding communities; and teaching about the Black history of the institution. While the university is not committed to achieving all student demands as stated, they are in regular dialogue with Black student leaders about these issues and any progress made. Currently, UMD’s administration has progressed in 19 of the 25 key issues.
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:
The findings and results from the 2018 Campus Climate Survey, the 2017 Report on Diversity Assets,, and the 2020 Critical Issues and Student Recommendations are available online at https://diversity.umd.edu/. For each program, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion provides a summary and access to the full report as either a download or dashboard. News about the initiatives and survey results were shared via news channels including Maryland Today, the Diamondback, and other local news sources. These articles are free to the public and are advertised to the UMD community.
Additionally, UMD reports annually on demographics and success/outcomes for students, faculty and staff. These reports are publicly available through the Office of Institutional Research, Planning, and Assessment: https://irpa.umd.edu/CampusCounts/index.html.
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.