Chief Diversity Officer’s Advisory Board

The Chief Diversity Officer’s Advisory Board was formed to ensure App State is a welcoming community of scholars who value, respect and embrace diversity throughout the institution.

This board is a working group responsible for assisting the Chief Diversity Officer in designing and implementing strategies that foster the advancement of diversity and inclusion at App State by:

• Supporting strategic planning efforts as related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Monitoring progress of strategic goals for diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Providing opportunities for the campus community to discuss diversity-related issues and ideas.
• Gathering feedback from the campus community to inform diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
• Reviewing initiatives and/or program recommendations from other campus members that are designed to advance diversity goals and making suggestions for efficient achievement of those goals.
• Providing an annual report with recommendations and progress of strategic goals for diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Collaborating with diversity, equity and inclusion leaders across campus.

Proposals from the Chief Diversity Officer’s Advisory Board

At the charge of Chancellor Sheri Everts, this group developed 14 proposals, listed below, which focus on the recruitment and retention of students, staff and faculty from underrepresented groups. The board presented its proposals to the chancellor in 2015 and they have been consciously explored — many are ongoing or are in progress, and more are under review.

Learn more about App State’s milestones regarding diversity and inclusion.

Status	Proposal
Ongoing	Engage a consultant to provide education to all supervisors on the topic of creating an inclusive campus.
Under review	Implement a bias incident response process.
Ongoing	Create an online search committee compliance module.
Ongoing	Related to the item above, another proposal recommended that search committees be provided face-to-face education about the ways implicit bias can affect search processes.
Ongoing	Expand the exit interview process.
Under review	Create a formal mentoring program for students from underrepresented groups.
In progress	Increase awareness of university policies and student conduct processes related to individual and group harassment and discrimination.
Ongoing	Assess the feasibility of a complete implementation of the holistic review process in admissions. This proposal would expand the breadth of the holistic review process that admissions currently engages in when reviewing applications for incoming students.
Ongoing	Translate admissions materials into Spanish and provide informational sessions and campus tours in Spanish catering to families for which Spanish is the primary language in the home. Survey prospective students to assess whether there is a need to provide such services in additional languages.
Ongoing	Formalize relationships with secondary schools and community-based organizations in areas with a greater density of underrepresented populations.
In progress	Implement a strategy that provides access to hair services for students of color.
In progress	Conduct a campus climate survey every three years and annual focus groups to assess the inclusive nature of the campus.
Ongoing	Identify and reward initiatives pertaining to outstanding work in the field of diversity by individual students, faculty and staff, student groups and departments/units on campus.
Under review	Revamp and restore the faculty fellows program in order to better recruit faculty members with a demonstrated commitment to diversity in their respective areas of study.