Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.40
Liaison Austin Sutherland
Submission Date Feb. 21, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Pennsylvania
PA-4: Diversity and Equity Coordination

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.78 / 2.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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

Penn President Amy Gutmann's vision for Penn's future to foster inclusion, innovation and impact is detailed in the Penn Compact 2020 (https://president.upenn.edu/penn-compact). The Penn Compact 2020’s goal of inclusion strives to improve diversity and equity at Penn for all members of the Penn community. In support of the Penn Compact 2020, the University Schools and Centers have developed numerous initiatives and programs to promote equity and diversity among students, staff, and faculty.

For students, university services include mentoring, counseling, financial aid, peer support, academic support, or other programs to support students from underrepresented groups on campus. Of the incoming freshman class, 12.4% are first generation college students (http://www.admissions.upenn.edu/apply/whatpennlooksfor/incoming-class-profile). The University also has a "no loan" policy, ensuring student financial aid is met based on financial need through grants and work-study jobs, ensuring no loans are included in a student's financial aid package (http://www.sfs.upenn.edu/finaid/penn-finaid-initiative.html).

Penn's Action Plan for Faculty Diversity and Excellence outlines an extensive plan to recruit, retain, and mentor distinguished and diverse faculty. As part of the initiation of the five-year plan in 2011, Penn committed $100 million to support the plan's implementation. Over the five-year plan, the number of minority faculty has increased by 19.4% and the number of underrepresented minority faculty increased by 30%. The total number of women faculty rose to 32.7% of the total faculty population. More information and further details are reported in the inclusion report: https://provost.upenn.edu/uploads/media_items/inclusion-report.original.pdf

For staff, Penn has numerous programs and support systems to ensure equity and diversity in hiring and advancement at Penn, including the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity (http://www.upenn.edu/affirm-action/ ). Along with the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity, Penn has a number of resources for staff, including Penn Professional Staff Assembly and the Weekly-Paid Staff Assembly. The staff breakdown at Penn includes In addition, there are also a number of resources for alumni. https://diversity.upenn.edu/resources/

Penn’s Committee on Diversity and Equity, which reports to the University Council, aids Penn in fostering and taking full advantage of its diversity as well as in strengthening ties across all boundaries to enrich and enliven the campus community. The Committee advises the Offices of the President, Provost, and the Executive Vice President on ways to develop and maintain a supportive atmosphere on campus for the inclusion and appreciation of diversity among all members of the University community. The Committee reviews and provides advice regarding the University’s equal opportunity and affirmative action programs and policies. The areas in which the Committee reports to the University Council includes diversity within the educational and work settings, integration of staff and faculty into the larger campus community, and ways to foster a campus environment that is inclusive and supportive of difference. The Committee also advises the administration on specific diversity issues that may arise on campus.
See the Penn Diversity website at http://www.upenn.edu/life-at-penn/diversity and https://secure.www.upenn.edu/secretary/council/de.html


Estimated proportion of students that has participated in cultural competence trainings and activities (All, Most, Some, or None):
All

Estimated proportion of staff (including administrators) that has participated in cultural competence trainings and activities (All, Most, Some, or None):
All

Estimated proportion of faculty that has participated in cultural competence trainings and activities (All, Most, Some, or None):
Some

A brief description of the institution’s cultural competence trainings and activities for each of the groups identified above:

Penn President Amy Gutmann's vision for Penn's future to foster inclusion, innovation and impact is detailed in the Penn Compact 2020 (https://president.upenn.edu/penn-compact). The Penn Compact 2020’s goal of inclusion strives to improve diversity and equity at Penn for all members of the Penn community. In support of the Penn Compact 2020, the University Schools and Centers have developed numerous initiatives and programs to promote equity and diversity among students, staff, and faculty.

Students: In 2016, Penn initiated a mandatory online program called "Thrive at Penn" (TAP) that assists students, both undergraduate and graduate, in their Penn experience, with a dedicated web portal for every class, including transfer students and incoming freshmen. TAP prepares students to make healthy choices during their university experience and provides information about resources available to support student success. Topics covered include thriving at a research university; wellness and health; the risks associated with alcohol and other drugs; healthy relationships and sexual violence prevention; and resources specific to student needs during freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years. See: https://www.nso.upenn.edu/tap
Penn also has a robust and responsive Counseling and Psychological Services office, known as CAPS, available to all students. See more at https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/caps/

In addition, during "New Student Orientation" for freshmen and transfer students, training in cultural competency is presented through two mandatory sessions: Safe Living at Penn, a student-oriented guide to working and relaxing safely at Penn, and "Speak About It", a performance about consent, boundaries, and healthy relationships. Additional trainings focused on cultural competencies, diversity, and equity are run throughout the year at Penn’s Cultural Resource Centers, volunteer agencies, and extra-curricular activities.

There are six cultural resource centers at Penn providing services for underrepresented groups:
- The Greenfield Intercultural Center fosters intercultural understanding at Penn through cross-cultural activism, reflection, and dialogue. This cultural resource also provides resources for First Generation and Low Income (FGLI) Students.
- La Casa Latina, Penn's Center for Hispanic Excellence, promotes awareness of Latino issues, culture, and identity.
-Penn's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Center supports the University's LGBT communities through mentoring, workshops, advocacy, and special events.
- Makuu, the Black Cultural Resource Center, is a nexus of advising, leadership development, and programming for Penn students interested in Black culture and the African Diaspora.
- The Pan-Asian-American Community House is a hub of academic, personal, and professional growth for Penn students interested in Asian-American culture and the Asian American Diaspora.
- The Penn Women's Center addresses the evolving needs of Penn's women through programming, advocacy, and community.

In addition, Penn has numerous religious organizations, arts organizations, councils, advisory boards, and student affairs affinity groups available to students from various backgrounds, as well as school-affiliated organizations within Penn's 12 schools. A full listing of these resources, with links to each organization's web page, is available on Penn's diversity website (http://diversity.upenn.edu/resources/).

Staff and Faculty: All staff are required to attend a training on Penn's Principles of Responsible Conduct at least once every three years. The guiding document is available on-line here: http://www.upenn.edu/audit/oacp_principles.htm, and includes policies for faculty, staff, and students.

The Human Resources Department is responsible for conducting these trainings in each division and office, including for Penn's 700+ person trades and unionized employees.

The Penn Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs (OAA/EOP) is responsible for providing educational training programs to assist members of the University community in understanding discrimination, harassment and retaliation. In addition, this office offers information on how to address behaviors that violate University policies, and how to be proactive in creating a respectful and productive work environment. See: http://www.upenn.edu/affirm-action/policies-handbooks.html

Responsible conduct and respect for the Penn community is also required for all vendors and contractors working on campus, and is written into all contract agreements.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

http://www.upenn.edu/affirm-action/offerings.html
http://www.upenn.edu/audit/oacp_principles.htm
http://www.upenn.edu/affirm-action/policies-handbooks.html

The University of Pennsylvania is a major research institution, with over 3000 degrees granted annually from twelve professional and academic schools at the Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate levels. Penn is committed to creating a more sustainable campus as stated in the 2014 Climate Action Plan and Dr. Gutmann's Penn Compact 2020. This submission documents Penn's efforts during the FY17 year and compares them to the FY14 baseline year which corresponds with the University's Climate Action Plan. 2.0. The submission relies on information related to the main, academic, West Philadelphia campus, but to more fully document efforts across the Penn system, information related to the Morris Arboretum and New Bolton has also been referenced and noted as outside the boundary in descriptions. The information is used to enrich examples of University efforts and is not intended to be the primary justification for credits.


http://www.upenn.edu/affirm-action/offerings.html
http://www.upenn.edu/audit/oacp_principles.htm
http://www.upenn.edu/affirm-action/policies-handbooks.html

The University of Pennsylvania is a major research institution, with over 3000 degrees granted annually from twelve professional and academic schools at the Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate levels. Penn is committed to creating a more sustainable campus as stated in the 2014 Climate Action Plan and Dr. Gutmann's Penn Compact 2020. This submission documents Penn's efforts during the FY17 year and compares them to the FY14 baseline year which corresponds with the University's Climate Action Plan. 2.0. The submission relies on information related to the main, academic, West Philadelphia campus, but to more fully document efforts across the Penn system, information related to the Morris Arboretum and New Bolton has also been referenced and noted as outside the boundary in descriptions. The information is used to enrich examples of University efforts and is not intended to be the primary justification for credits.

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