Academic Affairs Diversity Task Force
Report to the Faculty Senate
January 26, 2012
Presentation Outline
 History of the Diversity Task Force in Academic Affairs
 Charge of the Task Force
 Major Initiatives (subcommittees)
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Development of Multicultural Competencies
Faculty Development
Multicultural Enhancement Fund
Multicultural Faculty Apprentice Fellowship
 Future Initiatives
 Current Committee Members
History
• Long history of Diversity and Equity work on
campus
• Student protests:
– 1992 Black Student Leadership Group
– 1999 Brothers United for Action
– 2010 GLBT Center students
Take over of Taft Hall 1992
Black Student Leadership Group
First DeMaio Scholars 2001
Point 9 in the negotiated agreement with President Carothers
LGBT protest at Library 2010
History of Diversity Efforts on Campus
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1998 New Multicultural Center opened
1999 President’s Commission on the Status of Women
2003 New Women’s Center opened
2004 Student Affairs Diversity Committee began
2005 Formation of the President’s Commission on the
Status of Students, Staff, and Faculty of Color
• 2007 Formation of Equity Coalition
• 2008 Equity Council formed
Equity Coalition--2007
• Strategic Plan of the President’s Commission on the Status of Women
called for forming an Equity Coalition
• Initial coalition included representatives from
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President’s Commission on the Status of Women,
President’s Commission on the Status of People of Color,
Affirmative Action Committee,
Harassment Committee
ADVANCE
Equity Council
The mission of the EC is to advocate, promote,
and sustain diversity and equity throughout the
entire University community
• 30 members including representatives from
all diversity organizations on campus and
union liaisons.
• 8 Faculty members—no faculty senate
representation
Equity Council Work on Structure for
Diversity
• Successfully advocated for a CDO: Search is underway
• Diversity committees in each division:
– Academic Affairs : Academic Affairs Diversity Task
Force formed in 2009
• Diversity Committees in each College
– Administration
– Advancement
– Student Affairs
– Athletics
Academic Plan, 2010-2015
Charting our Path to the Future
Goal V: Ensure an Equitable and Inclusive
Campus Community
Ensure a campus climate that celebrates
difference and creates a rich learning
community built upon respect, inclusion, and
understanding related to class, race, gender,
sexual orientation, ability, religion, and culture.
Charge
“The Diversity Task Force of the Division of Academic Affairs
is committed to promoting tolerance, respect, and equal
opportunity with respect to learning and discovery within
the University. The Task Force will promote a broad
understanding and appreciation of diversity issues engendering in our selves and the faculty, staff, and
students of the university the wisdom to listen to and
respect voices and ideas different from our own.”
http://www.uri.edu/provost/planning/diversity.html
Goals of the Task Force
• To raise consciousness about privilege, bias, and mutual respect in
the URI community
• To gather and use data on access, retention, institutional receptivity,
and quality of experience to enhance the diversity of the URI
community by promoting and supporting active recruitment and
retention programs throughout the Division
• To promote a welcoming and respectful community that encourages
understanding and appreciation of difference
• To lead efforts to ensure that the academic and co-curricular
experiences of all students reflect understanding of multicultural
perspectives and the value of diversity
Major Initiatives:
Multicultural Competencies
• Ensure that all URI students develop knowledge,
awareness, and skills in regard to diversity, equity, and
multiculturalism
• Provide foundation for individual transformation and the
development of inclusive and pluralistic communities on
campus and throughout the world
• “Diversity” refers to disenfranchised/oppressed groups in
U.S. society, including (but not limited to): class, race,
ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and
physical/mental ability
1--Exposure/Awareness
• Awareness of the meaning of diversity and
multiculturalism, including legal and ethical aspects of
affirmative action, prejudice, and discrimination
• Awareness of identity formation and development, and
how our own identities and those of others affect attitudes
and behavior
• Development of multidisciplinary appreciation of
multicultural diversity and origins of American society as
well as diverse cultures around the globe
2--Knowledge/Understanding
• Knowledge and understanding of power structures,
privilege, and explicit and implicit prejudice within
American society, including within our University
community
• Knowledge and understanding of history and patterns
of difference, discrimination, and oppression with
regard to different groups within American society, and
within our University community
• Knowledge and understanding of the social construct
of race and its social, political, economic, and behavioral
consequences
3--Skills
• Development of problem solving and analytical skills
about diversity as a means of constructing action plans
for addressing diversity issues in the community and
resolving conflicts linked to difference
• Ability to carry out meaningful cross-cultural
discourse with people whose voices, experiences, and
ideas are different from our own for the purpose of
creating a shared vision of American and global society
• Development of advocacy and change management
skills for achieving social equity
4--Transformation
Developing the capacity for deep understanding,
reflection, and empathy with regard to the current and
past experiences of marginalized groups at URI and
across the nation, including issues of discrimination,
injustice, and hate, and summoning the internal courage to
confront such issues
Multicultural Competence in the
Curriculum
• Endorsement by Task Force in May 2010
• One of the proposed goals and learning outcomes
in the revision of the general education program
• Subcommittee is focusing on ways to work with
college and department curriculum committees to
diffuse these competencies into the majors
Major Initiatives:
Faculty Development
Development of workshops and training programs
that help faculty develop awareness, knowledge,
and skills related to diversity, multiculturalism,
equity, and community
Within the context of each college’s mission
Within and among college diversity committees
to develop and share ideas for strategies and
actions
Major Initiatives:
Faculty Development
January 2011: 2 days
• Half-day workshops for three colleges: Human
Sciences and Services, Pharmacy, and Nursing
• Half-day workshop for college diversity committees
May 2012: 1 day
• To follow-up with Pharmacy, Nursing, and Human
Science and Services on initiatives since previous
workshop in January 2011
• Initiate work with the other colleges through faculty
leaders and diversity committee members
Multicultural Enhancement Fund
• Small grants up to $3,000 available to
faculty and staff: proposals due 12-1-11
• $15,000-$20,000 allocated from the
Division of Academic Affairs
• Proposals reviewed by Multicultural
Enhancement Fund committee members
• 21 proposals were submitted; 6 received
awards
Sample Topics for Proposals
• Creating a new or modifying an existing course with a
focus on application of culturally competent practices
• Curricular mapping to identify and address gaps to meet
accreditation standards
• Strengthening college and department equity and diversity
committees
• Faculty mentoring a professional or student organization
to augment their approach to multiculturalism and diversity
Further Sample Topics
• Conducting research with or assessing outcomes of outreach/services
provided to underserved and vulnerable populations
• Conducting research on such topics as:
– The egregious impact of white hegemony at the individual and
institutional levels
– White privilege and white normativity
– Internalized racism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism, ageism, and
other forms of discrimination.
• Evaluating the success or impact of programs/projects previously
established to reduce inequities or address the needs of
underrepresented populations.
Funded Proposals
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Measuring the Cultural Adaptability of Students Who Participate in International
Experiences with J. Hazen White Fellows, Jennifer Audette, Physical Therapy
and Rosaria Pisa, Sociology and Anthropology
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Infusing Multicultural Content in a Psychology Course, Department of
Psychology Task Force on Multiculturalism and Diversity
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An Urban after School Intervention Program: Promoting Healthy Lifestyle in
Overweight Minority Children and Adolescents, Furong Xu, Kinesiology
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Dimensions of Diversity, Timothy W. Tierney, Information Technology Services
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Increasing Retention of At-Risk Nontraditional and Adult Students, Tamara
Bolotow, Feinstein Providence Campus
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LGBT Faculty Fellows Program, Annemarie Vaccaro and Delores Walters,
Human Sciences and Services
Major Initiatives:
Multicultural Faculty Apprentice Fellowship
(MFAF)
The goals of the MFAF Program are to
 Increase the diversity of the faculty at
the University of Rhode Island
 Advance issues of diversity in research
and teaching within academic programs
at URI.
MFAF Program Opportunities
• Departments will participate in a competitive
process for hiring a Multicultural Faculty
Apprentice Fellow
• One candidate per year will be supported for one
academic year through the Provost Office.
• There may be an opportunity for the Fellow to
transition into a full-time faculty position in the
department, contingent upon a favorable review.
Elements of MFAF Program
• Teach one course per semester
• Pursue scholarly and/or creative interests
• Sponsoring dept will offer
– mentoring,
– developmental opportunities,
– presentation opportunities,
– teaching assistance,
– opportunities to engage in department governance
Future Initiatives
• Explore ways to provide incentives for faculty to become
more involved in working on Goal V initiatives in the
Academic Plan (i.e., ensuring an equitable and inclusive
campus community)
• Provide recommendations on recruitment and retention of
diverse faculty to CED Office
• Explore ways to focus on access, financial aid, retention,
and graduation rates of diverse students, both
undergraduate and graduate
• Develop events on campus to raise consciousness and
understanding about diversity and equity
Members of the Task Force 2011-2012
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Donald DeHayes, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Co-Chair
Laura Beauvais, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, Co-Chair
Alycia Mosley Austin, Director of Graduate Recruitment and Diversity
Initiatives, Graduate School
Dania Brandford-Calvo, Director, International Education and National Student
Exchange
Mary Cloud, Assistant Professor, Nursing
Elizabeth Cooper, Professor, College of Business Administration
Anita Derreza, Assistant Professor, Pharmacy Practice
Robert Dilworth, Professor, Art and Art History
Kyle Kusz, Associate Professor, Kinesiology
Peter Larsen, Associate Professor, Library
Joanne Lynch, Admissions Office
Jasmine Mena, Assistant Professor, Psychology
Members of the Task Force 2011-2012
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Patricia Morokoff, Past Co-Chair, Equity Council and Professor of Psychology
Marcia Morreira, Educator III, CELS-Continuing Education Center
Annu Palakunnathu Matthew, Professor of Art and Art History
Barbara Silver, Research Coordinator, Schmidt Labor Research Center
Earl Smith, Assistant Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Delores Walters, Associate Dean, Human Sciences and Services
Tammy Vargas Warner, Advisor in BIS Program, ASFCCE
Charles Watson, Coordinator, College of Engineering/Minority Students
Recruiting and Retention
Raymond Watson, Executive Director, Mount Hope Neighborhood Association
Cheryl Wilga, Professor, Biology
Gerald Williams, Director, Special Programs for Talent Development and Past
Co-Chair of Equity Council
Karen Wishner, Professor, Oceanography
Questions?
Please contact Laura Beauvais
(beauvais@uri.edu or x4341)
if you want to join the task force
Task Force Website:
http://www.uri.edu/provost/planning/diversity.html