Wesleyan University
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

In the summer of 2015, Wesleyan adopted "One Policy: Discriminatory Harassment and Sexual Misconduct," available at http://www.wesleyan.edu/inclusion/titleix/titleix.html.

Coordinated through the Office of Equity & Inclusion, Wesleyan responds to harassment and discrimination on the basis of sex or gender in a prompt,effective,and equitable manner. Each incident reported is investigated and steps taken to eliminate the behavior, prevent its recurrence, and remedy the effects.

Our policy is found at https://www.wesleyan.edu/inclusion/misconduct/index.html
and our procedures:
Faculty: https://www.wesleyan.edu/inclusion/dc/17%20Flowchart%20of%20Faculty%20TIX-EEO%20Procedures.pdf
Students: https://www.wesleyan.edu/studentaffairs/studenthandbook/StudentHandbook.pdf
Staff: https://www.wesleyan.edu/hr/handbook/discrimination.html

Wesleyan has made great strides to recruit students from underrepresented groups. Wesleyan's priorities in student recruitment are outlined in the most recent university accreditation report: https://www.wesleyan.edu/accreditation/draftselfstudyoutline/06_students.html. More recently, Wesleyan has established programs to recruit undocumented and DACA students (https://www.wesleyan.edu/admission/apply/undocdaca.html) and other underrepresented groups via the QuestBridge program (https://www.wesleyan.edu/admission/apply/questbridge.html).

Wesleyan has guidelines for recruiting faculty: https://www.wesleyan.edu/acaf/Search%20Guidelines%2019_20.pdf. Specifically:
2. Recruiting for Inclusion. You are expected to develop a diverse pool of candidates. Search committees should develop a plan for reaching out in the field, calling on those across the field to inform potential candidates from underrepresented groups and, where appropriate, to facilitate recruitment. The VP for Equity & Inclusion is available to assist committees in this process. Directories to assist outreach efforts to historically underrepresented groups and women can be found at: http://www.wesleyan.edu/inclusion/equity/equity2.html. Throughout the search process, a log should be kept of all these contacts about potential candidates. In your proposal to bring candidates for on-campus interviews, you must include this log and a description of all efforts taken in order to increase the representation of underrepresented groups in the candidate pool. Please review Please review Faculty Diversity: Removing the Barriers (https://wesfiles.wesleyan.edu/departments/acaf/AcafWeb/SearchCommitteeResources/Moody_Div
erse_Faculty .pdf.

Wesleyan has had an opportunity hire policy for faculty and staff since 2016: https://www.wesleyan.edu/inclusion/equity/opphire_FacutyandStaff.pdf. The Opportunity Hire Policy aligns with Wesleyan’s commitment to equal opportunity and affirmative action in accordance with state and federal law. The Opportunity Hire Policy provides guidance for hiring people who will make impactful contributions to the university and the campus community. This includes individuals who bring diversity in areas where historical underrepresentation exists and/or who bring a unique or different perspective because of their professional or personal backgrounds, interests or expertise. The opportunity hire process is intended to enhance rather than circumvent the normal search process by providing opportunities to hire highly desirable faculty and staff outside of the normal search process or
availability of positions.

Wesleyan uses many tools to recruit underrepresented faculty and staff:
1. We post to Diversity job boards that are general or specific to a search. We use diversity emails blast on some job boards. A general list of boards that we have used
-Women in Higher Education: www.wihe.com
-Diverse Issues in Higher Education: www.diverseeducation.com
-National Association of University Women: http://nauw1910.org/
-Women in Higher Education: www.wihe.com –
-Diversityjobs.com - http://diversityjobs.com/
-Diversity inc - http://jobs.diversityinc.com/ -
-American Association of blacks in higher ed - http://jobs.blacksinhighered.org
-National Association of Asian American Professionals - http://www.naaap.org/careercenter/
-National Association for the Advancement of Colored People - https://www.naacpjobfinder.com/
-Asians in Higher Ed - http://www.asiansinhighered.com/
-American Association of Hispanic in Higher Ed http://www.aahhe.org/
-Latinosinhighered - https://www.latinosinhighered.com/
-Higher Ed Jobs Email Blasts
2. We use inclusive language and inclusive content in position descriptions
3. We effectively use posting specific questions to signal our commitment
4. We use the following statement in every position description – “Demonstrated commitment to work within a diverse environment and interact collegially with individuals of different backgrounds.”
5. We use the following about Wesleyan Information in relevant sections on job boards –
At Wesleyan University, we are all educators. In this energetic and inclusive community, our talented faculty and staff foster a liberal arts educational experience characterized by boldness, rigor and practical idealism. Genuinely open-minded, intellectually curious and mission-driven, our employees invest their impressive talents in fulfilling careers. In return, Wesleyan offers a broad range of growth and wellness opportunities – comprehensive group insurance plans, fitness incentives, generous paid time off, retirement plans, flexible work schedules and educational benefits, including free employee access to Wesleyan’s Graduate Liberal Studies program and undergraduate tuition reimbursement for dependents of eligible employees.
Campus life affords employees with countless opportunities to experience general-interest, academic, artistic, and athletic events and our advantageous position in central Connecticut provides easy access to Boston, New York and the many other exciting and culturally rich destinations of New England. Few workplaces are like Wesleyan and we welcome your interest in learning more about us. Wesleyan University is a highly selective private liberal arts university with a student body of 3000 undergraduates and 200 graduate student
6. We use an affirmative action statement on job postings:
Wesleyan recruits, hires, trains, promotes and educates individuals without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, veteran status, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Wesleyan University administers all personnel action such as compensation, benefits, transfers, layoffs, return from layoffs, education, tuition assistance, and social and recreational programs without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, veteran status, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. The Office for Equity & Inclusion provides support and information on best practices for diversifying applicant pools and conducting inclusive searches.

The Office for Equity and Inclusion coordinates five Wesleyan cohort programs: the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship, the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, the Wesleyan Math and Science Scholars Program (WesMaSS), the Upward Bound Math-Science Program, and the Posse Veteran Scholars Program. Together, these five communities make up the Pathways to Inclusive Excellence (PIE). The purpose of PIE is to increase a sense of community amongst students, faculty and staff. Our goal is to remove obstacles along the pathways to secondary and post-secondary education for students in grades 9 through 16, who come from historically underrepresented backgrounds and to provide opportunities and access to programs that require complex thinking and a complex interdisciplinary understanding of belonging in the pursuit of excellence. minority groups, women, handicapped individuals who are otherwise qualified, special disabled veterans, and veterans of the Vietnam era.

All faculty and staff of color have the opportunity to join AFCA (Administrators and Faculty of Color Alliance). AFCA’s mission is to create a supportive environment for promoting personal and professional growth through experiences, events, and resources for administrators, faculty, and staff of color. AFCA is a community building organization that seeks to strengthen the relationship between its members, allies and other members of the Wesleyan community. While AFCA maintains a particular focus on the needs of administrators, faculty, and staff of color, all those who share in its mission and values are welcome to be part of AFCA and help uphold its mission. For more information, visit http://www.wesleyan.edu/groups/afca/index.html.

Wesleyan's Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship and Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program prepare and encourage undergraduate or other non-terminal degree students to pursue further education and careers as faculty members. Wesleyan does not have programs for Master's degree students, but all PhD students spend 1-2 years as teaching assistants in undergraduate courses.

Upward Bound Math-Science: http://www.wesleyan.edu/ubms/math_science/index.html
Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program: http://www.wesleyan.edu/mcnair/)
Prospect Project: http://www.wesleyan.edu/ubms/prospect/index.html
Ascend: http://www.wesleyan.edu/ubms/ascend/index.html
Queer/Trans resources: https://www.wesleyan.edu/queer/queer_resources.html
Wesleyan’s "One Policy: Discriminatory Harassment and Sexual Misconduct, available at http://www.wesleyan.edu/inclusion/titleix/titleix.html