Williams College
PA-6: Assessing Diversity and Equity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.75 / 1.00 |
Eden-Reneé
Hayes Director Davis Center |
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:
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion was identified as a cross-cutting theme in Williams' strategic plan. To design the strategic plan, in Fall 2019 the members of eight working groups and three strategic initiatives collected community input via hundreds of meetings and events for faculty, staff, students, alumni, families and area residents, as well as an online comment form and via email. DEI was included in this process and in the final plan. You can find details on the Strategic Planning website.
https://www.williams.edu/strategic-planning/
We are also learning to recognize that faculty sometimes choose to leave Williams despite our best efforts, and that we can still learn a great deal by asking them why they decided to leave. Starting approximately five ago, Williams began offering formal exit interviews to all tenure-track faculty, full-time visitors who have been at the college for at least one full year, and fellows who announce plans to leave the college. These interviews are conducted either by the Dean of Faculty’s office or the Office for Institutional Diversity and Equity, according to the departing faculty member’s choice. All faculty leaving the college are also invited to complete an online exit survey. In addition, HR conducts exit interviews for staff. The information gathered from these efforts will help us better understand how we can further improve the faculty and staff experience at Williams, and enhance our ability to retain the best faculty of all kinds. Through national searches and opportunity appointments, we will continue to place a high priority on diversifying the faculty along the lines of gender, race, and other factors. We will especially aim to cultivate applicant pools that are as diverse as the U.S. graduate student population.
Finally, a new staff survey is currently in the works to assess what progress has been made since the last assessment in 2017.
Does the assessment process address campus climate by engaging stakeholders to assess the attitudes, perceptions and behaviors of employees and students, including the experiences of underrepresented groups?:
Does the assessment process address student outcomes related to diversity, equity and success?:
Does the assessment process address employee outcomes related to diversity and equity?:
A brief description of the most recent assessment findings and how the results are used in shaping policy, programs, and initiatives:
The plan identified four areas of growth: faculty and staff recruitment, accessibility, racial justice, and engaging with institutional history. Each growth area lists tangible next steps, e.g. for faculty and staff recruitment, Williams committed to reviewing compensation, supporting targeted career development, and improving educational pathways to support minority groups in gaining necessary skills.
In addition, many DEI plans have been crafted by individual departments, but are in early stages of implementation.
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:
President Maud shared the strategic plan via a letter to the campus community.
https://www.williams.edu/strategic-planning/
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 (upload):
Website URL where the diversity and equity assessment report or summary is publicly posted:
Website URL where information about the institution’s diversity and equity assessment efforts 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.