Division of Diversity & Belonging Strategic Plan

Download the Diversity and Belonging Comprehensive Strategy and Plan (PDF)   

2019 – 2023  

Vision

The Division of Diversity and Belonging promotes equity and inclusion for all members of the Bowling Green State University community through culturally competent education, support, and celebration.

Mission

The Division of Diversity and Belonging strives to create a safe, brave, equitable, and inclusive environment where people of all identities – especially the most minoritized and marginalized – are affirmed, empowered, and supported.

Values

As the Division of Diversity and Belonging, we value:

• DIGNITY: respect and equitable treatment of and opportunity for people of all identities
• PERSONAL GROWTH: development achieved through holistic education, learning, involvement, and openly engaging diverse perspectives
• CULTURAL COMPETENCE: civic, intercultural, and ethical engagement that leads to a culture of awareness surrounding equity, social justice, and inclusion

The Division’s Strategic Questions

• How will the Division of Diversity and Belonging ensure a safe and inclusive BGSU experience and campus community in which each person feels empowered and supported?
• How can the Division of Diversity and Belonging leverage the experience, resources, and services of our network in order to foster a diverse community of belonging?
• How can the Division of Diversity and Belonging contribute to frequent and consistent social justice training and development for faculty, staff, and students to positively impact campus climate?
• What are the processes, collaborators, and resources required to assess and move forward the campus’ diversity and belonging forward?
• How do we tell the story of the Division of Diversity and Belonging?

Key Objectives with Actions/Initiatives

1. ADVOCACY: Advocate for just and equitable policies and practices to ensure a safe and inclusive community where each person feels empowered and supported.

a. Monitor division and university policies for negative/adverse diversity and inclusion impacts

b. Review university assessment practices to ensure commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion processes (e.g., disaggregating data) and outcomes (e.g., persistence, graduation) for diverse populations

c. Develop a system to provide continuous feedback and suggestions for DDB

d. Offer ally and advocate training workshops

e. Create faculty, staff, and graduate student affinity groups

f. Assess current onboarding practices and ongoing human resource training needs for new staff members in DDB

g. Establish a network of Faculty Diversity Advocates who will serve as liaisons between campus community, the Division, and Human Resource

2. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT: Deliver impactful social justice and cultural competency professional development opportunities trainings to enhance faculty, staff, and students’ capacity.

a. Review extant literature to develop cultural competency standards for faculty, staff, and students

b. Establish division-wide learning and developmental outcomes related to diversity and inclusion that can be used for programming and assessment purposes

c. Offer professional development resources to educate staff on issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice (e.g., share current articles; form book club; tiered training workshops; webinars/webcasts; share information about campus, regional, and national opportunities)

d. Offer train-the-trainer sessions for a variety of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice workshops to build a network of approved co-facilitators

3. PROGRAMMING: Implement high-quality educational and engagement opportunities for university faculty, staff, and students.

a. Conduct an audit of programming based on the mission, vision, values, etc. of the division

b. Broaden and increase participation in Division programs and services while encouraging collaborative efforts

c. Move beyond satisfaction-only assessment methods to assess the effectiveness of faculty, staff, and student learning

d. Establish division-wide learning and developmental outcomes related to student learning, development, and success  that can be used for programmatic and assessment purposes

4. PARTNERSHIPS: Leverage campus and community partnerships to create a diverse community of belonging.

a. Conduct a stakeholder and partner analysis and curate a list of initiatives and programs with collaborator and name, contact information, and context

b. Define what constitutes the following: partnership, collaboration, sponsorship, supporter

c. Survey current and forecasted internal and external collaborations and partnerships

d. Explore funding opportunities with current and new partners

e. Develop a campus and community partner communication plan

f. Form cross-campus coalitions that connect students, faculty, staff and community members

g. Create an annual Diversity Service Award to recognize the efforts partners

h. Pursue intentional collaboration with the Office of the Provost, Vice President for Faculty Affairs, Faculty Senate, Center for Faculty Excellence, and the Office of Human Resources

5. ACCOUNTABILITY: Demonstrate the positive impact of the Division of Diversity and Belonging to campus climate.

a. Track, measure, assess, and report progress for the DDB strategic plan

b. Develop internal and external program review cycle

c. Implement the University Executive Council’s assessment plan

d. Articulate a division-wide vision of and expectation for assessment practice (including assessment type, frequency, reporting, and budget)

e. Form divisional assessment committee to support and provide accountability for unit-level initiatives

f. Communicate assessment results within and outside the division

g. Explore the appointment of a President-designated administrator responsible for diversity, inclusion, and belonging efforts for faculty (i.e., Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity and Inclusion)

6. BRANDING AND COMMUNICATION: Build a brand for the Division of Diversity and Belonging that includes strategic communication practices to tell our story.

a. Develop a comprehensive communication and marketing plan

b. Develop a mechanism to communicate and highlight DDB information and success (e.g., division-wide newsletter; marketing and communication to prospective and current students and families; utilize social media)

c. Explore technology platforms (e.g., One Drive) that can might facilitate cross-divisional communication around diversity and belonging issues and resources

d. Develop a system for better informing Title IX participants about where their case is in the Title IX process (i.e., intake, investigation, hearing, appeal).Share divisional scorecard/dashboard to keep Division and campus community updated about progress within the strategic plan

e. Update all marketing and communication materials to include language that focuses on faculty as a target audience and Division collaborators