Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice

DEIJ Strategic Plan

The DEIJ Strategic Plan is comprised of seven key strategies.

Strategy 1 – Establish Key Baseline Metrics and Performance Indicators; Communicate Campus-Wide

Teams: The Office of Educational Effectiveness and Institutional Research, Human Resources, and Enrollment

Administer a campus climate survey every two to three years starting in the 2022-23 academic year
- Following the survey timeline, hold focus groups comprised of faculty, staff, and students (all races and ethnicities) to supplement survey data and gain further and more in-depth understanding of the challenges and opportunities
Gather, analyze and report DEIJ data to campus – this data will inform future DEIJ work
Build and maintain a DEIJ website that contains summaries of key reports – DEIJ website and marketing support
Use data to inform decisions and practices that impact underserved student outcomes in curricular and co-curricular programming (HSI)

Strategy 2 – Recruit, Retain, and Develop a Diverse Community

Team: Enrollment Management and Student Success, Student Affairs, Human Resources, Academic Affairs

Create college pathways for underrepresented Students of Color for college readiness
- Outreach to prospective students of color
- Continue to host InCLUsive Overnight Program
- Spanish translation for all relevant print, online admission, and financial aid materials
- Ensure that admission and financial aid policies and practices are equitable for the entire applicant pool
- Establish a bus scholarship program
- Establish Summer InCLUdes You program
- First Generation Student Support
- Graduate Student Pipeline
Develop a mentoring program for underrepresented students
Increase on-campus student employment opportunities for all students, including those from underrepresented groups
Increase on- and off-campus internship opportunities for students
Strive for employee recruitment, retention and promotion of diverse faculty and staff to reflect the student population
- Create a Traditionally Underserved/Underrepresented Women in Academe (ATUWA) mentoring program
- Review the recruitment and hiring process for adjunct faculty
- Deliver a better New Employee Orientation onboarding program that incorporates our commitments to DEIJ and our institutional values
- Faculty and staff Leadership Development fellowships
- Explore housing support for faculty and staff
- Inclusion of DEIJ contributions in Promotion & Tenure Review
- Continue to support and engage employee affinity groups
Incorporate DEIJ commitment and proficiency in search criteria for all positions

Strategy 3 – Create an Inclusive, Equitable, Culturally Aware and Responsive Campus Climate

Teams: President’s Office, Student Affairs, Human Resources, Academic Affairs

Offer DEIJ training and employee development opportunities
- Complete: Develop anti-bias and equity advocate training for search committee members and other managers
- Ensure that deans and senior administrators participate in professional development opportunities in DEIJ Leadership
- Educate and engage all employees on what it means to be an HSI and create a campus culture where all faculty, administration and staff are aware of and dedicated to fostering the “Serving” part of our HSI designation
Create inclusive physical spaces (Facilities incorporated into Campus Plan)
- Co-locate offices and departments for better coordination and better promotion of student programs and services
  - Improve the space for CCEI Center
- Work with campus leaders to enhance the visual representation of DEIJ/HSI

Prioritize Student Success and Support
- Develop and implement an Intercultural Development Assessment for undergraduate and graduate students
- Complete: Create and publish a resource guide for students of color (D. Hernandez)
- Train Peer Advisors and Mentors on how to support Students of Color

Update policies and emphasize accountability
- Add DEIJ expectations and accountability into the evaluation process for all employees
- Add expectations related to DEIJ into the official ART process and hold faculty accountable for meeting them
- Develop a robust Incident Reporting System and implement an awareness campaign about its existence and how to use it
- Revise the Student Handbook in ways that address expectations about DEIJ
- Revise the Faculty Handbook in ways that include expectations about DEIJ

Recognize and celebrate employee engagement and achievements
- Incorporate DEIJ contributions into Recognition Awards

Strategy 4 – Develop and Maintain Innovative and Inclusive Curriculum and Pedagogy

Team: Academic Affairs

Use curriculum assessment to guide innovative and inclusive curriculum and pedagogy
Increase belonging, social transformation, and inclusive teaching by leveraging CHESS program and concepts
Increase DEIJ responsive course syllabus as indicated by DEIJ Curriculum Committee
Increase faculty attendance, participation, and development around DEIJ
Provide further support for STEM Summer Institute - DEIJ faculty development focus
Establish Professional Network and Recognition for distinguished career for DEIJ

Strategy 5 – Make an Ongoing Financial Commitment to DEIJ

Teams: President’s Office; Talent, Culture, and Diversity, Advancement

Continue to identify DEIJ programs and services as fundraising themes around which the development team and the University President will solicit gifts and grants such as Campus DEIJ Mini-Grants and the Student Equity and Inclusion Fund
Establish an ongoing operational DEIJ budget in the division of Talent, Culture, and Diversity. This budget line will be used to institutionalize the University’s commitment to DEIJ work
Identify funds and administer, on an annual basis, a campus DEIJ Mini-Grant program

Strategy 6 – Build Community Partnership Around DEIJ

Team: University Advancement

Grow Community Scholars for Black Lives Fellowship Program – more broadly report its impact
Support ASCENSO
Enhance and better promote CalLu STEAM
Develop strategic partnerships with equity organizations and HSIs for knowledge sharing and program development to better support underserved students
Increase visibility and reputation of Cal Lutheran as an HSI to the communities we serve
Strategically reach out to alumni groups who may be interested in funding HSI programs and initiatives

Strategy 7 – Craft a Comprehensive Athletics DEIJ Plan

deij@CalLutheran.edu

Report an Incident Submit Feedback

Executive Summary

Planning Process and Community Engagement

Cal Lutheran’s inaugural Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) spent much of her first year on a listening and learning tour. She met with faculty and staff from all the affinity groups, leaders from many of the student cultural groups, staff from the Center for Global Engagement, and many others across campus. She then used what she had heard and seen from that assessment to craft the first draft of a DEIJ Strategic Plan.

The CDO shared ‘draft one’ with the DEIJ Core Team, and they offered feedback and counsel that produced the next version of that plan. That second draft was shared with the Cabinet who, in turn, shared it with their respective leadership teams for feedback and buy-in. That feedback was incorporated into the third draft. The third draft was then shared with the Faculty Senate as well as the Staff Senate for their feedback and buy-in. Again, feedback was incorporated and reflected below.

DEIJ Infographic

Assessment and Accountability

The DEIJ Plan includes metrics and a reporting system with a scorecard to keep track of progress. Additionally, an annual diversity report with student, staff, and faculty demographic data will be shared with campus.

Under the guidance and leadership of the Cabinet and President’s Equity Council, we will use the following metrics and reporting systems to hold ourselves accountable for implementing the above strategies:

Progress on plan of action steps and initiatives, scorecard
○ Satisfaction survey of institutional commitment
President and CDO report to Board of Regents on the progress of the DEIJ Plan
Monitor and report out on student admission, access, and retention
Deans and administrative leaders report on DEIJ Plan progress during annual budget process

Leaders, faculty, and staff report on DEIJ activity as part of their regular job evaluations

Create an annual snapshot of hiring, retention, and promotion data to clearly delineate employment trends – publish on DEIJ website
Create an annual snapshot of student enrollment, student success and graduation with disaggregated data – publish on DEIJ website
Share high-level findings of all the above with the Board of Regents and campus community

Modeling the Way

Cabinet and members of the President’s Equity Council are expected to model support of the DEIJ Commitment which reads as follows:

Aligned with our University mission, the faculty and staff at Cal Lutheran are called and empowered to challenge barriers that limit human potential as we prepare students to lead a life of meaning and purpose in pursuit of socially-just communities.

Cabinet and members of the President’s Equity Council are expected to develop a sophisticated understanding of the following key concepts and use these concepts as a lens to make decisions around policies, practices, programs and services.

Diversity

Diversity at California Lutheran University refers to the differences that individuals and groups bring to the community as we contribute our own unique gifts. Diversity comes in the form of intersectional identities related to race, ethnicity, national origin, age, religious beliefs, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, physical characteristics, and being differently abled. Diversity also comes from the differences in thought and perspective that are associated with lived experiences.

Equity

Equity at California Lutheran University means providing students, faculty and staff with specific opportunities, access, and resources to reach their full potential. Equity acknowledges that each of our starting points to and paths through Cal Lutheran are different. Therefore, equity means we commit to supporting individuals and programs with what they need now to succeed here. This support varies from person to person and from program to program. As such, equity is not synonymous with equality.

Inclusion

Inclusion at Cal Lutheran goes beyond being invited into the community. It means creating the space for everyone to fully participate and engage in the community. As such, it necessitates the creation of structures and systems that foster genuine belonging and connections, including those inside and outside the classroom.

Justice

Justice at Cal Lutheran is putting into practice diversity, equity, and inclusion concepts as we transform institutional practices, policies, and norms. Justice is achieved by embodying our Lutheran values, confronting challenging issues, examining biases, and dismantling structural and systemic barriers. We model justice so that Cal Lutheran students may go on to become what our mission describes: leaders for a global society who are strong in character and judgment, confident in their identity and vocation, and committed to service and justice.