South Dakota State University
PA-4: Diversity and Equity Coordination

Office of Diversity, Equity and Community:
Special Assistant to the President for Diversity and Native American Affairs
General focus in on intiatives and implementing diversity with faculty/staff.
Priority Area 1) Give leadership to broad diversity and Native American Affairs across the university working closely with Deans, Department Heads and program leaders with attention to recruiting, hiring, and retaining a diverse faculty and to faculty and staff development working with Human Resources, the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning and others; Priority Area 2) Provide special advice and counsel to individual faculty members, department and college leadership and university leadership on diversity and Native American affairs; Priority Area 3) Become knowledgeable of and informed about the 2013-2014 campus climate survey, support the completion of analyses or survey response data and the issuing of reports on the analyses of the survey results and collaboratively develop programs and activities informed by the climate survey; Priority Area 4) Work with and support the University’s Diversity Fellows Program led from the College of Arts and Sciences; Priority Area 5) Serve as the liaison to and work with the SD Board of Regents Director of Student Success and Preparation on behalf of the President; Priority Area 6) Develop undergraduate and graduate courses and encourage, support and counsel other faculty members and their departments as they develop courses and curricula that are responsive to opportunities and needs of the university for a diverse inclusive community.

Diversity and Inclusion Committee:
Responsibilities: Provide advice and counsel to the President, Provost, Vice President for Student Affairs, Director for Diversity, and Faculty Senate regarding the climate for enhancement and appreciation of diversity.
The Diversity and Inclusion Committee will work collaboratively with the campus community to implement and assess progress toward the institution’s strategic plan for diversity. This will include communicating openly, being a catalyst for new and expanding initiatives, and enhancing and creating synergy among existing diversity programs. Areas of focus shall include:
 Developing a robust understanding of diversity and a welcoming campus climate;
 Recruiting, retaining and successfully graduating a diverse student body;
 Recruiting, advancing and retaining and diverse faculty and staff;
 Diversifying SDSU’s leadership and management;
 Integrating diversity across the institution’s teaching, research and co-curricular programs; and
 Bringing the university’s resources to bear in respectful, responsive service to diverse communities

*Office of Diversity, Equity, & Community - Training for staff, faculty and administrators have included training on racial bias, anti-violence, social justice, rape prevention, diversity, safe zone, and inclusive classrooms.
*Residential Life - During each Academic Year, SDSU Housing & Residential Life includes cultural competence training in the pre-academic year training for its in-hall student staff (Community Assistants/Senior Community Assistants). The training has taken different forms in different years, but has regularly been designed by either Housing & Residential Life staff with particular expertise in issues of cultural competence and social justice or by staff from the Office of Multicultural Affairs. SDSU Housing & Residential Life also provides regular cultural competence training for professional and graduate Residence Hall Directors. This training takes a similar format to what is described above. Through its Inclusion Council, SDSU Housing & Residential Life has begun the work of planning additional staff-wide cultural competence trainings. Trainings have been conducted with small subsets of staff/administrators.
*African American Programs - Lecture Series: our office hosts a number of lecturers who are experts in the field of diversity & inclusion; Classroom Requests: faculty often request our services to present on diversity and inclusion; Annual Diversity Summit: day long summit with keynote speakers and workshops to train/educate student leaders (i.e. Community Assistants, Orientation Leaders, etc…but all are welcome!)
*Student Affairs - Exploring the nature of diversity from the individual through the “other” rather than “how do I deal with (insert cultural group here)” or another misguided topic. For Students: The training that has been provided is varied. Here is the most basic review of most quality training: understand one’s own position and one’s own privilege; understand that other people struggle, just by virtue of not being in the majority; develop skills to interact with “the other” in a kind and meaningful way; learn that mistakes and missteps will occur – respond appropriately and do better next time.
*Veterans Affairs Office - New Faculty Orientation, Management Meeting, Dean’s Meeting, Union Management Team, Undergraduate Experience Presentation, Develop Webinar Veteran Friendly Classroom
*Title IX training is highly recommended for students, faculty, staff, and administrators to take.

Outside of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Community, SDSU also has a Multicultural Center, Veteran's Resource Center, Veterans Affairs Office, Disability Office, African American Program, and American Indian Education & Cultural Center.

Part I: Information covers most recent data.
Part II: Information covers 3 years of data.