The University of Texas at Dallas
PA-6: Assessing Diversity and Equity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.75 / 1.00 |
Gary
Cocke Sustainability Director 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 Spring 2022, UT Dallas launched a partnership with an outside assessment company, Glint, to conduct an Employee Climate Survey. This was the first campus-wide employee climate survey conducted in recent history. The survey was administered to all faculty and staff except research assistants, teaching assistants, graduate assistants, and student employees. The survey instrument developed by Glint included some modifications from the UT Dallas Employee Climate Survey Committee. The committee was chaired by Colleen Dutton, UT Dallas Chief Human Resources Office, and included representation from faculty and staff from various departments and academic units. The survey was sent electronically to employees by Glint and was available in multiple languages. The survey consisted of 43 questions with voluntary demographic questions. Demographic data helps UT Dallas better understand the results and allows the University to look more closely at perceptions of the campus climate from different perspectives, such as stakeholders. Forty questions used a Likert scale (ranging 1 to 5, where 1 is least satisfied to 5 being very satisfied) with an option to type comments for more context. In addition, there were three open-ended questions to provide any additional feedback and insight on any subject not specifically addressed in the survey. The survey results have been analyzed by Glint and posted on the Employee Climate Survey website. Deans and Vice Presidents have received the results and the UT Dallas President received a briefing by the Employee Climate Survey Committee. The Office of Human Resources and Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are working with departmental deans to develop response plans to address areas of opportunity for each unit. The survey is expected to be administered every three years by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The Office of Human Resources will continue to work with Glint to conduct periodic pulse surveys in the interim. A Student Campus Climate Survey committee has formed and will be deploying a similar effort in the 2022-2023 academic year.
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:
53% of staff and faculty participated in the survey. 7,531 comments were provided. The overall engagement score at UT Dallas is 70 out of 100, meaning 7 out of 10 employees are happy to work at UTD and would recommend others to work there. Staff and faculty report that UTD holding diversity as one of its core values encourages them to stay. UTD has made significant progress in building a diverse student body, an inclusive climate, increased LGBTQ resources and anti-racism education through the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement and the Galerstein Gender Center.
The report analytics identify six university strengths:
1. Manager consideration
2. Fair evaluation
3. Fair decisions
4. Caregiving responsibilities
5. Respectful treatment
6. Non-discrimination
Areas that need improvement by corrective measures are:
1. Communication flow
2. Psychological well-being
3. Approachable
4. Consistency
5. Physical well-being
6. Commitment
When the survey is complete, the Employee Climate Survey Committee reviews the findings and recommends corrective action to UTD President Richard C. Benson. Department vice presidents and deans receive a report specific to their school or division, and a public report is posted online. The survey committee then presents at a human resources forum, staff council meeting and the academic senate meeting.
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 PDF link of the full Spring 2022 Diversity and Equity Survey Report Results is posted on the university website.
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.