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The number of students who believe the University is putting too much emphasis on diversity is almost half what it was in 2003, according to the newly released results of the University's Climate Study on Inclusion, Equity and Diversity.
President Jay Gogue encouraged students to discuss the report and their experiences online using #AUTogether in a video posted on the University's website.
Unity and diversity are important at all institutions, but "particularly so at Auburn University," Gogue said.
"Almost half of you told us we need to do a better job with black/African-American student recruitment and retention," the report states. "Talking about uncomfortable issues and having a more diverse administration and staff were other topics that don’t work as well as you would like."
Approximately 84 percent of undergraduate students identify as white, according to the Office of Institutional Research's Factbook. Seven percent of students are African-American, 2.5 percent are Hispanic, 2.3 percent are Asian and 0.7 percent are American Indian/Pacific Islander.
The report includes three overall goals and 17 recommendations for increasing diversity and inclusion:
- Adopt a revised Auburn University inclusion and diversity statement, such as "Auburn University will have an open, diverse and inclusive academic and social environment," that articulates a core institutional expectation for the development of current and future initiatives and refocuses the University's emphasis on unity and diversity.
Responsible Lead Unit(s): Provost's Office, Human Resources, Implementation Committee - All Colleges, Schools, support units, and campus organizations should develop (or, where existing, revise), assess, and fully implement an inclusion and diversity plan. Plans should articulate individual unit needs, goals and objectives, and should be clearly visible and effectively communicated to all stakeholders. Common constructs addressed across all plans should include (1) an assessment of how inclusion and diversity efforts are defined and perceived, and (2) identification of barriers to the implementation of inclusion and diversity efforts within and outside of the unit and (3) diversity benchmarks with national and peer institutions. Annual plan updates should include a comprehensive report on actions and efforts to support inclusion and diversity strategies.
Responsible Lead Unit(s): Provost's Office, Human Resources, Implementation Committee, Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs - All Colleges, Schools, and support units should identify and implement comprehensive academic and professional development opportunities designed to emphasize the value of equity, inclusion, and diversity for all students, faculty, and staff. Programs should emphasize the academic and cultural benefits of these values for both the unit and institution.
Responsible Lead Unit(s): Provost's Office, Implementation Committee
Implement programs, policies and practices that support a culture of unity, with an emphasis on the recruitment and retention of students, faculty, and staff. - Each College, School, and Unit should articulate, implement, and assess clear recruitment and retention strategies to increase the diversity of students and faculty.
Responsible Lead Unit(s): Provost's Office, Implementation Committee, Office of Admissions, Graduate School, Human Resources - Develop, adjust, and refine institutional recruitment strategies designed to attract and build a more diverse student body. Increased engagement with middle and high schools, as well as two-year colleges and HBCUs should be a priority.
Responsible Lead Unit(s): Provost's Office, Implementation Committee, Office of Admissions, Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs - Redirect university financial support to provide increased, need-based scholarship opportunities.
Responsible Lead Unit(s): Provost's Office, Implementation Committee, Office of Admissions, Office of Development - Strategically increase the number of women and underrepresented faculty across all levels, with an emphasis on transitioning to administrative levels.
Responsible Lead Unit(s): Provost's Office, Implementation Committee, Deans - Incorporate the diversity history of Auburn University into new student, faculty, and employee orientations and strengthen institutional themes of diversity and equity.
Responsible Lead Unit(s): Provost's Office, Implementation Committee, Human Resources, FYE - Require all Search Firms and Search Committees to include diversity (physical, cognitive, attitudinal) in top qualified candidate pools.
Responsible Lead Unit(s): Provost's Office, Implementation Committee, Human Resources, Deans - Implement the recommendations of the mental health task force, including hiring diverse counselors and enabling "walk-in" based scheduling.
Responsible Lead Unit(s): Division of Student Affairs
Review existing policies, practices, and organizational structures to ensure the culture is inclusive. - Place a strategic emphasis on increasing awareness of bias-related issues through professional development and educational opportunities, highlighting individual behaviors and unit policies/procedures that imply bias. Enhance methods for reporting, responding to and preventing bias-related incidents (including microagressions) at individual, unit, and institutional levels.
Responsible Lead Unit(s): Provost's Office, Human Resources, Implementation Committee, Division of Student Affairs - Establish expectations and implement performance evaluation tools for supervisors and departmental leaders related to harassment and discrimination, and include these metrics in annual employee performance reviews. Implement programs for all employees with supervisory or administrator positions.
Responsible Lead Unit(s): Provost, Human Resources, Supervisors, Deans, Department Heads/Chairs - Publicly acknowledge exemplary practices, programs, and policies in departments and colleges that prove to be effective in recruiting and retention or underrepresented students and faculty via newly created Inclusion Excellence Awards.
Responsible Lead Unit(s): Provost's Office, Implementation Committee - Establish Campus Climate Grants to support programs or activities with a focus on creating and sustaining a healthy campus climate at Auburn University by assisting student organizations with programming efforts that speak to campus climate, where issues of ability status, age, ethnicity, gender, national origin, native language, race, religion, sexual orientation, globalization, and socioeconomic background may have caused students, staff, or faculty to not feel welcomed, supported, included, and/or valued by the campus community. The goal is to encourage cross cultural collaboration by supporting organizations, departments, or units that work with someone that is not considered an established partner.
Responsible Lead Unit(s): Provost's Office, Implementation Committee - Enhance the services for students with disabilities assuring that all buildings on campus are accessible and contain the necessary technology and learning needs assistance, access doors, ramps & parking.
Responsible Lead Unit(s): Provost's Office, Office of Accessibility - Increase dedicated and shared physical spaces where diverse and inclusive activities, meetings, conversations and experiences are facilitated and encouraged.
Responsible Lead Unit(s): Provost's Office, Implementation Committee, Division of Student Affairs, Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, University Facilities - Encourage organizations and individual students, faculty, and staff to consider how existing practices and physical spaces, such as offices and meeting locations, communicate openness and inclusivity.
Responsible Lead Unit(s): Provost's Office, Implementation Committee
Engage all members of the Auburn Family in promoting and supporting a united and inclusive community by redefining inclusion and diversity as core institutional values.
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