Diversity & InclusionMeasures in the Rutgers Strategic

Plan & Peer Perspectives

By Andrea Zerpa

One of the major integrating themes within the university’s plan is Cultures, Diversity, and Inequality both locally and globally.

University Strategic Plan

To be broadly recognized as among the nation’s leading public universities: preeminent in research, excellent in teaching, and committed to community.

Building an Inclusive, Diverse, and Cohesive Culture

Diversity ≠ Inclusivity

● Rutgers University is known for its diversity, but diversity does not equate to inclusivity. An institution can be diverse while its members remain isolated from each other and marginalized.

● The strategic plan emphasizes that, ”Our classrooms and communities must be places in which all members, regardless of culture, race, and socioeconomic background, can exchange ideas freely and safely” (University Strategic Plan, 43).

Initiatives

● Establish a University-level office for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and create representative councils on each campus to monitor and advise this office on matters of diversity and inclusion. ○ Led by a University-wide Vice president, and Vice chancellors for diversity and inclusion on

each campus and in RBHS who report back.

● Develop a system to monitor the proportion of faculty and staff from underrepresented groups from recruitment to retention.○ With this system, regular reports will be provided to shared governance and University

leadership.

Initiatives (con’t)

● Provide directed peer mentoring for underrepresented faculty and staff ○ to promote effective career development.

● Recognize that successful programs to enhance diversity and inclusion start with the right “tone at the top.” ○ Model and communicate core values through participation from high-level administrators,

engagement with student organizations, and diversity-focused events.

How Our Peers are Integrating Diversity & Inclusion

Penn State University

A Framework to Foster Diversity

Texas A&M University

Diversity Plan

Ohio State University

National Conference on Diversity, Race &

Learning

Iowa State University

Gender Balance Project

Penn State

A Framework to Foster Diversity

● Was initially launched in 1998.

● One of the first universities to implement diversity goals in their strategic planning.

● It is currently completing its third five-year cycle.

● Last year Penn State received its third Higher Education in Excellence Award.

Source: http://equity.psu.edu/diversity-strategic-planning

Texas A&M

Diversity Plan

● In 2010, Texas A&M launched what they feel is an “ambitious” Diversity Plan with the purpose of enhancing accountability, climate and equity within the university.

● All the strategies, plans and processes must promote progress in diversity integration.

Source: http://diversity.tamu.edu/Diversity-Plan

Ohio State University

National Conference on Diversity, Race & Learning

● Two part conference beginning on May 2nd, 2016.

● Includes a pre-conference diversity training session.

● During the main conference keynote speakers will be, “talking across boundaries of any kind – age, race, geography, faith, orientation”(University website).

Source: http://odi.osu.edu/about/conferences/national-conference-on-diversity-race-and-learning/

Iowa State University

Gender Balance Project

● Examines the membership of appointed county and municipal boards in the state.

● The project collects annual data to track the large gap between men and women members.

● Latest data shows:○ “Seventeen cities have

achieved gender balance on the

nine boards and commissions examined”(University website).

Source:https://cattcenter.las.iastate.edu/catt-research/gender-balance-project/

How Our Aspirational Peers are Integrating Diversity & Inclusion

University of Michigan

Diversity Summit Lunch on Us

University of Illinois UCLA

Pipeline Program

University of Wisconsin

Diversity Dialogues

Diversity Summit

● The university created a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Strategic Planning Initiative.

● As part of this Initiative, U-M hosted a campuswide Diversity Summit for the first time on November 4-13, 2015.

● The summit included events aimed at promoting conversations and ideas about diversity, equity and inclusion.

University of Michigan

Source: http://diversity.umich.edu/strategic-plan/diversity-summit/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4fznSfrBjE

Lunch on Us

● Every weekday during the spring semester, the university is holding noontime events featuring speakers, panels and resources.

● All free lunches are aimed at introducing the community to, “cultures, histories and societal issues,” that the diverse campus community faces daily (University website).

University of Illinois

Source: http://oiir.illinois.edu/events/lunch

Community Engagement Pipeline Program

● “Group of several programs that identify, encourage and aid students who might not otherwise think a career in medicine is a reachable goal” (University website).

● Reaches out to promising high school and college students.

● The program’s goal is to help the professional workforce reflect the diverse population of Los Angeles.

UCLA

Source: http://medschool.ucla.edu/diversity

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Nim-3PYdgo

Diversity Dialogues

● Annual spring event showcasing work done by the university in regards to diversity and inclusion.

● It features hourly presentations done by faculty, staff and students.

● There are three presentations every hour during a 6-hour period, covering a number of diversity and inclusion topics.

University of Wisconsin

Source: http://www.uwlax.edu/Diversity-Inclusion/Diversity-Dialogues/

Conclusion● During my week at Old Queens I have learned about how Rutgers University is working

towards the goals outlined in the Strategic Plan. ○ Initiatives are tracked, and regularly updated. Alexis Biedermann’s whiteboard is a

clear example of this goal-tracking.● In my meetings with Rutgers staff and faculty I was able to learn about how different

departments are working towards reaching the university’s goals.● I was happy to see that all of these departments are working to implement diversity and

inclusion within the university.○ Through my research I have learned about how our peers and aspirational peers are

also working fervently to have diverse and inclusive institutions.● While we can look to these institutions as examples, I believe that the most important

initiative Rutgers can take is to continue the movement in diversity and inclusion. Our community will always be in a process of change, and the institution should continue to reflect this progress.

The theme of Diversity & Inclusion is a continuous conversation both within

Rutgers university and worldwide.

Thank you.