State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
PA-6: Assessing Diversity and Equity

*Please see the "Notes" section for important information about credit reporting timeframe.

ESF undertook three campus climate assessments during March 2018, via the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI). Assessments included 1) Staff Climate Survey, 2) College Senior Survey and 3) Your First College Year Survey.

1) The Staff Climate Survey (SCS) is designed to assess the campus climate for diversity from the staff/administrator perspective. The staff perspective and experience is an essential component for a fuller understanding of the climate for diversity on any given campus. It is designed to be administered to all staff employees. (https://heri.ucla.edu/staff-climate-survey/)

2) The College Senior Survey connects academics, civic, and diversity outcomes with college experiences to examine the institutional impact of academic experiences, co-curricular experiences, diversity, future plans and satisfaction. (https://heri.ucla.edu/college-senior-survey/)

3) The Your First College Year Survey offers a window into the first-year experience, providing important information about students' adjustment to College, academic outcomes and experiences, co-curricular experiences, satisfaction and overall growth. (https://heri.ucla.edu/your-first-college-year-survey/)

Summaries of all three climate assessments can be viewed here (PPT): https://www.esf.edu/assessment/resourcelib.php

Results from the Staff Climate Survey assessed the campus climate from the staff perspective. The survey also touches on staff’s level of stress, satisfaction with their institution, and work-related experiences as staff members in postsecondary institutions. Survey responses in the following categories have informed 2021 legislative asks.

The CDO submitted the following proposed 2021 legislative priorities to the College president for consideration.

Inclusion, Belonging, Diversity and Equity Among Current and Prospective Leadership:

- Offer implicit bias education for legislators or legislative staff that can support deeper understanding of decisions as related to inclusion, diversity and equity, consulting SUNY CDO’s as sources of knowledge
- Train and educate from legislative seats, to understand, practice, and move toward embodying decision-making that promotes and maintains equitable learning and work space
- Consider bills and resolutions to require or encourage publicly held corporations and public institutions to diversify their boards and employee base.
- Support the SUNY Graduate Diversity Fellowship Program (GDFP).
- Promote state-wide fair search and hire standards to (1) develop a more comprehensive civil service process, and (2) chaperone Civil Service reform, (3) yield increased numbers of people with low-socio economic status, women and racial minority civil servants in the state’s employ (adopt standards that will create an environment of trust)
- Develop a state search waiver policy to maximize access to management confidential employment opportunity among historically absent people (adopt standards that will create an environment of trust)

Inclusion, Belonging, Diversity and Equity Among Historically Oppressed/Absent Communities - Disability

Support EIT throughout SUNY, reinforcing the right to pursue educational opportunities in accessible environments and to have reasonable accommodations so individuals with disabilities can work toward their fullest potential

Inclusion, Belonging, Diversity and Equity Among Historically Oppressed/Absent Communities – Familial Status:

- Increased education, funding, and resources (teaching/research/scholarship) to support and retain parenting scholars (co-market to end users in tandem with the SUNY PRODiG initiative)
- Promote state and local coordination to expand access to high quality pre-school and child care for SUNY employees with families in “care deserts” - providing affordable child-care options for all households, and particularly single parent households
- Realign and publicize policies and programs that mitigate the impact of intersectionality on gender and seek to reverse harms done to women and communities of color, particularly those who also have low-income, identify as LGBTQIA+, or experience additional forms of systemic oppression

Ongoing programs to support inclusion, diversity, equity and belonging (as of early 2023):

- Inclusive Excellence Ceremonies
- Celebrating heritage months (ex: Hispanic and black history)
- Campus-wide Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee
- Institutional support for student led affinity/cultural groups (https://www.esf.edu/assessment/resourcelib.php)
- Board of Trustees Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee
- Safe Zone Training
- Anti-Bias Training
- Required affirmative action search committee training
- Bias Reporting System
- Choose Action Network
- WELL Equity

ESF Living Document:
- The ESF Living Document identifies objectives, responsible parties, timeframes and contact information for implementation of a set of concrete, achievable actions to make ESF a more fully diverse and inclusive community. Further it aligns with the seven goals embedded within the ESF Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Strategic Plan located at this URL https://www.esf.edu/ide/committee.htm

- Living document URL: https://www.esf.edu/ide/living-document.htm#:~:text=The%20ESF%20Living%20Document%20identifies,fully%20diverse%20and%20inclusive%20community.

Project Inclusion
- This initiative launched in 2020 and kicked off with the NERCHE Self Assessment Rubric for Institutionalization of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Education (https://www.wpi.edu/sites/default/files/Project_Inclusion_NERCHE_Rubric-Self-Assessment-2016.pdf). The campus community was deeply engaged through six dimensions of study.
- 1. Philosophy and Mission of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- 2. Faculty Support for and Involvement in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- 3. Teaching, Research, And Service Supporting Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- 4. Staff Engagement and Involvement
- 5. Student Support
- 6. Administrative Leadership

A review of this process is attached to this credit as reference (PDF document)

The ESF website includes links to all three climate assessments and to the Living Document (all referenced above).

Per the "STARS Reporting and COVID-19" guidance document, ESF is electing to report upon an assessment conducted within the previous six years. The assessment's methodology is still appropriate for responding to the fields in our 2023 report.

Narrative for the "brief description for how the results are used in shaping policy, programs, and initiatives" and "a brief description of how the assessment results are shared with the campus community" reflects ESF's current (2023) reality and has been updated since the College's 2021 submission.