Editor鈥檚 note:听This is part of听a monthly series of campus updates on diversity, equity and inclusion. This series will continue throughout the year.
2021 Campus Culture Survey Coming in October
In October, the Campus Culture Survey will assess the extent to which students, staff and faculty feel respected, supported and valued at 彩民宝典.
The survey is the primary means by which the university works to gain a better understanding of how to improve workplace cultures, how to expand programs and services to foster a greater sense of belonging, and how to build a more inclusive campus community.
The survey will also help 彩民宝典 gain insights into how employee and student experiences differ based on aspects of personal identity.
Starting the week of Oct. 18, undergraduate and graduate students, staff and faculty will start receiving email invitations to participate in the survey, which will remain open through Nov. 21.
Depending on their role at 彩民宝典, participants will receive questions about their workplace and/or their classroom and social cultures on and off campus.
Questions will focus on sense of belonging, incivility听and protected-class discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment.
Also鈥攁nd this is critical to understanding the experiences of students during their time at 彩民宝典鈥攗ndergraduate and graduate students will be asked to respond to questions related to sexual misconduct such as sexual assault and exploitation, abuse in a relationship and stalking.
鈥嬧�婽he survey is a collaborative effort among the听Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC), the听Office of Data Analytics (ODA), the听Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement (ODECE) and other campus partners.
Survey administrators say ensuring the anonymity and privacy of students, staff and faculty who participate in the survey and protecting the integrity of the data gathered through the survey are the campus鈥檚 鈥渇irst duty of care.鈥� Data gathered through the survey will provide a benchmark for the听Inclusion, Diversity and Excellence in Academics (IDEA) Plan, 彩民宝典鈥檚 blueprint for building a more diverse, equitable and inclusive campus community.
It will also support the work of the听Academic Review and Planning Advisory Committee (ARPAC), which helps identify strengths and weaknesses and provides constructive options for program development and modification.
彩民宝典鈥檚 survey is part of听 underway on all four CU campuses to improve the university's programs and services.
IDEA Council continues its work this fall
A campus advisory council of students, staff and faculty who are prioritizing recommendations in the campus鈥檚听Inclusion, Diversity and Excellence in Academics (IDEA) Plan听will continue its work this fall. The plan is 彩民宝典鈥檚 blueprint for building a more diverse, equitable and inclusive campus community.
After convening last fall, the听IDEA Council set student, staff and faculty retention as their goals. Since then, the council has approved recommendations to support faculty-and-staff affinity groups, expand gender-neutral bathrooms, and asked the Boulder Faculty Assembly to begin the work of determining how best to incorporate a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) requirement into the faculty annual merit evaluation process.
The council is poised to discuss several new recommendations to address issues ranging from leadership accountability and faculty mentoring to enhanced support and professional development for staff.
New senior vice chancellor for DEI to join campus community this fall
Sonia DeLuca Fern谩ndez will join the 彩民宝典 community on Sept. 1 as the university鈥檚 senior vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
As a member of the chancellor鈥檚 leadership team, DeLuca Fern谩ndez will provide strategic direction for the university鈥檚 broader DEI initiatives, programs and strategies to improve the campus culture.
滨苍听a July 6 announcement, Chancellor Phil DiStefano said he was impressed with her scholarly work, change management experience, and her track record for building relationships with internal and external stakeholders to support institutional change.
Previously, DeLuca Fern谩ndez served as associate vice provost for educational equity at The Pennsylvania State University. She holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in African American studies and a master鈥檚 degree in social foundations of education, both from the University of Iowa, and a doctorate in higher education from the University of Michigan.
In explaining why she chose to come to 彩民宝典, DeLuca Fern谩ndez said she was 鈥渄rawn by the authentic commitment of both leadership and the community to cultural change and by the campus鈥檚 willingness to invest resources, imagination and energy into that change.鈥�
Sustaining our practice of inclusion
Campus efforts and investments to address pressing and painful inequities at 彩民宝典 are only a beginning. Creating a culture of belonging will take each member of our community practicing sustained personal work to truly embrace and support diverse perspectives and identities in our community.
This fall, Chancellor Phil DiStefano and other campus leaders urge every member of our community to join in learning more about diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism and to work continuously together to address these challenges more actively and in ways that can help authentically transform our campus culture in the coming year.
- 搁别蝉辞耻谤肠别蝉:听 offers a growing list of resources, including more information about this year鈥檚听Buffs One Read selection, American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures, by award-winning actress, producer, director and activist America Ferrera. Watch Ferrera鈥檚 riveting听, 鈥淢y Identity is a Superpower鈥擭ot an Obstacle.鈥�
- Programs: 罢丑别听Center for Teaching and Learning offers programs focused on creating inclusive classrooms.
- ODECE: More information is available via the ODECE website, and members of the campus community can听subscribe to the office鈥檚 newsletter for updates on programs, events and initiatives.
- Campus DEI:听A wrap-up of the campus鈥檚 DEI initiatives is available online.
In case you missed them, read the following stories in the July DEI campus update:
- Campus supports DACA recipients following federal ruling
- Bill provides in-state tuition to Indigenous students with historical ties to Colorado
- CU Upward Bound celebrates 40 years of supporting Indigenous students