University of Rochester
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

https://www.rochester.edu/diversity/policies/nondiscrimination-policy-statement/

When a bias-related incident report is submitted and it involves a University employee or involves sexual misconduct, the reports are forwarded to the Institutional Office of Equity and Inclusion for investigation, review, and response.

Bias reports that are submitted and don’t fall under these categories are kept in the upmost confidentiality and reviewed by the Bias-Related Incident Response Team. The Bias-Related Incident Response Team is made up of seven members that represent different offices within the College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering. These members include the Dean of the College, Dean for Diversity, Dean of Students, Assistant Dean & Director of the Office of Minority Student Affairs, Assistant Dean for Diversity & Director of the Paul J. Burgett Intercultural Center, Senior Associate Dean of the Faculty, and LGBTQ Coordinator.

Initially reporters and students named in the bias report are asked to meet with a member of the bias team, typically the Assistant Dean for Diversity & Director of the Paul J. Burgett Intercultural Center but could include other members of the response team. During these meetings, students are met with empathy, privacy, and respect which are of the upmost importance. However, in certain circumstances involving safety or criminal action, we may not be able to guarantee anonymity. The reporter may include their contact information for follow up or the report may be submitted anonymously. Every effort is made to contact and meet with the reporter (if noted) and then every effort is made to reach out the student(s) named in the report as conducting the harm.

After the initial review, the Bias-Related Incident Response Team is contacted and assists in determining if the report is actionable. If the incident is actionable, then the report is forwarded to the necessary stakeholders or departments to respond appropriately to the incident. If no action is possible or warranted, the report is documented for the purposes of assessing campus climate and culture.

Every incident is different and may require various approaches. For example, if the person involved is unknown - such as in the case of graffiti, the Department of Public Safety is notified to document the incident and to open an investigative case. University Facilities and Services is then notified to assist in removing the graffiti from the location. Other incidents may require forwarding the report to be reviewed by the Center for Conflict Management regarding any conduct issues or Residential Life if there are issues within the residential halls. Some outcomes of these bias incident reports may lead to mediated restorative conversations and/or a supportive planning agreement put into place to hold the student who conducted the harm accountable for their actions. Lastly, there is an effort to conduct bystander intervention workshops to help train members of our campus community on how to respond to and report when they have experienced or witnessed a bias-related incident. We are also currently reviewing our policies to make sure they are in alignment with the Institutional Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment.

The Admissions office handles the recruitment for underrepresented groups. Brochures meant to target and provide resources for many underrepresented groups are available at https://enrollment.rochester.edu/publications/. Each school is responsible for recruiting students from underrepresented groups. Similarly, faculty hiring is done at the school level. University-wide resources to assist the Deans of each school in recruiting faculty from underrepresented groups are described here: https://www.rochester.edu/diversity/faculty/. Recruitment of staff members from underrepresented groups is the responsibility of Human Resources. There is an Associate Director of Staff Diversity and Community Engagement, who assists groups throughout the university: https://www.rochester.edu/diversity/staff/staff-recruitment-list/.

The University of Rochester’s Office of Undergraduate Admission employs a holistic application review process to identify curious, capable and engaged students from across the globe. We seek to understand each applicant’s academic ability, extracurricular engagement, and ethical character in order to determine their ability to improve both their campus and the world around them. We are a diverse institution that values equality of opportunity and honest, respectful examination of ideas. We seek young leaders who will celebrate and protect the values of our University and join us in making the world ever better.

Policies are included in our undergraduate bulletin. Rochester took a leading stance in 2019, making standardized testing optional for undergraduate applicants, as one step to enhance college access to underserved populations. As we seek to enroll a diverse and talented class each year, our review procedures allow for students to demonstrate readiness with or without standardized tests through our test-optional policy.

The undergraduate admission staff coordinates special events (in-person traditionally, though held virtually via Zoom lately) for interested students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Beyond undergraduate students, graduate and professional admissions are managed at the school-level. Similarly, faculty hiring is done at the school level. University-wide resources to assist the Deans of each school in recruiting faculty from underrepresented groups are described here: https://www.rochester.edu/diversity/faculty/. Recruitment of staff members from underrepresented groups is the responsibility of Human Resources. There is an Associate Director of Staff Diversity and Community Engagement, who assists groups throughout the university: https://www.rochester.edu/diversity/staff/staff-recruitment-list/.

MSAB functions as the liaison group between:
The Black Students Union (BSU) and their respective committees: Pan-African Students Association (PASA), Student Organization for Caribbean Awareness (SOCA), and their dance groups Indulgence and Xclusive.
The Spanish and Latino Students Association (SALSA) and their sub-committee Salseros.
The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
The Society of Professional Hispanic Engineers (SHPE);
The Minority Association of Pre-Health Students (MAPS);
The Multicultural Greek Council (MGC)
American Sign Language (ASLClub)
Association for Development of Interest in the Indian Subcont. (ADITI)
Black Students' Union (BSU)
Axum
Student Organization for Caribbean Awareness
Celtic (Celtic)
Sihir Dance Ensemble (Middle Eastern Dance)
Chinese Students' Association (CSA)
Filipino American Students' Association (FASA)
Israel Council (URIC)
Korean American Students' Association (KASA)
Liberty in North Korea
Slavic Club (SlaviClub)
Student Assoc for the Dev of Arab Cultural Awareness (SADACA)
Taiwanese American Students' Association (TASA)
Pride Network

University Resource Groups are voluntary associations of people who have common interests. University Resource Groups are open to all University of Rochester employees (staff and faculty) and retirees. Such groups provide opportunities for employees to directly contribute to the University of Rochester’s efforts to effectively support and manage diversity and inclusion. See https://www.rochester.edu/diversity/staff/resourcegroups/

In addition the Employee Assistance Program offers counceling and support to all staff and faculuty for a variety of reasons. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/eap.aspx

The University of Rochester hosts the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program. Funded through a grant from the US Department of Education, the objective of the McNair Program is to increase the numbers of low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented minority undergraduates who pursue PhD degrees and go on to careers in research and teaching at the university level.

The two-year academic program comprises a series of colloquia designed to help students identify appropriate graduate programs, gain admission to them, and secure financial support. Participants complete a series of assignments that help prepare them for applying to graduate school. The program culminates with each scholar completing a semester-long mentored research project. Other program supports include intensive writing assistance, GRE preparation, graduate school visits, study group sessions, and help locating summer research opportunities.

The associated summer program is open to students from UR and other institutions. Students in this program will spend June and July at the University of Rochester conducting research under the guidance of a faculty mentor. They then present their research results at a University-sponsored conference, and have the opportunity to present at disciplinary conferences. Students also prepare intensively for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and take a course titled “The Culture of the Academy.”

Link: https://www.rochester.edu/college/kearnscenter/undergraduate/mcnair.html

https://sa.rochester.edu/clubs/MSAB/about ; https://sa.rochester.edu/clubs/?club_type=30; https://sa.rochester.edu/clubs/PrideNtwk/about ; http://www.rochester.edu/eoc/HarassmentDiscrimination.html
http://www.rochester.edu/college/ccas/undergraduate/daca/index.html