Eastern Connecticut State University
Diversity, Race & Justice Committee
Report: Comprehensive Diversity Plan 2009-2012
Co-chairs:
Constance Belton Green & Eunice Matthews-Armstead
Committee Members:
Madeleine Fugere, Gregory Ashford, Stacey Close,
Walter Diaz, Grace Enggas, Delar Singh, Jianguo Zhu,
Indira Petoskey, Imna Arroyo-Winner, Brian Lashley,
Monica Rochon, Nikita Mason
Staff:
J. Diane Eubank
For Discussion Purposes: January 21, 2009
Who We Are:
The Diversity, Race and Justice Committee (DRJ)
members were elected on April 17, 2007 by the
University Senate. Others were appointed to the
committee by Dr. Núñez and/or through the Strategic
Planning and Implementation Process.
The Committee has met on a regular basis for over a
year and a half for the purpose of developing a five
year comprehensive diversity plan for Eastern
Connecticut State University. This plan is also one of
the strategic initiatives.
The DRJ Process for Approval of the
Comprehensive Plan:
• Draft Report: Prepare a comprehensive diversity plan
to be introduced to the Eastern community (January
2009).
• Dialogue: Provide a forum to discuss the baseline data
findings and DRJ committee recommendations
(February 2009).
• Revisions: Receive comments and incorporate
revisions (March 2009).
• Submittal: Create a final document for submittal
through the Strategic Implementation Process (SIPS &
PAC) (April 2009).
Defining Diversity:
The DRJ committee proposes the following diversity
definition for Eastern Connecticut State University:
Diversity at Eastern means sharing a commitment to a
set of core values in order to provide a welcoming
campus environment and learning community,
supportive of our differences and similarities through
the dimensions of race, ethnicity, religion, learning
styles, ability, gender, sexual orientation, age, individual
perceptions and global perspectives.
The DRJ Committee Draft Report (January 2009):
• There are two components to the draft report:
1. DRJ Committee Base Line Data and Findings
o Campus Climate
o Retention/Hiring/Promotion
o Diversity Competence
2. DRJ Committee Recommendations
Please review the complete draft report of the
Diversity, Race and Justice Committee.
Sources: Research, Dialogue and Collaboration
•
•
•
•
•
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External Diversity Consultants
Campus Climate Survey
Program Survey
Existing University Data
Expertise of Committee Members
Other Diversity Plans
Campus Climate Survey
Co-Chairs: Madeleine Fugere and Brian Lashley
The campus climate survey was designed by the DRJ
Committee members after a thoughtful review from
many information sources.
Campus Climate Survey Key Findings
The survey versions for students and employees
contained three questions of global perspective on the
campus climate at Eastern. The questions were:
# 7 Eastern is a diverse community.
#18The leadership at Eastern fosters respect for
diversity on campus.
#19The climate in the classroom/work environment
is accepting of who I am.
Eastern is a diverse community:
All Faculty, Staff, and Students
Students
Faculty
Staff
Strongly Agree
35%
25%
30%
Agree
53%
48%
67%
Disagree
10%
25%
3%
Strongly Disagree
1%
2%
0%
The leadership at Eastern fosters
respect for diversity on campus
All Faculty, Staff, and Students
Students
Faculty
Staff
Strongly Agree
36%
35%
51%
Agree
58%
52%
43%
Disagree
5%
7%
5%
Strongly Disagree
1%
6%
2%
The climate in the classroom/work
environment is accepting of who I am
All Faculty, Staff and Students
Students
Faculty
Staff
Strongly Agree
44%
42%
37%
Agree
49%
43%
54%
Disagree
5%
10%
8%
Strongly Disagree
2%
6%
1%
Eastern is a diverse community
Students of Color and White Students
Students of Color White Students
Total Students
Strongly Agree
37%
36%
34%
Agree
51%
55%
55%
Disagree
20%
8%
10%
Strongly Disagree
3%
1%
1%
The leadership at Eastern fosters
respect for diversity on campus
Students of Color and White Students
Students of Color White Student
Total Students
Strongly Agree
25%
36%
35%
Agree
65%
59%
60%
Disagree
9%
4%
5%
Strongly Disagree
2%
1%
1%
The climate in the classroom/work
environment is accepting of who I am
Students of Color and White Students
Students of Color White Student
Total Students
Strongly Agree
29%
47%
44%
Agree
57%
48%
49%
Disagree
11%
4%
5%
Strongly Disagree
3%
2%
2%
Eastern is a diverse community
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Students
and Heterosexual Students
GLBT Students
Heterosexual
Total Students
Strongly Agree
35%
35%
35%
Agree
49%
54%
54%
Disagree
14%
10%
10%
Strongly Disagree
2%
1%
1%
The leadership at Eastern fosters
respect for diversity on campus
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Students
and Heterosexual Students
GLBT Students
Heterosexual
Total Students
Strongly Agree
37%
46%
45%
Agree
49%
48%
48%
Disagree
10%
5%
5%
Strongly Disagree
4%
2%
2%
The climate in the classroom/work
environment is accepting of who I am
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Students
and Heterosexual Students
GLBT Students
Heterosexual
Total Students
Strongly Agree
37%
46%
45%
Agree
49%
48%
48%
Disagree
10%
5%
5%
Strongly Disagree
4%
2%
2%
Eastern is a diverse community
Students: On-Campus, Off-Campus, and Living
with Parents
On Campus
Off Campus
With Parents
Total Students
Strongly Agree
36%
33%
36%
35%
Agree
51%
62%
49%
54%
Disagree
12%
5%
14%
10%
Strongly Disagree
2%
1%
1%
2%
The leadership at Eastern fosters
respect for diversity on campus
Students: On-Campus, Off-Campus, and Living
with Parents
On Campus
Off Campus
With Parents
Total Students
Strongly Agree
40%
30%
36%
35%
Agree
54%
63%
66%
59%
Disagree
5%
6%
1%
5%
Strongly Disagree
1%
1%
1%
1%
The climate in the classroom/work
environment is accepting of who I am
Students: On-Campus, Off-Campus, and Living
with Parents
On Campus
Off Campus
With Parents
Total Students
Strongly Agree
46%
44%
44%
45%
Agree
48%
48%
51%
48%
Disagree
4%
7%
4%
5%
Strongly Disagree
2%
1%
2%
2%
Eastern is a diverse community
Faculty: Gender Comparisons
Female
Male
Total
Strongly Agree
24%
27%
25%
Agree
41%
54%
47%
Disagree
33%
16%
25%
Strongly Disagree
2%
3%
2%
The leadership at Eastern fosters
respect for diversity on campus
Faculty: Gender Comparisons
Female
Male
Total
Strongly Agree
30%
41%
35%
Agree
52%
51%
52%
Disagree
11%
3%
7%
Strongly Disagree
7%
5%
6%
The climate in the classroom/work
environment is accepting of who I am
Faculty: Gender Comparisons
Female
Male
Total
Strongly Agree
39%
46%
42%
Agree
44%
41%
42%
Disagree
13%
5%
10%
Strongly Disagree
4%
8%
6%
Eastern is a diverse community
Staff: Gender Comparisons
Female
Male
Total
Strongly Agree
27%
38%
30%
Agree
69%
63%
67%
Disagree
4%
0%
3%
Strongly Disagree
0%
0%
0%
The leadership at Eastern fosters
respect for diversity on campus
Staff: Gender Comparisons
Female
Male
Total
Strongly Agree
46%
59%
51%
Agree
45%
38%
43%
Disagree
7%
0%
5%
Strongly Disagree
1%
3%
2%
The climate in the classroom/work
environment is accepting of who I am
Staff: Gender Comparisons
Female
Male
Total
Strongly Agree
33%
46%
37%
Agree
58%
46%
54%
Disagree
9%
6%
8%
Strongly Disagree
0%
3%
1%
More Detailed Findings
1. Faculty dissatisfaction with the level of overall diversity at
Eastern:
Findings: The faculty is more likely than staff and students to
disagree that Eastern is a diverse community. The faculty is
more likely than staff and students to disagree that the
leadership at Eastern fosters respect for diversity on campus.
The faculty is more likely than staff and students to disagree
that the climate in the classroom/work environment is
accepting.
Recommendations: Conduct focus groups with faculty members
to explore these issues more deeply. Workshops and programs
designed to increase diversity awareness and respect should be
provided and enhanced.
2. White versus persons of color differences on numerous
survey items:
Findings: Students of color are more likely than White students
to disagree that Eastern is a diverse community. Students of
color are more likely than White students to disagree that the
leadership at Eastern fosters respect for diversity on campus.
Students of color are more likely than White students to
disagree that the climate in the classroom/work environment is
accepting. Further, additional analyses revealed other
differences between students of color and White students. For
example, students of color were more likely to be dissatisfied
with or unaware of diversity services on campus, students of
color were more likely to disagree that Eastern is a secure place
for culturally diverse individuals, and students of color were
more likely to disagree that the important aspects of their
identity were represented by Eastern’s faculty and students.
Recommendations: Conduct focus groups with students to
examine which aspects of identity are not adequately
represented by faculty and students. The fact that students of
color were more likely to disagree with this statement suggests
that racial and ethnic diversity is important in terms of student
and faculty representation.
3. Security/accessibility for disabled persons:
Findings: Responses to the statement “Eastern makes a sincere
effort to make facilities, programs, classes, and services
accessible to people with disabilities” correlated strongly with
students’ and employees’ global views of campus diversity.
Recommendation: Future campus initiatives should continue to
include accessibility as a primary consideration.
4. The prominent role race/ethnicity plays in views of diversity:
Findings: Students and employees of color were more likely to be dissatisfied
with or unaware of diversity services available on campus, especially services
related to ethnic and cultural diversity. Students and employees of color were
more likely to disagree that Eastern is a diverse community. Students and
employees of color were more likely to agree that the climate in the
classroom/work environment is accepting of who I am.
Employees of color were more likely than White employees to disagree that
Eastern is a secure place for culturally diverse individuals. Employees of color
were more likely to disagree that the leadership at Eastern fosters respect for
diversity on campus. Employees of color were more likely to disagree that the
faculty, staff, and students are respectful of people of diverse races and
cultures. Employees of color were also more likely to disagree that students
of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds participate equally in classroom
discussion and learning. Employees of color were more likely to disagree that
people of different cultures are socially accepted here. Employees of color
were more likely to disagree that the curriculum at Eastern encourages
students to develop an appreciation for diversity. Employees of color also
reported more occasional or frequent harassment or discrimination based on
race/ethnicity.
Recommendations: There needs to be compiled a list of all services available
on campus that is publicized through a variety of means (website, pamphlets,
workshops, etc.). Expanded programming/workshops designed to increase
diversity awareness and respect and inclusion should be provided for both
students and employees. Focus groups should be conducted to explore which
aspects of the campus community appear unsafe or unwelcoming.
5. Curriculum – the CCS item plus the NSSE foreign language
item:
Findings: There is a perception by both employees and students that students
of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds do not participate equally in
classroom discussions and learning. There is also a perception by employees
and students that the curriculum at Eastern does not provide an appreciation
for diversity. Further, the NSSE data shows that we lag behind other COPLAC
institutions in terms of foreign language courses taken by our students.
Recommendations: The DRJ Committee should dovetail with the Project
Compass Committee to provide workshops for faculty and students designed
to increase student participation. The perception that the curriculum does
not provide an appreciation for diversity should be monitored and addressed.
The Liberal Arts Committee should consider adding a new “diversity”
component to the core curriculum. Curriculum aimed at understanding the
role of diverse perspectives on events, issues, concepts, etc. should be
developed/required/ highlighted. Foreign languages are an important part of
a liberal arts education and a way to explore diverse perspectives. Eastern
should take steps to increase the percentage of students who take collegelevel foreign language courses or add an additional foreign language
requirement to the Liberal Arts Core.
6. Addressing the needs of diverse individuals through
University offices/programs:
Findings: The Campus Climate Survey (CCS) has revealed that students tend
to be unaware of diversity services offered on campus. Employees are more
likely to be aware of diversity services, but are also more likely to be
dissatisfied with those services.
Recommendations: Follow-up focus groups should be conducted on this issue
to identify services that may be needed, but not currently offered.
7. The gender gap:
Findings: Employee and student data indicate that men have more favorable
perceptions of the campus than women. In the employee data, the largest
percentage of harassment reported was harassment based on gender.
Women are more likely to report discrimination based on gender than men.
Further, women are less likely to agree that Eastern is a secure place for
people regardless of gender.
Recommendations: Diversity and sexual harassment workshops should be
increased.
Retention/Recruitment/Hiring/Promotion
Co-Chairs: Eunice Matthews-Armstead and Jianguo Zhu
Questions:
• Are there disparities based on gender, race or
ethnicity in the hiring of faculty, retention of
students or in student selection of department
majors?
• How should disparities be addressed?
Charts:
• Distribution of Students by Race and Major
• Workforce: Note, there are 625 full time employees,
330 (53%) are female, 142 (23%) are minorities
• Faculty by Department
Distribution of Students by Race and Major:
Value Label
class
PROGRAM
FR
JR
SO
SR
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
10.00
11.00
12.00
13.00
14.00
15.00
16.00
17.00
18.00
19.00
20.00
21.00
22.00
23.00
24.00
25.00
26.00
27.00
28.00
29.00
30.00
31.00
AS GENR
BIOLOGY
ENGLISH/AS
ECONOMICS
ENGLISH
FINE ARTS
HISTORY/AS
HISTORY/SS
HISTORY
INDIVID.
MATH
PERF. ARTS
POLITICAL SCI
PSYCHOLOGY
STUDIO ART
SOCIOLOGY
SOCIAL WORK
SPANISH
VISUAL ART
BGS GENERAL STDS.
ACCOUNTING
BIOCHEMISTRY
BUSINESS ADM.
BUSINESS INFO
COMMUNICATION
COMPUTER SCIENCE
EDUCATION
ENVIRONM.
PHYSICAL ED
SPORT/LEISURE
UNDECIDED
Black
Latino
Asian
Native Amer.
White
189
300
377
332
1
47
2
29
47
2
0
18
11
122
202
225
228
7
37
0
6
30
0
0
14
9
2
17
5
17
68
14
60
23
44
23
31
27
6
62
10
79
22
16
3
16
26
103
32
77
83
108
2
28
0
11
15
0
0
4
3
1
9
1
5
20
4
22
0
0
2
5
44
10
36
4
17
17
4
3
1
32
0
7
24
22
44
1410
3641
3380
4608
33
482
7
183
846
59
53
383
365
37
305
112
225
1248
185
620
187
61
337
436
479
59
1397
92
981
326
857
176
573
456
1479
24
24
29
124
13
128
28
4
14
39
63
13
136
18
122
46
8
0
11
42
155
2
0
0
2
3
0
1
5
2
1
4
2
5
3
3
0
0
7
8
6
1
8
1
6
4
9
3
1
3
7
Descriptive Information on Overall Workforce at Eastern:
Among the 625 full time employees, 330 (53%) are female, 142 (23%) are minorities.
Workforce by Race and Gender
WM WF BM BF HM HF AM AF NM NF Total
Number 226 257 23 27 28 30 16 14
2
2
625
Percent 36% 41% 4% 4% 4% 5% 3% 2% 0% 0% 100%
Descriptive Information on the Faculty:
The following analysis is drawn from personnel statistics as of 10/22/08. It includes teaching
faculty as well as AAUP members of the athletic, counseling and library staff totally 228 members.
Department
Psychology
Biology
English
Pol.Sc/Geo/Phil
Math & CSC
Modern Language
Performing Arts
Environment Earth Science
Sociology
Visual Arts
Health & Physical Ed
Business
Communication
Economic
Education
Athletics
Counseling
Library
History
Physical Science
# Fac.
14
13
21
9
17
4
11
7
15
11
11
16
12
6
18
9
4
12
11
7
Women
8
5
13
4
8
2
2
2
6
9
3
4
2
2
12
3
3
9
6
0
Black
0
1
2
0
3
0
0
0
2
2
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
Latino
3
0
2
0
0
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
Asian
0
0
1
0
6
1
1
1
0
1
1
2
2
1
4
0
0
0
0
1
Native
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Tot#Color
3
2
6
0
9
3
1
1
4
5
2
3
4
1
5
0
0
1
2
1
Diversity Competence
Co-Chairs: Constance Belton Green & Imna Arroyo-Winner
Questions:
• What are the programs and curriculum offerings
at Eastern that address diversity?
• What are the diversity goals of departments and
what are the resources?
• Are there program gaps that should be
addressed?
Program Survey Summary
Academic
Academic Affairs
Education
English
Environmental and Earth Science
History
Math
Performing Arts
Psychology
School of Continuing Education
Sociology, Anthropology, and Social
Work
Visual Arts
First Year Program
Administrative
Arts and Lecture Committee
Equity and Diversity
Gallery and Museum Services
Human Resources
Information Technology
Institutional Advancement
Public Safety
University Relations
Student Affairs
Overall Recommendations:
1. Define diversity for Eastern.
2. Publicize and communicate the commitment to
diversity in all Strategic Planning Initiatives.
3. Continue to focus on the recruitment and retention of
a diverse student body as well as faculty, staff and
administrators.
4. Make high quality diversity education (curriculum, cocurriculum, professional development, training and
workshops) available for all members of the university.
5. Create and sustain a welcoming campus environment
that encourages diversity through leadership,
mentoring, respectful discussions and cross group
learning.
6. Support ongoing research and dialogue that
advances a university commitment to diversity.
7. Expand the membership of the Diversity, Race and
Justice Advisory Committee to represent more
university departments.
8. Institutionalize the Diversity, Race and Justice
Institute as a clearinghouse for future campus
climate surveys and as a place for research and
scholarship on issues of diversity, race and justice.