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The University's 2020 Strategic Plan calls for the creation of a University-wide plan for Diversity and Inclusion. This plan outlines concrete action steps to achieve our strategic goal and objectives for Diversity and Inclusion, including improving and expanding programs, services, support, and collaborative engagement. Please take a few moments to join in this important effort by answering some questions about the draft Diversity and Inclusion Plan.  View the draft plan in my.scranton, News tab, University Publications channel.

Your participation in this survey is voluntary, and responses will remain anonymous. However, comments shared within the survey will be made available to the the Diversity and Inclusion planning team, and others involved in shaping and implementing new plan.

The survey will remain open through November 17th.

If you have any questions about this survey, or the planning process, email Kate Yerkes, Assistant Provost for Planning & Institutional Effectiveness, at Kathryn.yerkes@scranton.edu. 

Comments and questions are also welcome to: planning@scranton.edu. 

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* 1. First, what is your primary role at the University?

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* 2. If you are a staff or administrator, in what division of the University do you work?

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* 3. Students and Faculty, what is your home college?

The Diversity and Inclusion Plan draft proposes action steps across five topical areas: leadership, commitment, accountability, and transparency; the student experience; faculty and staff experience; academics; student enrollment and retention; and alumni and community engagement. The next section of the survey will ask you to rate each action item in terms of degree of importance.

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* 4. Thinking about the proposed action items within the Institutional Commitment, Transparency, and Accountability section of the Diversity and Inclusion Plan, how important are the following:

  Extremely Important Very Important Important Somewhat Important Not Important I'm not sure/No strong opinion
Development of a statement of shared principles for diversity and inclusion, tied to mission
Recommend a structure to oversee, coordinate, and assist in the implementation of the diversity and inclusion plan and overall  efforts
Establish clear expectations for support of diversity and inclusion across all levels of leadership
Expand opportunities for worship, retreat, mentorship and service that emphasize and explore diversity and inclusion
Incorporate reflection on diversity and inclusion in departmental, divisional, and college leadership reporting processes
Prepare an annual, University-wide state of diversity and inclusion report
Share annual data about diversity and inclusion more widely
Ensure that key data used to monitor diversity and inclusion growth are synchronized across those units tracking such data
Regularize a cycle of evaluation for campus perceptions and experiences with diversity and inclusion
Review the number, charges, and status of committees engaged in diversity and inclusion work, and gather annual reports of their activities & progress
Inventory existing electronic resources to identify where diversity and inclusion information is shared, and ensure it is current
Build a dedicated, searchable web site for individuals to view and register for diversity and inclusion events and programming
Utilizing information gathered from assessments and reviews, reduce duplicative programming

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* 5. Thinking about the Leadership and Accountability section, are there areas in need of action that we may have missed?

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* 6. Thinking about the proposed action items within the Student Experience section of the Diversity and Inclusion Plan, how important are the following:

  Extremely Important Very Important Important Somewhat Important Not Important I'm not sure/No strong opinion
Expand the development of new programmatic, co-curricular, and service opportunities and increase student participation in existing programming.
Better understand and identify desired competencies for student learning and development with respect to diversity and inclusion
Develop a comprehensive first year experience program that fosters collaboration between Student Life, Academic Affairs and other University offices through co-curricular programming
Engage with the local Scranton community to identify and expand off-campus community resources and support for students.
Increase opportunities for non-Catholic students to explore their faith formation, providing programming focused on education about different faiths.
Utilize assessments to identify new and changing student needs, and to build programming connections across the Student Life division and other campus units.
Recruit staff from historically underrepresented populations to better support diverse students in several areas of the University
Increase our ability to support students and other members of our community for whom English is a second language.  Expand worship experiences that reflect the cultural and language diversity of the Catholic Church.
Create a robust mentoring program for students of color to support their sense of belonging, and increase retention and graduation rates.
Continue to review current student gathering and other physical campus spaces to expand opportunities for engagement and the reach and resources of the Cross Cultural Centers.
Develop and require a diversity and inclusion module for first year students, similar to the current Alcohol.edu program.

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* 7. Thinking about the Student Experience section, are there areas in need of action that we may have missed?

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* 8. Thinking about the proposed action items within the Academic Experience section of the Diversity and Inclusion Plan, how important are the following:

  Extremely Important Very Important Important Somewhat Important Not Important I'm not sure/No strong opinion
Through Faculty Senate leadership, review strategies and cycles for the learning assessment of courses that currently have the cultural diversity (D) designation, and the curricular criteria for their determination and the renewal of that determination over time.
Develop new courses and curricula that address diversity and inclusion, and support faculty in revising current courses to incorporate diversity and inclusion.
Increase Community Based Learning and Community Based Research opportunities across the curriculum
Develop diversity and inclusion programming in the Passport and Tapestry programs for non-first year students.
Develop an orientation model on diversity and inclusion for new full- and part-time faculty and graduate teaching assistants.
Expand workshop opportunities dedicated to incorporating/ infusing diversity and inclusion into existing courses, including General Education, and promote Inclusive Pedagogy.
Require diversity and inclusion training for all faculty and support staff
Further enhance Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence staff skills and support dedicated to diversity and inclusion within faculty development.
Support, celebrate and credit faculty teaching, research, and service contributions related to diversity and inclusion as part of academic life, including faculty review processes.
Provide enhanced funding, including professional conference support, for student and faculty research that addresses diversity and inclusion.
Allocate funding for reading/discussion groups that address diversity and inclusion, inside and outside of the classroom.

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* 9. Thinking about the Academic Experience section, are there areas in need of action that we may have missed?

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* 10. Thinking about the proposed action items within the Faculty and Staff Experience section of the Diversity and Inclusion Plan, how important are the following:

  Extremely Important Very Important Important Somewhat Important Not Important I'm not sure/No strong opinion
Recruit and hire for diversity and inclusion in all aspects and areas of the University.
Engage with the local Scranton community to expand awareness and access to off-campus community resources for newly hired faculty and staff.
Evaluate current new staff/administrator orientation and onboarding processes, and current suite of faculty and staff training, to ensure adequate resources are available.
Expand mandatory training requirements though both University-developed and external opportunities, addressing training gaps that emerge through needs assessments and other analyses.
Support faculty and staff to take part in professional development experiences, conferences, and workshops.
Evaluate the current employee exit interview process to assure it is comprehensive and completed in a systemic manner.
Ensure annual School/College, Departmental, and Divisional planning, assessment, and reporting practices concretely address diversity and inclusion, and provide guidance and tools to support these areas of work.
Expand mentorship programs for faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds to connect with other campus leaders and peers
Encourage and provide self-assessment resources for employees to help determine readiness, strengths and opportunities for their own growth.

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* 11. Thinking about the Faculty and Staff Experience section, are there areas in need of action that we may have missed?

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* 12. Thinking about the proposed action items within the Student Recruitment, Enrollment and Retention section of the Diversity and Inclusion Plan, how important are the following:

  Extremely Important Very Important Important Somewhat Important Not Important I'm not sure/No strong opinion
Improve coordination across campus departments that are involved in the enrollment process from recruitment through graduation
Revisit the diversity and inclusion goals that are part of the Strategic Enrollment Planning (SEP) process, reviewing and refreshing them, if needed, in light of our new Strategic Plan and this document.
Create an area on the Admissions web site to share University and city/regional information and resources related to diversity and inclusion with potential and newly admitted students.
Review existing financial support strategies for first generation and students of color, and others from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.
Share regular reports of student retention & completion data and activities as they relate to diversity and inclusion, using these results to inform improvement.
Expand examination of national and regional demographics and student enrollment trends for students of color, first generation, and other underrepresented groups, and share the information with departments
Review attrition trends for students of color, better understanding why these students, in particular Black male students, leave the University at a higher rate, and identify strategies to address these gaps.

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* 13. Thinking about the Student Recruitment, Enrollment, and Retention section, are there areas in need of action that we may have missed?

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* 14. Thinking about the proposed action items within the Alumni and Community section of the Diversity and Inclusion Plan, how important are the following:

  Extremely Important Very Important Important Somewhat Important Not Important I'm not sure/No strong opinion
Undertake a needs assessment with community partners to identify underrepresented groups and better understand community needs and how we may help address them.
Collaborate with the City of Scranton and civic entities to discuss issues our students experience in the community, and to showcase positive outcomes of our diversity and inclusion efforts in NEPA.
Expand internal collaboration, coordination, and communication across University areas whose mission and goals are to interact with and support the local region and community.
Expand our leadership and colleagueship within the regional higher education community, and across our AJCU network, by the establishment of a group or gathering/conference/symposia dedicated to this purpose.
Improve our understanding of the undergraduate and graduate student experiences of alumni from historically underrepresented groups, identifying both positive and negative experiences to assist in determining future student needs. 
Gather feedback from alumni about their Scranton experience, its impact on their post-graduate lives, and professional experiences, with respect to their experiences with respect to diversity and inclusion.
Outreach to alumni from traditionally underrepresented groups to engage with and mentor current students.
Support growth in affinity and other alumni peer-to-peer engagement opportunities through the creation of alumni societies for historically underrepresented groups.

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* 15. Thinking about the Alumni and Community section, are there areas in need of action that we may have missed?

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* 16. The Diversity and Inclusion plan recommends the development of a statement of shared principles for diversity and inclusion for all members of our University community. In your opinion, what should such a statement include? Suggest up to six elements.

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* 17. In your opinion, what three factors will be most important to the success of the Diversity and Inclusion plan?

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* 18. Please share any additional comments or suggestions for areas of focus for the Diversity and Inclusion Plan.

Thank you for sharing your feedback.  Additional comments and suggestions are always welcome via email at planning@scranton.edu.

For more information about the University's Strategic Plan and planning process, visit: www.scranton.edu/strategicplan
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