| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 83.12 |
| Liaison | Patrick McKee |
| Submission Date | Nov. 16, 2023 |
University of Connecticut
PA-6: Assessing Diversity and Equity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Patrick
McKee Senior Sustainability Program Manager Office of 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:
In 2018, the University of Connecticut became a member of the SERU Consortium, a global initiative to promote higher education research among undergraduate and graduate student populations. SERU is run through a partnership between the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Minnesota. SERU membership allows for more accurately targeted research and aids in policy adaptation to meet the needs drawn from data that is received. The SERU survey addresses issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion at length, among other markers used to gauge the student experience. The SERU survey is administered to graduate and undergraduate students in alternating years, beginning in 2019. This schedule was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, during which a modified version of the survey was administered to all students. This modified survey focused specifically on experiences related to the changes in University operations related to the pandemic. Normal survey procedures have resumed as of 2023. The SERU survey is administered online through the Office of Budget, Planning, and Institutional Research. Participation in the survey is incentivized in multiple ways, most recently through gift card drawings.
While the entire survey may not be shared due to SERU guidelines, sample questions of the survey include:
Q30: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about your current graduate/professional program? (Strongly disagree, disagree, agree, strongly agree, no response)
•Faculty respect students regardless of their background.
•Students respect other students regardless of their background.
•Rules and regulations are fair.
•Rules and regulations are equitably applied.
•Faculty encourage expression of diverse viewpoints from their students.
•There are open lines of communication between students and faculty regarding student needs, concerns, and suggestions.
•Students are given an active role in departmental decisions that affect them.
•There is a sense of solidarity among the students.
•Overall, the environment or climate is positive and welcoming.
Q32. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about your current graduate/professional program? (Strongly disagree, disagree, agree, strongly agree, no response)
•The climate for women in my program/department is at least as good as it is for men.
•The climate for men in my program/department is at least as good as it is for women.
•The climate for transgender/ genderqueer/ gender non-conforming students in my program/department is at least as good as it is for cisgender2 students.
•The climate for LGB+ students in my program/department is at least as good as it is for heterosexual students.
•The climate for racial/ethnic minority students in my program/department is at least as good as it is for nonminority students.
•The climate for international students in my program/department is at least as good as it is for domestic students
•The climate for students with disabilities in my program/department is at least as good as it is for students without disabilities.
•The climate for religious minority students in my program/department is at least as good as it is for non-religious minority students.
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:
Results of the SERU survey are used by University leadership to inform decision-making across the institution. For example, the Institutional Research unit recently used the results to investigate whether transfer students have different experiences than other students at UConn’s main campus. The Office of the Provost is currently using SERU data to understand which engagement variables may help explain racial differences in certain outcomes. The Assessment unit with Student Affairs will soon use the results to investigate non-academic factors that influence students’ academic success and graduation rates.
As it pertains to diversity, equity, and inclusion, the following Performance Indicators from the 2021 SERU Survey revealed the following conclusions regarding “Climate for Diversity”. The following data indicates percentages of students who responded that they “Somewhat Agree”, “Agree”, or “Strongly Agree” to the prompt “Please indicate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements in terms of yourself.”:
•Students of my race/ethnicity are respected at this university – 86%
•Students of my socio-economic status are respected at this university – 89%
•Students of my gender are respected at this university – 89%
•Students of my religious beliefs are respected at this university – 92%
•Students of my political beliefs are respected at this university – 87%
•Students of my sexual orientation are respected at this university – 95%
•Students of my immigration background are respected at this university – 89%
•Students with a disability or condition like mine are respected at this university – 85%
In addition The University of Connecticut Professional Employees Association (UCPEA) representing 44% of UConn employees conducted an anonymous engagement survey in December 2022 - January 2023 to gain feedback on the following topics: job satisfaction, safety, well being, professional development, opportunities, harassment, discrimination, microaggressions, salary, retention, comp time, telecommuting, access to resources. The results will be used by the union to further support its members in matters related to the aforementioned topics.
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:
A complete report of the Student Experience in the Research University Survey, including the survey results and an overview of respondents can be found at https://bpir.uconn.edu/home/institutional-research/seru/ug2021/. This report is publicly available for any user both within and outside of the UConn community.
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:
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.