Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 76.93
Liaison Ezra Small
Submission Date March 6, 2020

STARS v2.2

University of Massachusetts Amherst
PA-5: Diversity and Equity Coordination

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.78 / 2.00 Nathanael Schildbach
Marketing Manager
University Relations
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have a diversity and equity committee, office, and/or officer tasked by the administration or governing body to advise on and implement policies, programs, and trainings related to diversity, equity, inclusion and human rights?:
Yes

Does the committee, office and/or officer focus on students, employees, or both?:
Both students and employees

A brief description of the diversity and equity committee, office and/or officer, including purview and activities:

The Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) was launched in fall 2017 in order to guide the institution's efforts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

OEI champions the role of diversity in achieving institutional excellence and works with campus leaders and units to develop strategic goals and provides guidance on national best practices to accomplish them. OEI is responsible for nurturing a campus-wide culture of inclusion, developing an affirmative emphasis on workplace climate, and supporting diversity, inclusivity, and equity goals within schools and colleges.

Activities

Campus Climate Improvement Grants
Campus Climate Improvement Grants encourage faculty, staff, and students to play an active role and bring their creativity to the work of improving the campus climate. The grants fund projects and activities that promote understanding and learning, as well as invest in relationship-building across difference in the campus community.

Dignity and Respect in Action: Community Conversations
Community Conversations are a continuation of the spring 2018 Campus Climate Conversations, and explore ideas around dignity and respect, the challenges and fears employees face when having difficult or sensitive conversations, what this means for employees both individually and collectively, and how we can work to create a campus environment that rejects hate and embraces our ideals of respect, dignity, and inclusion.

Employee Resource Groups
The Offices of Equity and Inclusion and Human Resources launched the UMass Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) as of Spring 2020. This initiative provides UMass staff and faculty with resources for professional development, networking, and mentorship, while also promoting the recruitment, retention, and advancement of employees who are underrepresented in our community. The goal of this initiative is to invest in the University's workforce and make UMass a workplace of choice.

STRIDE Faculty Development Workshops
These workshops are intended for faculty members with an important role in faculty recruitment efforts (e.g., search committee chairs and members, and other key faculty). This two-hour training reviews research driven best practices to recruit for diversity and excellence across every stage in the search process and is designed to help faculty produce diverse candidate pools and run effective searches.


Estimated proportion of students that has participated in cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
All

Estimated proportion of academic staff that has participated in cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
Most

Estimated proportion of non-academic staff that has participated in cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
Most

A brief description of the institution’s cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:

In Person Trainings include:
New Employee Training on Harassment and Discrimination
New employee training provides an overview of the policies, procedures and laws dealing with sexual harassment and discrimination. It also covers what constitutes a disability, harassment and discrimination and how to address it.

Sexual Harassment Training
Sexual harassment training is open to all UMass Amherst employees. This three-hour training is scheduled on an ongoing basis or can be scheduled by request through the Equal Opportunity Office. This course covers important topics related to sexual harassment, such as: what constitutes sexual harassment; relevant law, campus policies and procedures; and reviews how to respond to harassment from the perspective of individuals and supervisors.

Online Training:
UMass Amherst employees have access to an array of high-quality online training programs provided by The LawRoom that cover topics including diversity, sexual harassment and bias. Some of the trainings are mandatory for faculty and staff, depending on their responsibilities.

Other Initiatives include:
Campus Climate Ambassadors
Campus Climate Ambassadors are a core group of faculty, staff, and students who engage with others across campus in purposeful conversations about how we can work to create a campus environment that rejects hate and embraces our ideals of respect, dignity, and inclusion as part of the Dignity and Respect in Action: Community Conversations initiative.

Campus Climate Improvement Grants
Campus Climate Improvement Grants encourage faculty, staff, and students to play an active role and bring their creativity to the work of improving our campus climate. We fund projects and activities that promote understanding and learning, as well as invest in relationship-building across difference in the campus community. Learn more.

Building Bridges
Building Bridges is a campus initiative that seeks to draw on the power of solidarity and creative expression to bring people together across race, religion, class, immigration status, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, nationality and more.

Faculty Development.
Attend a Diversity Teaching workshop or Lunch Talk hosted by the Institute for Teaching and Faculty Development (TEFD). Explore resources available externally through the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, of which UMass Amherst is an institutional member.


Website URL where information about the institution’s diversity and equity office or trainings is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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