| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.21 |
| Liaison | Stephen Ellis |
| Submission Date | June 9, 2023 |
Boston University
PA-6: Assessing Diversity and Equity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.75 / 1.00 |
Stephen
Ellis Director, Data Analytics BU Sustainability |
Has the institution engaged in a structured assessment process during the previous three years to improve diversity, equity and inclusion on campus?:
A brief description of the assessment process and the framework, scorecard(s) and/or tool(s) used:
Affirmative Action Plan: Boston University, like all federal contractors, prepares an Affirmative Action Plan annually. It is not possible to provide results in this format, since the plan analyzes the entire employee population by job group and it is a very extensive analysis. The results are used to assist the University in understanding whether our employee population has an appropriate representation of women and minorities in the various types of employee groups. This information informs us of where efforts need to be directed to improve recruiting for certain kinds of positions.
Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey: BU conducted a Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey of 29,128 BU students in March 2019. The results were reported to the campus community and are used to inform prevention and education activities provided by Student Affairs and Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center (SARP).
National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE): BU participates in the NSSE biannually to assess the campus environment. The survey asks general questions about academic engagement and inquires about the inclusion of diverse perspectives in discussions, conversing with people outside of one's demographic (race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.), and whether students feel included in the University's community. The results of the survey are used to improve student experiences at the University, including student interactions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The content below references a survey that was taken in April 2020.
2022 Flexible Staff Survey: In June 2022, Task Force on Workplace Culture (TFWC) launched the Flexible Work Survey. The purpose of this survey is to understand BU’s perspectives from BU Staff on the current remote work arrangements. This survey is intended to inform further research and decision-making, as we strive to establish an equitable workplace for all staff members within the BU community. The TFWC anticipates receiving feedback from as many staff members as possible and using their voices to support the vision for a “Flexible Workplace Culture” at BU. The results of this survey will be used to inform discussions of our remote work guidelines.
Does the assessment process address campus climate by engaging stakeholders to assess the attitudes, perceptions and behaviors of employees and students, including the experiences of underrepresented groups?:
Does the assessment process address student outcomes related to diversity, equity and success?:
Does the assessment process address employee outcomes related to diversity and equity?:
A brief description of the most recent assessment findings and how the results are used in shaping policy, programs, and initiatives:
Affirmative Action Plan:
N/A
Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey:
- A total of 3,903 students responded to the survey, with a 13.4% participation rate.
- 22.23% said they had witnessed inappropriate behavior that they believed made others feel uncomfortable or offended; of those, 67.4% took some sort of action in response (including intervening, interrupting, confronting, expressing concern, or seeking help from someone else).
- 22.0% reported that they feel ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ connected to the campus community. Undergraduate women (30.3%) and men (24.0%) were more likely to report feeling ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ connected than graduate/professional women (11.7%) and men (17.7%).
- The results suggest that students are generally aware of services and resources provided by BU, including Student Health Services (89.4%), the BU Police Department (84.9%), and the Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center (SARP) (79.3%). Just 4.7% reported they were not aware of any services or resources provided by BU or the local community. 50.2% of responding students reported they were ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ knowledgeable about where to get help at the University if they or a friend were victims of sexual assault or misconduct, and 43.2% reported they were ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ knowledgeable about how BU defines sexual assault and other misconduct.
- The data provided in this report are new, and further analysis is needed. As anticipated, the survey results demonstrate several areas where Boston University has room for improvement, while also identifying some areas where we’ve made tangible progress. Over the coming weeks, we will be working to further analyze the data and their implications, and coordinate with colleagues across the University to determine appropriate next steps.
NSSE:
The National Survey of Student Engagement is jointly sponsored by Student Affairs and Undergraduate Affairs. The data received is provided to each school and college for use in the assessment of their academic programs, and is used at the university level to inform and support advising, academic assessment and learning outcomes, DEI initiatives, and strategic planning.
2022 Flexible Staff Survey:
Survey participation was high, with 50% of eligible staff members sharing their opinion and experiences. The survey results guided the TFWC’s recommendations to senior leadership regarding improvements to the current remote work policies submitted in December 2022. The recommendations included the following:
-Increase remote work options
-Formalize guidelines for flexible work & seasonal flexible work
-Institutionalize a staff advisory council
The subcommittee also presented the results to several leadership groups on campus. After much consideration, President Robert A. Brown announced that remote work is here to stay, and BU needs to implement university-wide guidelines for flexible work, flexible seasonal work, and establish a BU Staff Advisory Council (BU-SAC). The BU-SAC will foster direct and regular communication between staff and University leadership to identify and address issues that affect our workplace culture and identify areas of improvement.
Are the results of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment shared with the campus community?:
A brief description of how the assessment results are shared with the campus community:
Affirmative Action Plan:
- The results are used to assist the University in understanding whether our employee population has the appropriate representation of women and minorities in the various types of employee groups. This information informs us of where efforts need to be directed to improve recruiting for certain kinds of positions.
Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey:
- The results were shared by a campus-wide email from the University President, a story in the campus newspaper, and a publicly posted report.
NSSE:
- Summary data is shared with senior leadership, the Trustees, academic advisors, program development committee members, and others involved in academic affairs via the AS&IR website and Kerberos access.
2022 Flexible Staff Survey:
-The results were shared with senior leadership, a campus-wide email from the Office of the Senior Diversity Officer and has been posted Office of the Senior Diversity Officer website
URL: https://www.bu.edu/diversity-officer/our-work/task-force-on-workplace-culture/
Are the results (or a summary of the results) of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment publicly posted?:
The diversity and equity assessment report or summary (upload):
Website URL where the diversity and equity assessment report or summary is publicly posted:
Website URL where information about the institution’s diversity and equity assessment efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
This represents FY2021 and FY2022 BU Metrics.
This represents FY2021 and FY2022 BU Metrics.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.