Cleveland State University
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT
Cleveland State University is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment and education. No person at the university will be denied opportunity for employment or education or be subject to discrimination in any project, program, or activity because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, disabled veteran, Vietnam era veteran and/or other protected veteran status.
https://www.csuohio.edu/institutional-equity/non-discrimination-statement-0

NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION
https://www.csuohio.edu/sites/default/files/Notice%20of%20Nondiscrimination_2.pdf

3344-02-03 Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Violence and Retaliation
https://www.csuohio.edu/sites/default/files/HarassmentDiscriminationPolicy_0.pdf

BIAS INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAM (BIRT)

PURPOSE
The purpose of the Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT) is to address reports of bias incidents in ways that support those most impacted, promote education and dialogue, and affirm Cleveland State University’s commitment to equity and diversity, free speech and academic freedom.

Specifically, the BIRT is charged with:
Developing and implementing a voluntary mechanism for members of the University community to report bias incidents;
Referring those impacted to established mechanisms for support and to address harassment, discrimination and violence, as appropriate;
Coordinating information-sharing and communication about reported incidents; and
Making recommendations to senior University leadership about policies, practices or programs to address bias incidents.
This Protocol does not address mandatory reporting of incidents of discrimination required under the University’s Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Violence and Retaliation.

RESPONSE TEAM
The BIRT will be chaired by the Vice President for Engagement and Chief Diversity Officer (CDO).

The director of each of the following offices will appoint one or more people to BIRT:
Student Affairs, including Student Life and Auxiliary Services
Facilities Services
Police Department
Marketing
Office of General Counsel
Office for Institutional Equity
Counseling Center
Human Resources
Faculty Senate President
Student Government Association

Representatives of other offices may be invited to attend BIRT meetings on an ad hoc basis.

BIRT MEMBERS
https://www.csuohio.edu/dice/birt-members

RESPONSE TO A REPORT OF BIAS INCIDENT

For the purposes of BIRT, a “bias incident” is defined as an act of bigotry, harassment, or intimidation directed toward an individual or group based on that individual’s or group’s actual or perceived race, sex, religion, color, age, national origin, veteran and/or military status, genetic information, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status or parental status or any combination of these factors. A bias incident may or may not violate University policy or state or federal law depending on the specific facts and circumstances of the incident.

The following steps will be taken when any member of the BIRT receives a report of a bias incident.
As soon as possible after receipt of the Report, the BIRT member shall report the incident to the CDO or designee. When appropriate, the BIRT member may also make a report to OIE and/or to the Police Department.
The CDO shall inform CSU senior leadership about the incident as appropriate.. The CDO shall also determine whether a BIRT meeting would facilitate the University’s response and, if so, shall call such a meeting within 24 hours, or as soon as reasonably possible. This meeting may be held as a conference call if necessary when the University is closed.
In addition to calling a BIRT meeting when appropriate, the CDO shall coordinate with Marketing regarding whether a public response is warranted prior to the BIRT meeting. All public statements related to bias incidents must be approved by the Office of General Counsel before their release.

During its meeting, BIRT members shall, at a minimum:
Share all available information regarding the incident, unless the information could jeopardize a law enforcement investigation or is otherwise confidential.
Determine any additional appropriate support to be provided to those involved in the incident.
Determine whether to refer the incident to an appropriate office for investigation (e.g. OIE, Student Conduct, Human Resources, the Police Department) if such a report has not already been made.
Develop a communication plan if considered necessary. Such communication plan should consider all internal constituencies, as well as whether off-campus stakeholders should be informed / consulted about the incident.
Recommend to senior leadership appropriate educational responses to the incident.

At least annually, the CDO will organize a meeting of the BIRT to review known incidents, including any identified patterns, and to look for ways to strengthen CSU’s responses to such incidents, as well as to make recommendations to senior with respect to education and resources to address bias and the impact of bias incidents.

https://www.csuohio.edu/engagement/birt
https://www.csuohio.edu/sites/default/files/BIRT-for-posting.pdf

The CSU President and the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, along with a team of enrollment counselors and success coaches, do targeted recruitment visits to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and inner-city high schools.

The Parker Hannifin Living and Learning Program specifically recruits and supports CMSD students as part of the 'Say Yes to Education' initiative. As part of the program, students receive free room and board and support services for their first two years of study at Cleveland State University.The Parker Hannifin Living Learning Community will assist students with how to successfully navigate their way to and through higher education as well as facilitate intentional and in-depth communication and understanding among students of diverse backgrounds and identities.
https://www.csuohio.edu/living-learning/living-learning

When recruiting faculty and staff, CSU sources candidates utilizing various advertising venues that target diverse populations. The University’s Office for Institutional Equity has identified those job classifications where more aggressive outreach could mitigate under-representation, and our Talent Acquisition Specialists are cognizant of these opportunities to increase representation by working to attract diverse applicants. The University requires that all applicant pools for vacancies include diverse representation. Additionally, hiring managers charge their search committees to ensure that finalist pools include diverse talent that have demonstrated their diversity, equity and inclusion competency, which is a requirement for our faculty positions. The University provides training on managing unconscious bias to search committee members and hiring managers, to ensure that these gatekeepers create an inclusive environment for applicants to demonstrate their viability as competitive candidates.

In terms of faculty recruitment, a Diversity Recruitment Guide has been developed for use by faculty search committees to help them target their advertisement of faculty positions to reach underrepresented applicant pools. The Guide provides contact information to reach pools of underrepresented minorities by discipline and professional associations.

The following excerpts from the 2019 - 2020 Diversity Action Plan outline programs and strategies specifically designed to recruit students, faculty and staff from underrepresented groups.

Faculty and Staff Diversity Initiatives - Recruit, retain and promote diverse faculty and staff
• Overcome barriers to diverse hiring and increase diversity of faculty and staff
• Explicit statement in ads/application process asking candidates to describe/explain how they meet diversity qualification
• Give this qualification significant weight so that it can make a difference in the outcome.
• Train search committees and hiring officials on how to apply the qualification
• Develop a rubric to quantify how candidate meets this qualification

Student Success Initiatives – Retain and promote success of diverse students
• Coordinate the various mentoring programs especially those focused on students of color
• Establish student /peer mentoring program

Student Diversity Initiatives – Recruit diverse students
• Consider in our scholarship strategy how we may be able to allocate scholarships for specific under-represented groups

Specific targets are outlined for increasing faculty/staff diversity and increasing retention and graduation/completion rates of students with a focus on traditionally marginalized student populations.

Specific programs and scholarships for recruiting underrepresented students are outlined in the Diversity Action Plan.

Source: https://www.csuohio.edu/sites/default/files/2019%20-%202020%20Diversity%20Report%20%20Action%20Plan%20FINAL%20VERSION%202%2025%2019.pdf

Black Faculty and Staff Organization (BFSO)
The BFSO serves as an advocate for the interests of black faculty, staff, and students; contributes to the recruitment and retention of African-American faculty, staff, and students; and has an active and informed voice in campus life and governance.
https://www.csuohio.edu/bfso/bfso

Chinese American Faculty and Staff Association (CAFASA)
The purposes of CAFSA areto facilitate academic, cultural, and social activities; to promote the interests and address the concern of Chinese American faculty and staff members; to increase sensitivity towards Chinese Americans in the university community; and to assist students, especially those of Chinese heritage. The CAFASA, in conjunction with the College of Education Diversity Council and the Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement, have been actively supporting members of the Asian community on campus in this heightened climate of anti-Asian discrimination and bigotry in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://www.csuohio.edu/cafsa/about-cafsa

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
Plans are being developed by HR and the Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement to establish Employee Resource Groups to support LGBTQ, Latino, Disabled, and Veteran faculty and staff members on campus. Mentoring circles are planned as a feature of the ERGs.

Navigators
Navigators are students, coaches and faculty mentors who promote a "Navigation to Graduation" strategy of academic success, retention and degree completion for diverse students. Through the program, first-year students receive peer mentoring assistance. Second-year students receive academic coaching and professional mentors. Continuing students preparing for graduation work closely with participating faculty and other University resources to explore post baccalaureate options including graduate study and/or careers and entry into the workforce.
https://www.csuohio.edu/engagement/navigators

CSU’s LINK Program
CSU’s LINK Program has for years provided minority students, largely from Greater Cleveland-area high schools, with internship and cooperative education opportunities. Its goals have been both to promote minority student participation in occupational fields that are in high demand as well as to serve as a recruitment and retention tool for promising students.
https://www.csuohio.edu/engagement/link-program

The Pratt Center
The Pratt Center will provide a unique multipurpose space – located on the 12th floor of Rhodes Tower - that enables students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds in learning to navigate a diverse global society. Through social and academic interactions, students explore differences and strategies for promoting inclusion in a multicultural environment.
https://www.csuohio.edu/engagement/pratt-center

Sullivan-Deckard Scholars Program
The Sullivan-Deckard Scholarship Opportunity Program provide an opportunity for highly motivated youth who are aging out of foster care to pursue an undergraduate degree. The programs offer the benefits of a world-class education at Cleveland State University with a system of support that is customized and structured to meet the academic, social and financial needs of college students.
https://www.csuohio.edu/engagement/sullivan-deckard-scholarship-opportunity-program

CSU Counseling Center
The CSU Counseling Center provides a wide range of services to students, faculty, and staff. We offer academic, career, and personal counseling, consultation and outreach programming, training, group facilitation, and other services aimed at helping individuals and groups who are members of the campus community meet their respective personal and professional goals. Group sessions are offered for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex and Ally students.
https://www.csuohio.edu/counselingcenter/counselingcenter

TRIO/Student Support Services Program
The TRIO/Student Support Services (SSS) Program is grant funded through the U.S. Department of Education and has been part of the Cleveland State University Campus for over 47 years. The TRIO/SSS Program is designed to help first-generation college and/or low-income students progress toward graduation. TRIO/SSS provides opportunities for academic development, assistance with college requirements and the motivation and support needed to complete a college degree!
https://www.csuohio.edu/trio/triostudent-support-services

LGBTQ+ Student Services Center
The LGBTQ+ Student Services Center is a welcoming space where all members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies can hang out, study, engage in programs, and access support. Programs and initiatives include:
National Coming Out Day
The Rainbow Tuesdays series includes Dessert & Discuss (speaker series), Unlocking the Closet (unpacking issues series), and Self-Care and Mindfulness Hour (relax and recuperate).
The Student Ally LGBTQ + Suicide Prevention Education Team
Our Goal: To reduce the stigma toward mental illness and suicide, encourage self-help strategies and behaviors, increase awareness of resources for LGBTQ+ individuals, and build a larger more involved LGBTQ+ community on CSU campus.
Safe Space Program strives to improve visibility and support to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) students. The Safe Space program provides students with access to and recognition of individuals of all sexual orientations and gender identities who are available to aid LGBTQ+ students in making connections with the resources available to them.
http://www.csuohio.edu/lgbtq

McNair Scholars
The goal of the Cleveland State University TRIO McNair Scholars Program is to prepare talented and eligible undergraduates for doctoral studies through involvement in research, participation in seminars, faculty advising, preparation for the Graduate Record Examination, and engagement in other intensive scholarly activities. Students who participate in the program come from disadvantaged backgrounds, show strong academic potential in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) disciplines, and are committed to pursuing a Ph.D. degree. The program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, is named after the late Dr. Ronald E. McNair, an African-American physicist and NASA astronaut who perished in the Challenger explosion in 1986.
https://www.csuohio.edu/mcnair-scholars/csu-mcnair-scholars

Publicly accessible inventory of gender-neutral bathrooms on campus
https://www.csuohio.edu/lgbtq/gender-neutral-restrooms-campus

Gender Identity and Expression and the Use of Bathrooms on Campus
https://www.csuohio.edu/sites/default/files/bathroomgenderidentityInfo.pdf

Housing options to accommodate the special needs of transgender and transitioning students
https://www.csuohio.edu/residence-life/gender-neutral-housing-assignments