| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.76 |
| Liaison | Mark Klapatch-Mathias |
| Submission Date | Feb. 21, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
PA-5: Assessing Diversity and Equity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.38 / 1.00 |
Beth
Schommer Executive Assistant to the Chancellor Chancellor's Office |
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 February 2017, UW-River Falls conducted a brief survey of 2,000 randomly selected students and all 780 campus employees to gather input on the degree to which they have experienced a variety of discriminatory practices based on various identity categories such as gender, sexual orientation, race, age, job classification, and political views. The goal was to assess the perceptions of our campus environment for learning, living, and working, and to better understand these individuals’ satisfaction with the UWRF experience. In line with our commitment to addressing the needs of our campus, a set of priority actions has been developed in consultation with university leadership and shared governance.
Does the assessment process address campus climate by engaging stakeholders to assess the attitudes, perceptions and behaviors of faculty, staff, administrators and students, including the experiences of underrepresented groups?:
Does the assessment process address student outcomes related to diversity, equity and success (e.g. graduation/success and retention rates for underrepresented groups)?:
Does the assessment process address employee outcomes related to diversity and equity (e.g. pay and retention rates for underrepresented groups)?:
A brief description of the most recent assessment findings and how the results are used in shaping policy, programs and initiatives:
For both students and employees, bias or hostility based on political beliefs is one of the more significant climate concerns at UW-River Falls, though the nature of the bias or hostility is somewhat different in the two groups. Students seem to be concerned about the political leanings of their professors, a sentiment shared by some employees. Another group of employees, however, view the political hostility in terms of the treatment our campus receives from our elected officials.
Both groups also identified bias based on gender to be a significant concern.
Neither students nor employees are likely to have reported their encounters with bias and only about half appear to know how or to whom to make such a report.
Large majorities of both students and faculty are satisfied or very satisfied with all dimensions of climate on campus and with their interactions with the community. There are, however, segments of both populations who are sufficiently dissatisfied with climate to be considering leaving the university.
Employees expressed concern about the climate on campus in terms of mutual respect across employment categories. Student comments indicated some dissatisfaction with their fellow students, in terms of campus climate.
Results:
A list of 5 themes have been identified as action areas to pursue in response to the climate survey. The thematic areas of focus were defined by the working group which helped create the survey tool and additional input was provided at the Aug. 29, 2017, Campus Leadership Workshop. The final action areas were refined by the Chancellor’s Cabinet on Oct. 16, 2017. In demonstration of the importance of addressing these issues, $25,000 in one-time institutional funding was allocated in Round 2 of the Fiscal Year 2018 Annual Budget Process to support the implementation of these actions.
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:
All information and reports from the climate survey are available for the campus community online. https://www.uwrf.edu/Diversity/Campus-Climate-Survey.cfm
The reports have also been shared via email and the campus newsletter.
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:
The website URL where the report or summary is publicly posted:
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:
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.