College of Arts and Sciences
Department/Unit Diversity Plan 2009-2010
Department/Unit: ____Sociology______________ ______
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
Maintain commitment
to provide equal
employment
opportunities on the
basis of merit and
without unlawful
discrimination in terms
of age, color, disability
status, national origin,
race, religion, sex,
sexual orientation, or
disability of an
otherwise qualified
individual.
Continue efforts to
identify and recruit
qualified scholars
without regard to status
in job searches.
Ensure that search
committees provide all
qualified job
candidates, regardless
of status, serious
consideration.
Maintain an inclusive
and welcoming climate
for all persons.
Assessment /
Measurement
Assessment of faculty
diversity
Continue mentorship
for junior faculty
during probationary
period.
Maintain joint faculty
lines with the
Departments of PanAfrican Studies and
Participate in 2009-10
search with PAS
Reporting
Schedule
End of academic year
Responsible Person(s)
Department chair
Chair, DPC
All faculty
Expected
Outcome
Maintain or increase
faculty diversity
Gender and Women’s
Studies.
Request new joint
position with Latin
American and Latino
Studies to be based in
Sociology
Maintain and increase
the department’s
commitment to
diversity among
undergraduate and
graduate students.
Maintain welcoming
environment.
Maintain the
department’s
commitment to the
study of diversity and
inequality in teaching,
scholarship, and
service.
Continue to assess and
modify as needed the
department’s stated
curriculum emphasis
on diversity and
inequality.
Provide curriculum
meaningful to all
students
Assess diversity profile
of sociology majors
and graduates.
Request new line in
LALS 2010
Assess student
evaluations and student
satisfaction survey data
End of academic year
Department chair
All faculty
Maintain or increase
diversity among
sociology majors and
graduates
Assess student
evaluations and student
satisfaction survey data
End of academic year
Department chair
All faculty
Amend curriculum as
needed to incorporate
new teaching areas
Actively recruit diverse
students.
Review curriculum to
identify new areas of
instruction to coincide
with social and cultural
changes
Develop new course(s)
with new professor in
LALS
Upon hire
II.
How will your unit increase diversity among faculty, administrators, staff and/or students?
Initiative and related
Goal
Increase diversity
among faculty.
Strategies
Maintain welcoming
environment.
Promote identification
and recruitment of
minority scholars.
Increase diversity
among students.
Continue curriculum
commitment to include
emphasis on diversity
and inequality.
Continue commitment
to hire diverse faculty.
Increase diversity
among staff and
administrators.
Maintain an inclusive
and welcoming
environment for all
persons.
Tactics/Action
Charge search
committees to identify
qualified minority
candidates.
Assessment /
Measurement
Reporting
Schedule
Responsible Person(s)
Expected
Outcome
Assess diversity among End of academic year
faculty.
Department chair
Chair, DPC
All faculty
Maintain or increase
diversity among staff
and administrators.
Assess diversity among End of academic year
sociology majors and
graduates.
Department chair
Chair, DPC
Undergraduate advisor
Graduate coordinator
All faculty
Maintain or increase
diversity among staff
and administrators.
Assess diversity among End of academic year
staff and
administrators.
Department chair
Maintain or increase
diversity among staff
and administrators.
Participate in PAS
search.
Continue to request
minority assistantships
from SIGS.
Participate in
recruitment activities
that target minority
students.
Encourage all persons
to participate in
department, college,
and university selfgovernance.
III.
If applicable, how will your unit increase curricular and programmatic diversity, and cultivate inclusive pedagogy?
Initiative and related
Goal
Strategies
Maintain department’s
basic curriculum
emphasis on diversity
and inequality.
Ensure department’s
mission to provide high
quality instruction that
stresses a greater
understanding of social
inequality and diversity
Expose students to
cultural differences.
Broaden curriculum to
include courses on
diverse cultures outside
the USA
Tactics/Action
Maintain existing
curriculum.
Expand or change
curriculum as needed
to maintain currency
with social and cultural
change.
Develop courses in
“regional” studies such
as Women in the
Middle East, Social
Problems in South
Asia.
Participate in Study
Abroad programs.
Assessment /
Measurement
Assess number of
sections of courses that
satisfy CD requirement
in Gen-Ed offered each
year, e.g. Soc 202, 210
Reporting
Schedule
Each semester
Responsible Person(s)
Expected
Outcome
Department chair
Undergraduate advisor
Maintain or increase
course offerings that
provide significant
content on diversity
and inequality.
Department chair
All faculty
Maintain or increase
number of courses and
study abroad
opportunities.
End of academic year.
Assess number of
sections of SOC 323
offered each year.
Assess number of other
courses that have
significant diversity
and inequality content.
Assess number of
courses on non-US
societies and courses
with global content.
Assess number of
study abroad
opportunities provided
End of academic year.
by department.
Engage social issues
that involve and affect
diverse groups
Engage social issues
through research,
student internships, and
service.
Encourage research
activities that involve
topics relevant to
diversity and
inequality.
Encourage students to
develop research
projects relevant to
diversity and
inequality.
Encourage
collaboration with
appropriate social
agencies for student
internships and
practica.
Assess faculty’s
continued commitment
to the department’s
mission of studying
diversity and
inequality.
Number of student
internships in
placements relevant to
diversity and
inequality.
End of academic year.
Department chair
Undergraduate advisor
Graduate coordinator
All faculty
Maintain departmental
focus on diversity and
inequality.
Maintain or increase
student internships in
sites relevant to
diversity and
inequality.
IV.
How will your unit improve the satisfaction, retention and graduation rates of students from under-represented groups?
Initiative and related
Goal
Strategies
Improve satisfaction of
student from underrepresented groups.
Provide learning
experiences relevant to
the lives of students
from diverse groups
Improve retention and
graduate rates.
Provide meaningful
learning opportunities.
Increase diversity of
faculty.
Tactics/Action
Create inclusive
departmental
environment.
Maintain curriculum
focus on diversity and
inequality.
Engage students with
curriculum and service
opportunities relevant
to their experiences
and contemporary
society.
Charge search
committees to identify
qualified minority
candidates.
Assessment /
Measurement
Assess course
evaluations.
Reporting
Schedule
Responsible Person(s)
Expected
Outcome
End of academic year.
Department chair
All faculty
Increase satisfaction
scores on survey data.
End of academic year.
All faculty.
Maintain or increase
diversity among majors
and graduates.
Assess annual
satisfaction surveys.
Assess diversity of
sociology majors and
graduates.
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
Strategies
Tactics/Action
Assessment /
Measurement
Reporting
Schedule
Maintain the
department’s
commitment to
diversity in faculty
recruitment and
retention.
Increase information
flow regarding
programs on diversity
Provide information on
department website.
On-line
announcements
Continue development
of a curriculum that
includes content on
diversity and inequality
Ensure department’s
mission to provide high
quality instruction that
stresses a greater
understanding of social
inequality and diversity
Maintain existing
curriculum.
Assess faculty’s
End of academic year
continued commitment
to the department’s
mission of focusing
diversity and inequality
Expand or change
curriculum as needed
to maintain currency
with social and cultural
change.
As needed
Responsible Person(s)
Expected
Outcome
Department chair
Department webmaster
More announcements
and dissemination of
information
Department chair
Maintain or increase
number of courses
focused on diversity
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
Strategies
Encourage dialog
relevant to diversity.
Maintain welcoming
and inclusive
departmental culture.
Expose faculty and
staff to current
discussions relevant to
diversity
Offer faculty credit on
AWP toward service
for attending
workshops or other
related programs.
Allow staff “time off”
to attend workshops or
related programs.
Tactics/Action
Encourage faculty to
take leadership roles in
self-governance and
professional
development programs.
In AWP negotiation
with faculty, encourage
attendance at
workshops as part of
service
Assessment /
Measurement
Number of faculty
involved in related
professional
development and selfgovernance activities.
Number of persons
attending workshops
during academic year
Reporting
Schedule
Responsible Person(s)
Expected
Outcome
End of academic year.
Department chair
All faculty
Increased participation
in related activities.
End of academic year.
Department chair
All faculty
Increased participation
in related activities.