Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 54.78
Liaison Christa Rieck
Submission Date Jan. 3, 2024

STARS v2.2

University of Houston
PA-6: Assessing Diversity and Equity

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.75 / 1.00 Elizabeth Clark
Sustainability Coordinator
Facilities Planning
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Has the institution engaged in a structured assessment process during the previous three years to improve diversity, equity and inclusion on campus?:
Yes

A brief description of the assessment process and the framework, scorecard(s) and/or tool(s) used:

As one of the most diverse Universities in the Nation, The University of Houston embraces diversity and recognizes our responsibility to foster an open, welcoming environment where students, faculty and staff of all backgrounds can collaboratively learn, work and serve.

Every year Institutional Research audits the demographics of the university and reports these data in the Statistical Handbook. Data on residency, ethnicity, gender, immigration, and socioeconomic status are all recorded. This document can be viewed by college, department, university, or employment status. With the available data, IR is able to produce trends of equity and diversity over 5 year periods.

This information, together with the department of Equal Opportunity Services and Affirmative Action provides a representative picture of diversity and equity on campus and powerful tools to shape policy through the Faculty Senate/Staff Council.

http://www.uh.edu/ir/reports/statistical-handbook/


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?:
No

Does the assessment process address student outcomes related to diversity, equity and success?:
Yes

Does the assessment process address employee outcomes related to diversity and equity?:
Yes

A brief description of the most recent assessment findings and how the results are used in shaping policy, programs, and initiatives:

The university developed an official diversity statement to embrace diversity and recognizes our responsibility to foster an open, welcoming environment where students, faculty and staff of all backgrounds can collaboratively learn. However, after the adoption of Senate Bill 17, conversations around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion have been censored at public institutions of higher education, and this statement has been removed from the University's web page.

In an effort to understand the scope and nature of inclusion on its campuses, the University of Houston System participated in a Campus Climate Survey conducted by Keeling and Associates in 2016. The anonymous, online survey assessed campus' perceptions, behaviors, attitudes and experiences with regard to inclusion, whether on or off campus.


Are the results of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment shared with the campus community?:
Yes

A brief description of how the assessment results are shared with the campus community:

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion hosted several diversity conferences on campus including: Ceceilyn Miller Institute on-campus diversity conference for undergraduate and graduate, Diversity Symposium, and speaker series.


Are the results (or a summary of the results) of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment publicly posted?:
Yes

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:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

NOTE: The programs and departments described in this credit were active during FY23, but are in the process of reorganization due to Texas Senate Bill 17, which mandated the closure of DEI services in public institutions of higher education. A new Center for Student Advocacy and Community has been created to fill the gap of some of the offices (such as LGBTQ or Women & Gender offices), providing resources for ALL student and staff identities.

Staff Council Committee: https://uh.edu/staff-council/diversity_equity_inclusion/
Training Programs: http://www.uh.edu/legal-affairs/equal-opportunity/request-training/types-of-training/index.php
LGBT Resource Center: http://www.uh.edu/lgbt/index.html
CAPS Webpage: http://www.uh.edu/caps/outreach/diversity_institute.html
The Women and Gender Resource Center: http://www.uh.edu/wgrc/


NOTE: The programs and departments described in this credit were active during FY23, but are in the process of reorganization due to Texas Senate Bill 17, which mandated the closure of DEI services in public institutions of higher education. A new Center for Student Advocacy and Community has been created to fill the gap of some of the offices (such as LGBTQ or Women & Gender offices), providing resources for ALL student and staff identities.

Staff Council Committee: https://uh.edu/staff-council/diversity_equity_inclusion/
Training Programs: http://www.uh.edu/legal-affairs/equal-opportunity/request-training/types-of-training/index.php
LGBT Resource Center: http://www.uh.edu/lgbt/index.html
CAPS Webpage: http://www.uh.edu/caps/outreach/diversity_institute.html
The Women and Gender Resource Center: http://www.uh.edu/wgrc/

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.