8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
1/28
Policy Advocacy Spring 2014
Presented by Students Bridges, Center for Education Policyand Advocacy, Student Government Association,& The
Student Power Coalition
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
2/28
Diversity vs. Underrepresentation
Diversity and Underrepresentation areterms which are often misconstrued and
used interchangeably.
While we are by no means downplayingthe importance of cultural diversity in
higher education, our plan is centered
around increasing the number of
underrepresented groups i.e. groups who
have limited to no access to higher
learning institutions as a whole.
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
3/28
Diversity Defined
Ethnic-Cultural-Religious: African,Latino-Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander,
Middle Eastern, Native American, etc.
Social: Students identifying as LGBTQ,First-generation college students
Economic: Lower-income families
Geographic: International students, Out-
of-state students
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
4/28
Diversity and the Administration
The Office of Equal Opportunity &Diversity released a 44-page diversity
plan in January of 2014
Within the report, the OEOD lists the
various diversity initiatives dating back to
the creation of the W.E.B. DuBois
Department for African-American Studies
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
5/28
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
6/28
Former Chancellor Robert C. Holub arrived oncampus in 2008; he made these statementsfocused on diversity and inclusion at the Faculty
Convocation:With regard to diversity and inclusion...we have done a
remarkable job with recent faculty hires, and22% ofour incoming class is from minority groups, ourundergraduate population is thus approaching in
terms of percentages the composition ofminorities in the Commonwealth (p.2)
Similarly, as the land-grant institution, we mustcontinue our efforts to provide service for thecitizens of the Commonwealth. We should pay
special attention to the communities in which wereside, and to the region in which we are situated. I amheartened that we already have an entire array ofconnections with the city of Springfield, and I hopethat we can continue to develop initiatives that bringbenefit to both the city and the campus. (p.2)
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
7/28
Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy made these remarks at the
2013 Faculty Convocation:
UMass Amherst has been a wellspring of innovation that hasimproved the well-being of populations far beyond our
campus. From breaking gender, race, and sexual orientation
barriers in the academy to delivering solutions to current-day
challenges and improving the human condition, we
demonstrate the value of engaged scholarship on a daily
basis. (p.3)
As the University of Massachusetts Amherst commemorates
one-hundred fifty yearsthe Commonwealths flagship
campus is committed to the original vision of the Morrill
Land Grant Act. (p.3)
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
8/28
The Morrill Land Act of 1862
Passed on July 2, 1862, the Morrill Land Actprovided each state with 30,000 acres of Federal
land for each member in their Congressional
delegation. The land was then sold by the states and
the proceeds used to fund public colleges thatfocused on agriculture and the mechanical arts.
The Morrill land grants laid the foundation for a
national system of state colleges and universities.
State colleges brought higher education within the
reach of millions of students
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
9/28
The current administration under Chancellor
Subbaswamy has taken action in order to create a
more diverse campus: In 2013, Chancellor Subbaswamy appointed Amilcar
Shabazz, professor of Afro-American studies, to serve as his
faculty advisor for diversity and excellence. In his role,
Shabazz serves as the chancellors representative to all
campus groups, committees and councils involved inadvancing diversity.
In October of 2012, a Joint Task Force on Strategic Oversight
(JTFSO) was charged to "make recommendations to the
Chancellor with respect to a high-level Strategic Plan" to besubmitted to the New England Association of Schools and
Colleges (NEASC) as part of the campus's fifth-year interim
accreditation report in August 2013.
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
10/28
EOD Vision Statement
Promote a campus that is accepting of all differences Develop a more culturally responsive campus community
Improve campus climate
Strengthen community connections
Increase the recruitment, hiring and retention of a diversefaculty and staff
Increase the recruitment, retention and graduationrates of undergraduate and graduate students fromdiverse backgrounds
Strengthen pipeline programs
Integrate a curriculum that fosters cultural competencies;
Incorporate universal design and universal instructionaldesign concepts
Coordinate organizational changes that support diversitygoals
Increase accountability for the achievement of diversityobjectives (p.6)
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
11/28
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
12/28
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
13/28
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
14/28
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
15/28
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
16/28
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
17/28
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
18/28
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
19/28
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
20/28
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
21/28
Black/African American: UMass Amherst: 4%, State: 7.9%
Native American/Alaska Native: UMass Amherst: 0%, State: 0.5%
Hispanic/Latino: UMass Amherst: 6%, State: 10.1%
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
22/28
Black/African American: UKentucky: 6.8%, State: 8.1%
Native American/Alaska Native: UKentucky: 0.2%, State: 0.3 %
Hispanic/Latino: UKentucky: 3.0%, State: 3.2%
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
23/28
Our Vision as Students A redefinition of diversity encapsulating various ethnic- ALANA
(African American, Latino-Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander,
Native American) and socioeconomic students with special
attention paid to the citizens of Massachusetts
Methods and statistics which accurately report minority
presence on campus
Enrollment demographics at the University of Massachusetts
Amherst which proves our college community serves as
adequate representation of the Commonwealth.
Significant improvement in recruitment efforts, enrollment and
retention for these communities; specifically, an increase of at
least 5% of each underrepresented community within the next
3-5 years.
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
24/28
How Do We Achieve Our Goals?
Increased funding for pipeline and retentionprograms (CMASS, Malcolm X Center, Yuri
Kochiyama Center, Stonewall Center, etc.)
Communication between RSOs (both cultural
and non-cultural) SGA and administration
Petition signed by SGA and various RSOs
Teach-Ins
Student Demonstrations (Sit-in, Rallies, etc.)
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
25/28
Focusing on SMART Goals
Specific Concrete number and timeframe
Measurable Enrollment demographics
will show if we have reached our goal Attainable/Assignable
Realistic
Time-Related
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
26/28
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
27/28
8/12/2019 Diversity State of Emergency
28/28
Questions/Comments/
Concerns?
Top Related