Wells College
PA-4: Diversity and Equity Coordination

The new Director of Campus Life for Diversity and Inclusion began work on July 1, 2016; her task is to l work with the entire Wells campus community to enhance the campus climate regarding issues of cultural diversity and campus inclusion. The Director provides leadership and management of strategic program development and the implementation of diversity efforts that align with the college's mission and goals. Serving as a support person and advocate for underrepresented students through programming, services and advocacy, the Director's primary focus is on supporting the retention and satisfaction of students. The Director collaborates with the Provost and Dean of the College in working directly with faculty; advising affiliated student groups; and designing and facilitating trainings and workshops for faculty, staff and students. The Director also works collaboratively with Admission, faculty, and administration to build and strengthen support networks and to increase and retain representation of historically underrepresented groups. This position also raises awareness for the entire Wells campus community about multicultural and social justice issues through the coordination and implementation of events, workshops and trainings. As a generalist on the Dean of Students staff, the Director assists with general student concerns, discipline, and is part of the on-call team.

Currently, there are several diversity committees active on campus. The President's Committee on Inclusive and Interculture Excellence has as its purpose to develop and implement an updated strategic plan, assessment plan, and annual action plan to increase diversity and equity. Representation on the CIIE includes members from the faculty IIE-OCS committee and the student IIE committee and includes the Director of Campus Life for Diversity and Inclusion.

The Inclusive and Intercultural Excellence and Off-Campus Study Committee (IIEOSC) serves as a vehicle for Faculty action regarding inclusive and intercultural excellence at Wells College, incorporating global and domestic dimensions and their interrelations, by
providing annual workshops for faculty to address diversity in teaching, advising, and community service. Committee responsibilities include creating and implementing a campus-wide Strategic Plan on Inclusive and Intercultural Excellence as it relates to the academic program, providing planning assistance to other Faculty committees, analyzing assessment data, and reviewing current and new off-campus study programs and general off-campus study policies. The committee consists of three members
of the Faculty, one of whom shall serve as chair, and the Director of International Programs. One faculty member of the committee serves as a representative to the President’s Committee on Inclusive and Intercultural Excellence. The IIE-OCS offers cultural competency trainings.

The Student Committee on Inclusive and Intercultural Excellence addresses related student concerns and considers matters of important to the student community. The committee works cooperatively with other diversity groups on campus to foster respect, interculturalism and pluralism with the Wells College community. The Director of Student Life for Diversity and Inclusion serves as the advisor. The committee is comprised of a student representative from each class as well as a representative from each intercultural group including, but not limited to: WISA (Wells International Students Association); POWER (Praising Our Work, Ethnicity and Race); SAGA (Sexuality and Gender Activists); Sex Collective; WRC (Women's Resource Center); and a non-traditional student. The Student IIE holds outreach, awareness-raising and educational events for the student community.

In past years, a subcommittee of Staff Forum, the Staff Committee on Inclusive and Interculture Excellence was convened, but has not been active in recent years.

Per Latesha Fussell, director of Diversity and Inclusion (email 10/18/17):
Another AASHE STARS question, related to A-4: Diversity and Equity Coordination

* Estimated proportion of students that has participated in cultural competence trainings and activities
Most – Through First Year Orientation and Diversity visits through SC100

* Estimated proportion of staff (including administrators) that has participated in cultural competence trainings and activities
Most – Through Staff forum and individual meetings with the President Cabinet

* Estimated proportion of faculty that has participated in cultural competence trainings and activities
Most- Through Day with Faculty

Per the Faculty Handbook: All faculty and all teaching staff will participate in one on-campus diversity workshop per academic year. This professional development will be funded by the Dean and Provost Office as part of supporting faculty excellence in teaching, advising, and community service. The specific workshop will be decided based on faculty input, concerns and/or interests and needs by the IIE&OCS Committee.

In October 2015, the Wells College Scholar-in-Residence program and the Office of the Provost and Dean of the College present "ReStorying Community: Exploring Privilege and Diversity Through Listening and Storytelling," a week-long residency with Almah LaVon Rice and Louis Mitchell. The goal of the residency was, using deep listening and storytelling and sharing opportunities, to support students in developing sustainable relationships with each other within the Wells community and beyond. The residency examined privilege and how to dismantle systems of domination on the intra-communal level, micro level, and community level. One workshop during the residency was for staff and faculty to help them examine their own biases and better support students and their identity-stories.

The Inclusive and Intercultural Excellence and Off-Campus Study Committee has offered several other training activities related to cultural competence and diversity that have been open to all members of the campus community.