Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Our goals, working groups & status of progress
Following participation in the聽, the GEC formed three inclusive excellence working groups to develop goals across eight functional areas. The result is the composition of a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic plan for global engagement programs.
The below goals address the needs of these underserved student populations: ALANAM students (African American, Latinx, Asian, Native American and Multiracial); first-generation college students; high financial need students; LGBTQIA+ students; students from diverse religious backgrounds; and students with disabilities.
The goals outlined in this plan reflect the themes within Boldly Elon, the institutional strategic plan for 2030.
Goals Progress
- Completed
- In Progress
- Forthcoming
Strategy and Communications
Student data and profile
- 1. Investigate if the GEC鈥痗an鈥痮btain data on鈥痶he following communities鈥(for the purposes of tracking involvement in global engagement):
- First-generation college student
- Citizenship/DACA
- First-generation U.S.
- LGTBQIA
- Gender (beyond 鈥渓egal鈥 definition of sex)
- Ability/disability 鈥 registered with disability services
- Mental/physical health or chronic disease/disorder
- Military service/background
- Religious affiliation
- First language of families
- The GEC has been able to obtain data for first-generation college students, religious affiliation and military service/background. The remaining data fields were determined to either contain sensitive private data that would not be shared with the GEC or to not be collected by Elon.
- 2. On an annual basis, generate a report that outlines the participation of students with financial need by program type and鈥痶erm.
- 3. On an annual basis, generate a report that outlines the racial/ethnic breakdown of students by program type and term.
Strategy and Leadership
- 4. By 2025, the percentage of students who participate in Study Abroad and Study USA programs will equal鈥痮r exceed鈥痶he percentage of students enrolled across each racial/ethnic group鈥痮n campus.
- 5. Collect鈥痙ata on the鈥痙emographic鈥痙iversity鈥痮f faculty/staff鈥痶eaching on faculty-led programs鈥痑nd鈥疌enter programs, as well as faculty/staff travelers鈥痺ho join鈥痝lobal engagement鈥痯rograms.
- 6. Collect and analyze the demographic diversity鈥痙ata鈥痮f faculty/staff鈥痺ho鈥痚xpress interest/apply鈥痶o lead programs vis-a-vis faculty/staff who鈥痑ctually鈥痩ead鈥痝lobal engagement鈥痯rograms.
- 7. Identify if there are any demographic correlations between the social鈥痠dentity鈥痮f program鈥痩eaders鈥痸is-a-vis the social identities of student participants. (For example, is there a higher participation rate of students of color on a program facilitated by a program leader of color?)
Communications and Partnerships
- 8. Revise identity-based resources on the GEC website.
- 9. Create an intentional process for highlighting the stories of students from underserved communities on the GEC website and social media platforms.
- 10. Develop an outreach strategy for families of underserved students.
- 11. Develop a timeline to audit identity-based resources on the GEC website.
- 12. Ensure all video, photos, social media, and website meet all ADA requirements.
- 13. On an annual basis, assess the impact of outreach initiatives by way of focus groups and surveys across different stakeholders.
- 14. Identify identity-based student organizations on campus and create a plan to聽initiate contact by聽Spring聽2021.
- 15. Increase training for Global Ambassadors鈥痑nd front desk student staff鈥痑round underserved populations and identity-based issues鈥痑nd consider adding a DEI element to鈥疓lobal Ambassador Program.
- 16.Develop a long-term, sustainable outreach and engagement strategy for underserved student communities.
- 17. Determine and build鈥痑 communication strategy鈥痵pecific to underserved populations 鈥 including developing鈥痠dentity-based resources鈥痜or鈥痵pecific鈥痷nits鈥(Elon鈥檚鈥疘nclusive Community鈥痑nd the Office of Financial Planning).
- 18. Determine a strategy for building meaningful鈥痑llyships鈥痺ith majority students and inviting鈥痶hem鈥痶o participate in鈥疍EI work.
Operations
Professional Development and Training 鈥 GEC Staff
- 19. On an annual basis, the GEC will review health and safety issues affecting diverse populations using a flipped classroom model. Review and update appropriate response plan for critical and bias incidents and share updated resources.
- 20. Once a year,鈥痶he GEC will鈥痟old a review of terminologies, vocabulary, resources鈥痑nd鈥痚merging topics鈥痠n relation to different diverse populations and share updated resources.
- 21. Complete the IDI as a staff and participate in the group debrief twice鈥痺ithin a five-year period.
- The GEC completed an IDI group debrief in January 2022. The GEC anticipates completing their second IDI group debrief by 2025.
- 22. At least once a semester,鈥痶he GEC鈥痺ill provide opportunities for鈥痠ts鈥痵taff members to deepen鈥痶heir鈥痥nowledge of鈥痟istorically minoritized communities and鈥痬odels/theoretical frameworks鈥痳elated to diversity, equity,鈥痠nclusion鈥痑nd intercultural development. Update a list of鈥痳esources and opportunities鈥痮ffered at Elon.
- 23. Supervisors鈥痑re expected鈥痶o engage with the diversity and inclusion element of鈥痶he annual performance appraisal as a mechanism for continuous growth of their supervisees.
- 24. Infuse鈥痳esponsibility for鈥痙iversity, equity and鈥痠nclusion鈥痠nitiatives across鈥痶he Global Engagement Team.
Professional Development and Training 鈥 Program Leaders and Center Directors
- 25. Establish a鈥痗ommunity of practice鈥痜or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Global Engagement.
- 26. Ask faculty members鈥痙uring the proposal process鈥痶o describe鈥痺ays鈥痠n which they鈥痟ave developed or implemented inclusive practices in鈥痶heir鈥痶eaching and mentorship.
- 27. Create a mechanism for program leaders and Center directors to share an intended growth plan鈥痜or鈥痙iversity and inclusion.
- 28. Standardize assessment and debriefing of faculty members across program types upon return that covers identity-based issues on global engagement programs.
Assessment and Evaluation
- 29. Once a month, the Global Engagement鈥痶eam鈥痺ill review a specific鈥痲uantitative or qualitative鈥痙ata鈥痯oint鈥痳elated to鈥痑ccess, diversity, equity鈥痑nd inclusion in global engagement or鈥痶he broader Elon community.鈥疭taff鈥痺ill rotate鈥痶o facilitate鈥痶eam鈥痙iscussion.
- 30. The GEC will create an avenue to gather more qualitative information about student identity & experiences during time abroad that informs our practices as an office 鈥 for example,鈥痟ost focus groups of returned global engagement participants twice yearly (one for semester global engagement participants and one for short-term program participants).
- 31. Develop a process for reviewing return evaluations and implement a strategy to enhance advising practices based on data.
- 32. Assess the categorization of鈥痙ifferent types鈥痮f withdrawals within TDS and ensure that the GEC has a standard process. If not, create a process to ensure the retention of clean data across all program types.
- 33. Develop a process to analyze program withdrawal reports, with an emphasis on identifying trends among underserved populations.
Organizational Operations
- 34. Create proactive, written protocols for identity-based incidents鈥痑nd concerns, which includes a鈥痵tep-by-step鈥痯rocess.
- 35. Establish understanding of institutional鈥痯rotocol for faculty leaders abroad鈥痑nd improve communication strategy鈥痜or appropriate action steps to take when a student encounters/reports an identity-based situation.鈥疉dditionally,鈥痑ll GEC staff should also be well prepared and equipped to respond to various incidents.
- 36. Each advisor identifies one affiliate/exchange partner per year to assess their identity-based resources.鈥疶he information鈥痺ill be shared鈥痺ith GEC and store in a shared, accessible location.
- 37. Annually ask our affiliate/exchange partners for their written plan on how they define and respond to identity-based incidents on global engagement programs. Share this information with GEC and store in a shared, accessible location.
- 38. Assess our partners鈥 written policies for identity-based incidents and share鈥疎lon鈥檚 expectations for incident reporting.
- 39. Establish an official process for inquiring if all鈥痯artners can accommodate students with disabilities (all types), both for evaluating new partnerships and assessing existing partnerships.
- Create a plan of action based on program type and partner relationship.
- Create a checklist of what accommodations鈥痗an be easily provided鈥痑nd what are more difficult to accommodate.
- Work with Disabilities Resources to make a list of the most common accommodations here on campus.
- 40. Evaluate the process for transgender or questioning students鈥痶o鈥痚xplore鈥痶ransparent鈥痟ousing options鈥痚arly in the process鈥痑nd鈥痶o protect鈥痵tudent鈥痯rivacy.鈥疶he GEC will update and implement changes as needed.
- 41. Find model/aspirant universities who have created successful best practices鈥痺ithin diversity, equity and inclusion in global engagement.
- 42. Every summer鈥痶he GEC will鈥痑sk an institution/provider that is leading the field in these practices to meet virtually or in person with the GEC staff.鈥疶he GEC will maintain a written record of each meeting鈥痑s a method to鈥痳etain鈥痑nd share鈥痥nowledge.
Academics and Student Success
Curricular and Co-Curricular Activities
- 43. Develop a strategy for analyzing鈥痙emographic鈥痙ata on program leaders/Center directors and implement鈥痯lans/recommendations for more inclusive recruitment.
- 44. Assess the percentage of short-term programs in non-Eurocentric locations over the last five years鈥痑nd make a recommendation for a鈥痶arget鈥痯ercentage鈥痶o achieve鈥痚ach year.
- 45. Increase the number of short-term programs with a focus on diversity and/or historically minoritized communities in Eurocentric locations (e.g.鈥疢ulticulturalism in London,鈥疊lack in Paris).
- 46. Re-examine the proposal process for new programs and the review process for existing courses for better inclusive practice and pedagogy (e.g. Universal Design, inclusive pedagogy, environmental impact of programs, impact on local communities).
- 47. Develop and implement resources, tools and workshops (for example, inclusive pedagogy or Universal Design) for鈥痯rogram leaders/Center Directors鈥痺ho teach global engagement programs, with a focus on leveraging the expertise of the Elon community.
Advising and Student Support
- 48. Embed identity-based resources into appointment scheduling process.
- 49. Create a guide for鈥痠dentity-specific information that advisors or affiliates should share at site-specific pre-departure orientations.
- 50. Analyze our current鈥痶ouch points with鈥痵tudents鈥痓efore,鈥痙uring,鈥痑nd after their global engagement experience鈥痜rom an inclusive lens鈥痑nd evaluate鈥痟ow鈥痶he GEC鈥痗an鈥痚nhance identity-specific information and resources鈥痵hared with鈥痵tudents. Examine outreach strategies and how advising鈥痚ntry points are supporting underserved populations (e.g. rework Quick Questions, host program-specific info sessions, require first-time appointments with Global Ambassadors, host course-planning workshops, etc.). Create a post-decision questionnaire in MyElonGlobal that allows鈥痵tudents鈥痶o鈥痙isclose anything they feel is relevant鈥痑bout their identity (e.g. including identity-specific prompts: racial/ethnic background, religion, disabilities/accommodations, etc.).
- 51. Request an environmental scan of our space (Global Commons 360)鈥痓y the CREDE鈥(and ALANAM students), GLC鈥(and LGBTQIA students),鈥痑nd鈥痠nternational students鈥痺ith a plan to鈥痠mplement鈥痳ecommendations.
- 52. Assess and expand re-entry programming for marginalized students.