Diversity and Inclusion Matrix Plan (Nov 2022-Nov 2023)

Mattering and Affirmation - In the maturity matrix, Mattering and Affirmation is about countering marginalization. The emphasis is on making sure that folks (specifically folks of color) who are often not centered in the institutional culture, are made to feel that they matter. That people are interested and concerned with what folks of color think, want, and have to say. There is an emphasis here on the responsibility of white team members in particular to ensure that their colleagues of color feel seen, heard, and cared for in workplace settings. Intersectionality is also important here, recognizing the impact of multiple marginalized identities and how important it is to validate and affirm those who frequently encounter multiple dimensions of bias in the broader community.

Results from our survey indicated that our team is at the Initiated level. Commentary from team members included assertions that “identities are not regularly validated and affirmed” and that “more can be done to address intersectionality amongst team members.”

Action Plan - Common Read - Subtle Acts of Exclusion

Cross Racial Engagement - In the maturity matrix, Cross-Racial Engagement refers to the degree to which team members feel calm, empowered, open and encouraged when engaging across race or in conversations about race with each other. Do white team members express fragility or defensiveness when the topic of racism emerges? Do team members of color feel safe sharing their true thoughts and feelings about their racial reality within the team? Is there broad recognition of the complexity of racialization and how it informs lived experiences?

Results from our survey indicated that our team is at the Desegregated level. Commentary from team members included assertions that “there are times when uninterrogated privilege impacts interactions.”

Action Plan - Race IAT Completion and Tatum essay Defining Racism: Can we talk?

Racial Learning and Literacy - In the maturity matrix, Racial Learning and Literacy refers to awareness of our own racial identity and understanding of other racial groups. Learning and Literacy is reflected in formal education about race and racial politics through coursework or other sources. It is also about the need for and commitment to ongoing and continuous study of perhaps the most vexing issue of our time. Do team members understand race and the consequences of racism? Do team members understand the difference between actions that are racist, non-racist, and antiracist?

Results from our survey indicated that our team is at the Initiated level. Commentary from team members included assertions that “ongoing learning of inclusive excellence is happening but not antiracism” and “it does not seem like all members of the team see this work as essential or important to their success.”

Action Plan - D&I Racial Learning and Literacy Professional Development Video Series Team members in the Division of Diversity and Inclusion will be expected to carve out time in each of the months listed below to view the following videos:

• November: View - How to be an Antiracist video

• December: View - Discussing Race and Racism in Campus Workplaces video

• January: View - Racelighting video

• February: View - How the Racial Wealth Gap was Created video

• March: View - NACCC Summary video

• April: View - APHA Racism: The Ultimate Underlying Condition video

• May: View - Video of your own choosing from TEDx Talks collection

Racial Stress and Bias Response - In the maturity matrix, Racial Stress and Bias Response is about the impact of unit, institutional, regional and broader racial climates on team member well-being. The emphasis here is on how intergenerational and collective racial trauma contributes to how subtle acts, behaviors, or attitudes that are perceived as racially loaded are experienced by different team members and the way that racism and exposure to racial violence/trauma (in the news, on social media, or in day-to-day interactions) impact a team member’s well-being, bandwidth and performance. Is the workplace a source of racial battle fatigue or are professional colleagues seen as reliable sources of interpersonal support?

Results from our survey indicated that our team is at the Desegregated level. Commentary from some team members included assertions that “identity based harm is rare” or at least suspected to be rare. While others noted that past experiences of harm (microaggressions and such) may be contributing to a lingering lack of trust when engaging across difference.

Action Plan - Read Subtle Acts of Exclusion, view Ross TED talk video, and read Finch essay 9 phrases allies can say when called out instead of getting defensive.

Unit-Department-Division-Commitment - In the maturity matrix, Unit/Division Commitment is about how committed to racial equity a department is in practice. The stages of advancement toward inclusive excellence are related to progression from complete inattention to the operation of race in unit outcomes, to a clear antiracist agenda that works to ensure that racism (externally and internally) is not impacting recruitment, retention, promotion or the leadership of a functional area. Are all the leaders in a department from the same racial background? Are recruitment/applicant pools lacking in racial/ethnic diversity? If there are people of color in leadership roles, do they add new and different perspectives or reinscribe dominant cultural values? Are minoritized voices sought out or able to contribute to decision making?

Results from our survey indicated that our team is at the Not Started level. Commentary from team members seemed to reflect some confusion about this item. Many rated the Division at the Integrated or Inclusive Excellence level, but open-ended responses mentioned inattention to data, lack of accountability structures, and a reference to increased access to the VP’s supervisor.

Action Plan - View LEAD video: Empowering and Elevating Marginalized Voices

Context Awareness and Community Engagement - In the maturity matrix, Context Awareness and Community Engagement is related to a unit’s attention to racial equity issues in the local and broader community and its responsibility to both center the most impacted by racial injustice and to work to address systems of oppression. Context awareness would be unit-level knowledge of the major concerns of communities of color in the region and engagement is structured involvement in addressing the needs of communities of color in the area. Are communities of color in the region experiencing food insecurity? Is access to higher education a major concern for BIPOC communities in the area? In what way is the unit working to address or alleviate issues that are contributing to disparate outcomes and social misery?

Results from our survey indicated that our team is at the Initiated level. Commentary from team members indicated a sense of “individual engagement and awareness” with a perception that addressing local issues is seen by many “as outside the department’s scope of collective work.” One respondent noted that “The Division does not seem to be actively engaged with the community in any meaningful way.”

Action Plan - Identify a team member to serve as a community liaison to research racial equity issues in the region and report back to the team during regular meetings with the goal of identifying a service action or activity we can collectively engage in to advance racial justice.