Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, 2020-2025

Strategy and Communications

Student data and profile

• 1. Investigate if the GEC can obtain data on the following communities (for the purposes of tracking involvement in global engagement):
  • First-generation college student
  • Citizenship/DACA
  • First-generation U.S.
  • LGTBQIA
  • Gender (beyond “legal” definition of sex)
  • Ability/disability – registered with disability services
  • Mental/physical health or chronic disease/disorder
  • Military service/background
  • Religious affiliation
  • First language of families
    The GEC has been able to obtain data for first-generation college students, religious affiliation and military service/background. The remaining data fields were determined to either contain sensitive private data that would not be shared with the GEC or to not be collected by Elon.
• 2. On an annual basis, generate a report that outlines the participation of students with financial need by program type and term.
• 3. On an annual basis, generate a report that outlines the racial/ethnic breakdown of students by program type and term.

Strategy and Leadership

• 4. By 2025, the percentage of students who participate in Study Abroad and Study USA programs will equal or exceed the percentage of students enrolled across each racial/ethnic group on campus.
• 5. Collect data on the demographic diversity of faculty/staff teaching on faculty-led programs and Center programs, as well as faculty/staff travelers who join global engagement programs.
• 6. Collect and analyze the demographic diversity data of faculty/staff who express interest/apply to lead programs vis-a-vis faculty/staff who actually lead global engagement programs.
• 7. Identify if there are any demographic correlations between the social identity of program leaders vis-a-vis the social identities of student participants. (For example, is there a higher participation rate of students of color on a program facilitated by a program leader of color?)

Communications and Partnerships

• 8. Revise identity-based resources on the GEC website.
• 9. Create an intentional process for highlighting the stories of students from underserved communities on the GEC website and social media platforms.
• 10. Develop an outreach strategy for families of underserved students.
• 11. Develop a timeline to audit identity-based resources on the GEC website.
• 12. Ensure all video, photos, social media, and website meet all ADA requirements.
• 13. On an annual basis, assess the impact of outreach initiatives by way of focus groups and surveys across different stakeholders.
• 14. Identify identity-based student organizations on campus and create a plan to initiate contact by Spring 2021.
• 15. Increase training for Global Ambassadors and front desk student staff around underserved populations and identity-based issues and consider adding a DEI element to Global Ambassador Program.
• 16. Each global engagement advisor implements one outreach event (at minimum) to an underserved student community each academic year.
• 17. Determine and build a communication strategy specific to underserved populations — including developing identity-based resources for specific units (Elon’s Inclusive Community and the Office of Financial Planning).
• 18. Determine a strategy for building meaningful allyships with majority students and inviting them to participate in DEI work.

Operations

Professional Development and Training – GEC Staff

• 19. On an annual basis, the GEC will review health and safety issues affecting diverse populations using a flipped classroom model. Review and update appropriate response plan for critical and bias incidents and share updated resources.
• 20. Once a year, the GEC will hold a review of terminologies, vocabulary, resources and emerging topics in relation to different diverse populations and share updated resources.
• 21. Complete the IDI as a staff and participate in the group debrief twice within a five-year period.
  The GEC completed an IDI group debrief in January 2022. The GEC anticipates completing their second IDI group debrief by 2025.
• 22. At least once a semester, the GEC will provide opportunities for its staff members to deepen their knowledge of historically minoritized communities and models/theoretical frameworks related to diversity, equity, inclusion and intercultural development. Update a list of resources and opportunities offered at Elon.
• 23. Supervisors are expected to engage with the diversity and inclusion element of the annual performance appraisal as a mechanism for continuous growth of their supervisees.
• 24. Infuse responsibility for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the Global Engagement Team.

Professional Development and Training – Program Leaders and Center Directors

• 25. Establish a community of practice for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Global Engagement.
• 26. Ask faculty members during the proposal process to describe ways in which they have developed or implemented inclusive practices in their teaching and mentorship.
• 27. Create a mechanism for program leaders and Center directors to share an intended growth plan for diversity and inclusion.
• 28. Standardize assessment and debriefing of faculty members across program types upon return that covers identity-based issues on global engagement programs.

Assessment and Evaluation

• 29. Once a month, the Global Engagement team will review a specific quantitative or qualitative data point related to access, diversity, equity and inclusion in global engagement or the broader Elon community. Staff will rotate to facilitate team discussion.
• 30. The GEC will create an avenue to gather more qualitative information about student identity & experiences during time abroad that informs our practices as an office – for example, host focus groups of returned global engagement participants twice yearly (one for semester global engagement participants and one for short-term program participants).
• 31. Develop a process for reviewing return evaluations and implement a strategy to enhance advising practices based on data.
• 32. Assess the categorization of different types of withdrawals within TDS and ensure that the GEC has a standard process. If not, create a process to ensure the retention of clean data across all program types.
• 33. Develop a process to analyze program withdrawal reports, with an emphasis on identifying trends among underserved populations.

Organizational Operations

• 34. Create proactive, written protocols for identity-based incidents and concerns, which includes a step-by-step process.
• 35. Establish understanding of institutional protocol for faculty leaders abroad and improve communication strategy for appropriate action steps to take when a student encounters/reports an identity-based situation. Additionally, all GEC staff should also be well prepared and equipped to respond to various incidents.
• 36. Each advisor identifies one affiliate/exchange partner per year to assess their identity-based resources. The information will be shared with GEC and store in a shared, accessible location.
• 37. Annually ask our affiliate/exchange partners for their written plan on how they define and respond to identity-based incidents on global engagement programs. Share this information with GEC and store in a shared, accessible location.
• 38. Assess our partners’ written policies for identity-based incidents and share Elon’s expectations for incident reporting.
• 39. Establish an official process for inquiring if all partners can accommodate students with disabilities (all types), both for evaluating new partnerships and assessing existing partnerships.
  • Create a plan of action based on program type and partner relationship.
  • Create a checklist of what accommodations can be easily provided and what are more difficult to accommodate.
  • Work with Disabilities Resources to make a list of the most common accommodations here on campus.
• 40. Evaluate the process for transgender or questioning students to explore transparent housing options early in the process and to protect student privacy.  The GEC will update and implement changes as needed.
• 41. Find model/aspirant universities who have created successful best practices within diversity, equity and inclusion in global engagement.
• 42. Every summer the GEC will ask an institution/provider that is leading the field in these practices to meet virtually or in person with the GEC staff. The GEC will maintain a written record of each meeting as a method to retain and share knowledge.

Academics and Student Success

Curricular and Co-Curricular Activities

• 43. Develop a strategy for analyzing demographic data on program leaders/Center directors and implement plans/recommendations for more inclusive recruitment.
• 44. Assess the percentage of short-term programs in non-Eurocentric locations over the last five years and make a recommendation for a target percentage to achieve each year.
• 45. Increase the number of short-term programs with a focus on diversity and/or historically minoritized communities in Eurocentric locations (e.g. Multiculturalism in London, Black in Paris).
• 46. Re-examine the proposal process for new programs and the review process for existing courses for better inclusive practice and pedagogy (e.g. Universal Design, inclusive pedagogy, environmental impact of programs, impact on local communities).
• 47. Develop and implement resources, tools and workshops (for example, inclusive pedagogy or Universal Design) for program leaders/Center Directors who teach global engagement programs, with a focus on leveraging the expertise of the Elon community.

Advising and Student Support

• 48. Embed identity-based resources into appointment scheduling process.
• 49. Create a guide for identity-specific information that advisors or affiliates should share at site-specific pre-departure orientations.
• 50. Analyze our current touch points with students before, during, and after their global engagement experience from an inclusive lens and evaluate how the GEC can enhance identity-specific information and resources shared with students.Examine outreach strategies and how advising entry points are supporting underserved populations (e.g. rework Quick Questions, host program-specific info sessions, require first-time appointments with Global Ambassadors, host course-planning workshops, etc.). Create a post-decision questionnaire in MyElonGlobal that allows students to disclose anything they feel is relevant about their identity (e.g. including identity-specific prompts: racial/ethnic background, religion, disabilities/accommodations, etc.).
• 51. Request an environmental scan of our space (Global Commons 360) by the CREDE (and ALANAM students), GLC (and LGBTQIA students), and international students with a plan to implement recommendations.
• 52. Assess and expand re-entry programming for marginalized students.