College of Arts and Sciences
Department/Unit Diversity Plan 2009-2010
Department/Unit: ___Physics and Astronomy______________
I.
Identify at least three key diversity initiatives for your department/unit keeping in mind the stated goals of the A&S Diversity Plan
Initiative and related Goal
Strategies
Tactics/Action
Recruit minority
undergraduate/graduate students.
Use national forums
such as the National
Society of Black
Physicists (NSBP) and
the Committee on the
Status of Women
Physicists(CSWP) to
recruit minority
students.
Attract minority
students through
programs such as SIGS
fellowships or
McSweeny endowed
fellowships
Obtain funding for
minority students or
women through NSF
grants.
Assessment /
Reporting
Measurement
Schedule
Assess the number Annual reporting
of minority
students admitted
into the program
Responsible
Person(s)
Chair/Graduate
Program Director.
Physics Faculty
Expected
Outcome
Increase the number
of minority students
in the department by
10%
Increase the number
of minority students
supported by Federal
grants by 10%
Improve the ambience for the
retention of minority students
and advocate best practices for
interactions between various
groups (student-faculty, studentstaff, etc.)
Provide abundant
opportunities for
students of color and
minority students to
interact with faculty
and students of other
races.
Create an endowed Chair
position for a minority faculty
member in Physics
Conduct a national
search to attract the
best talents.
Organize brown bag
luncheon
meetings/afternoon tea
gatherings to
informally bring
together
students/faculty of all
races.
Identify potential
donors
Chair
Chair/Development
Office
Creation of an
endowed chair
position will enable
to attract other
minority faculty and
students into the
program.
II.
How will your unit increase diversity among faculty, administrators, staff and/or students?
Initiative and related
Goal
Recruit undergraduate
and graduate minority
students
Recruit tenuretrack/endowed chair
faculty
Strategies
Tactics/Action
Conduct a summer
school for research
experience of minority
undergraduate
students
Write a NSF grant to
organize a summer
research school for
minority students. An
on-going summer
research program
would provide a
continuous feed of
minority students.
Use national outlets to
advertise the
opportunities available
at UofL for minority
faculty and students
Use Mcsweeny
fellowship to attract a
minority Graduate
student
Identify potential
donors to create new
faculty lines
Re-allocate an existing
line to hire a minority
faculty.
Assessment /
Measurement
Add one tenure-track
faculty line and one
endowed chair position
Reporting
Schedule
Annual
Responsible Person(s)
Chair/Undergrdauate
Program
Director/Graduate
Program Director/
Chair/Development
Office
Expected
Outcome
10% increase in the
number of
undergraduate and
graduate students from
its current levels
Add two minority
faculty into the
program
III.
If applicable, how will your unit increase curricular and programmatic diversity, and cultivate inclusive pedagogy?
Initiative and related
Goal
Not applicable to our
program.
Physics does not lend
itself easily to this
category.
Strategies
Tactics/Action
Assessment /
Measurement
Reporting
Schedule
Responsible Person(s)
Expected
Outcome
IV.
How will your unit improve the satisfaction, retention and graduation rates of students from under-represented groups?
Initiative and related
Goal
Engage actively in the
academic progress of
minority students
Strategies
Designate a mentor for
each of the underrepresented student in
the program
Tactics/Action
Assessment /
Measurement
Reporting
Schedule
Responsible Person(s)
Expected
Outcome
This will improve the
retention rate
Initiate bi-weekly
meetings between
students and
Undergraduate/
Graduate program
directors.
Improve interactions
between minority
students and other
students
Make all students to
get involved in the
activities of the Society
for Physics (SPS)
Obtain resources to
staff the Physics
learning center
Hold tutorial sessions
throughout the
semester for students
requiring extra help
By becoming part of the
SPS, minority students
will feel more secure
and confident of
themselves.
Retention/graduation
rate will improve with
this activity
V.
How will your unit create or maintain a welcoming environment in which diversity, social justice and provision of academic opportunity are intrinsic
values?
Initiative and related
Goal
Educate students,
faculty, and staff to be
sensitive to minority
groups
Create opportunities
for informal
gatherings/ networking
of students and faculty
of all racial groups
Strategies
Introduce in the agenda
for the students
orientation the topic of
diversity, social justice,
etc.
Encourage students and
faculty to attend the
Fall picnic organized
by the Society of
Physics Students.
Encourage all faculty
and students to
participate in the
Thanksgiving party
Tactics/Action
Link the departmental
web-page to the A&S
web page on diversity
issues
Assessment /
Measurement
Reporting
Schedule
Responsible Person(s)
Chair
SPS Faculty Advisor
Chair
Expected
Outcome
Tolerance towards
other ethnic/racial
groups
VI.
How will your unit ensure that its administrators, faculty, and staff take advantage of diversity education opportunities provided by UofL?
Initiative and related
Goal
Make the attendance
for the diversity
workshop mandatory
Make faculty/staff
attend movies
pertaining to
diversity/racial issues
Make faculty/staff
attend plays addressing
racial issues
Strategies
Announce the
workshop at the
faculty/staff meetings
Tactics/Action
Provide small
incentives to those who
attend the workshop –
free lunch, etc.
Assessment /
Measurement
Assess by the number
of faculty/staff who
attend the diversity
workshop
Reporting
Schedule
Responsible Person(s)
Chair
Expected
Outcome