Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives
During this quarter:
• The UDiversity Educational Institute provided 31 trainings (10 workshops for faculty/staff and 21 workshops for students) with a total of 976 participants. In addition to the presentations listed below, DEI expanded two of its existing programs and held an inaugural racial justice summit mini conference in November.
• DEI’s program “Career Connections,” in conjunction with the Broome-Tioga NAACP and Broome-Tioga Workforce NY, was conducted twice to provide opportunities for local job seekers to connect with employers in Broome County. Participants received information on available jobs, training and hiring opportunities with employers in Broome County. More than 20 employers participated, representing various fields from manufacturing, human services, education, food industry and transportation among others.
• DEI’s inclusive pedagogy online course with the University’s Center for Teaching and Learning saw expansion during this quarter. Previously, DEI provided a sub-module with the CLT’s Teaching Online Certification Program (TOCP); this quarter, DEI expanded to a full module within the certification program titled “Inclusive Classrooms 2.0.”
DEI also convened its inaugural racial justice summit – “Public Deliberation: Creating Space for Racial Justice” – developed by DEI’s UDiversity Educational Institute, the Dean of Students Office and SUNY Broome’s President’s Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion. It was a two-day conference that brought faculty, staff and students from Binghamton University together, along with professional staff and faculty from neighboring SUNY campuses. The summit highlighted how public deliberation is a tool to advance racial justice for communities, providing a space for community members to discuss complex issues that can lead to positive changes. It focused on potential approaches, and their drawbacks, payoffs and trade-offs as they relate to racial justice.
All workshops in the racial justice conference provided:
• An introductions to participants of how public deliberation, a civic engagement approach associated with the Kettering Foundation, and practices drawn from the community-based dialogue model developed by the National Issues forum (NIF), can help communities address and engage issues of racial justice.
• Opportunities for participants to expand their awareness and education on racial justice, and to learn best practices for developing dialogue on racial justice between universities, community colleges, and the surrounding community.
• Methods to build alliances/coalitions across cultural differences and expand social responsibility through community-engaged scholarship, service and civic engagement.
The summit also featured interactive panels with speakers from government, higher education, the private sector and the community. Panel topics and speakers were included:
• “The Wicked Problems of Racism” featuring Wes Bellamy, vice-mayor of Charlottesville, Va.; Anne Bailey, associate professor of history and Africana studies at Binghamton University; and Lisa Blitz, associate professor of social work at Binghamton University.
• “What’s Next? Collaborating for Racial Justice Dialogues” featuring Peter Willner, director of the El-Hindi Center for Dialogue, Interfaith Works; Scott Corley, professor of history at SUNY Broome Community College and doctoral student at Binghamton University; and Brian Rowland, managing principal of Visionary Leadership, LLC
Workshops presented
DEI has seen a sharp increase in requests for workshops around the recruitment process and our role in managing the search process and working collaboratively with Human Resources. The following presentations were held this quarter:
October
• Building Bridges to Cultural Competency Phase I (students, three sessions)
• Building Bridges to Cultural Competency Phase I - (students, DEI-sponsored)
• Building Bridges to Cultural Competency Phase II (students, DEI-sponsored)
• Empower U: Community Organizing Bootcamp (students)
• Career Connections-Broome-Tioga NAACP/Broome-Tioga Workforce NY
• Search Committee: Addressing Unconscious Bias (faculty/staff)
• Racial Justice Deliberation Moderator training (students, faculty, staff, two sessions )
• Health Promotion Services: Communication/team building
November
• Racial Justice Deliberation Summit (students, faculty, staff )
• Building Bridges to Cultural Competency Phase I (students, six sessions)
• Hinman College: Microaggressions (students)
• Generations in the Workplace (faculty/staff)
• ResLife(Digman): Examining the Impact of Symbolism in Speech
• Do I Belong Here: Dialogue on Retention
• Career Connections-Broome-Tioga NAACP/Broome-Tioga Workforce NY
• Building Bridges to Cultural Competency (UPD)
• MRC Interns: How to Be An Ally
DEI review of University recruitment for the fourth quarter of 2017
In an effort to provide more transparency of the University’s recruitment process, DEI provides the following data regarding search reviews.
DEI conducted two workshops on University recruitment. An inclusive recruitment workshop was held for faculty and staff Wednesday, Sept. 6, with a follow-up workshop Wednesday, Oct. 18, that addressed unconscious bias in search committees. All faculty and staff are encouraged to attend at least one session a year where available. All University employees who plan to serve on a search committee in upcoming months as well as department secretaries who consistently communicate with DEI regarding search forms are also highly encouraged to attend these workshops. Attending also helps University staff view the search process as a partnership with DEI in recruiting the best candidates to campus.
Searches reviewed this quarter….....80
Part I forms returned to dept. ……....23
Part II forms returned to dept. …….....2
Part III forms returned to dept. ……....0
Searches successfully completed. ...27
Searches failed. ……………………....2
Searches halted. …………………......1
Returned forms above indicate the number of instances in which DEI required additional information from a department regarding the search committee at various stages of the recruitment process. Part I forms were returned most often to (1) request diversification of the search committee, (2) revise EEOC/AA statements in the job announcement or (3) to add posting outlets in an effort to provide a more diverse pool of applicants for the committee or to attract potential applicants for highly specialized positions. Part II forms were returned in both instances when DEI identified applicants in the pool who met the committee’s qualifications but were not initially identified as qualified by the committee. In both instances, DEI worked with the committee to review those candidates. No Part III forms were returned this quarter, and 27 searches were completely successfully with the selected candidate accepting an offer from the department. Searches that failed indicate the number of searches that were unsuccessful in producing a hire this quarter. Both searches failed due to the low number of qualified applicants for highly specialized positions. DEI contends that failed searches can be prevented in a number of ways: (1) By carefully drafting job announcements, (2) intentionally listing both required and preferred skill sets in the announcement and (3) posting the position with agencies and venues that are specific to potential candidates with certain skill sets.