A group of interested students and faculty members from the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity attended Wednesday’s University Senate meeting, its last regular business meeting for the 2007-2008 academic year, to see the first annual yearly progress report on the University’s Diversity Plan.
The meeting also featured an address from University President Dave Frohnmayer, and a report from the Senate Budget Committee highlighting the need for faculty salary increases.
Charles Martinez, the vice provost for Institutional Equity and Diversity, or OIED, updated the senate on the progress of the diversity plans on campus.
The current University Diversity Plan was established in May 2006, and required that “each college, school, and administrative unit on campus develop and adopt strategic action plans,” according to OIED’s Diversity Strategic Action Plans Progress Report Summary. The plan also stipulated that the OIED present a yearly progress report to the University Senate.
Martinez said he hoped the University community would treat the plan as a “dynamic, living document,” and that they would continue in an ongoing discussion about the plan and the diversity issues it addresses.
The plan requires that each of the 16 colleges, schools, and administrative units on campus develop its own strategic action plan that fits its particular situation, said Martinez. The OIED serves to guide and help each unit in creating and maintaining a strategic action plan that is both effective for the unit and upholds University standards.
The presentation was a summary of the 12-page official progress report, which is posted on the OIED Web site, and is a compilation of progress reports provided by each University unit.
According to the report, each University unit has been working to develop a culturally responsive community and improve the campus climate, which involves everyone making “the University a supportive and inclusive place.” The units also work toward building a critical mass of underrepresented groups, and expanding and filling the pipeline to bring a diverse group of students here by engaging in programs for younger students. Finally, they are working to develop and strengthen community linkages, and develop and reinforce diversity infrastructure within the University faculty and staff.
Martinez said what he is most excited about is the University community beginning to feel a sense of ownership toward the Diversity Plan, and are realizing that they can all be a part of its efforts.
Martinez said that many people “don’t see (the plan) as being about the OIED or about, but about them and the University, and these are good signs.”
Currently there are still challenges, including a lack of collaboration between units, and changes that will be made in the future to the plan. Martinez is also concerned that the plan is at risk of losing momentum because of the lack of popular attention the program has recently drawn.
Both the official report and the powerpoint presentation of Wednesday’s meeting are posted on the OIED Web site. Martinez said that once each of the units’ individual progress reports are edited to remove all personal identifying information they will also be made available on the Web site.
In other senate business, Frohnmayer addressed some key issues presently facing the University at the start of the meeting, including the search for a new University president, the unusually large size of next year’s freshman class, and the physical changes that will be made to the campus over the next several years. Frohnmayer said that the University will facilitate all the incoming freshmen’s needs.
Senate Budget Committee Chair Marie Vitulli, spoke about the need to increase University faculty salaries to meet national standards.
“Salary lagged behind the growth of the overall base budget for this institution,” said Vitulli, “We’re calling on the institution to make faculty a first priority.”
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