I

College-Wide Vision

Explicitly acknowledge the centrality of a commitment to diversity in every one of the new Strategic Planning Priorities for the college. Ideally, each of these priorities should include specific proposals that make clear how they will contribute to the diversity goals of the college (and vice versa). Diversity must not be separated from or set in competition with any of the Strategic Priorities.

Include an articulation of commitment to diversity within the Smith College Mission Statement, drawing upon the Common Ground Diversity Principles and Goals.

Build a component of evaluating contributions toward diversity principles and goals into the process of college evaluations of budget requests, program planning, course development, and performance reviews.

II

Campus Initiatives

Plan for a campus-wide Disability Access Review of all campus buildings and programs, to enable effective planning for the future, in order to provide an accessible, inclusive, and equitable educational and work environment that supports excellence, personal growth, and high achievement for all students, staff, and faculty, including those with disabilities, and that values their unique contributions to the classroom, the Smith community, and society.

Provide funding for a Coordinator to support the new Resource Center for Sexuality and Gender.

Encourage the use of the Campus Climate Open Forum (formerly the Campus Climate Working Group) to foster difficult dialogues on diversity matters across the campus community.

III

Faculty Initiatives

Develop and fund specific initiatives to increase the hiring and retention of faculty of color across departments and programs, with a commitment of additional resources. Reliance upon traditional hiring processes and budgets is not sufficient to meet the urgent need for building and retaining excellence that includes diversity among the faculty at this time.

Offer pedagogical workshops on “Ways of Learning,” to support faculty in encouraging the effective engagement of students from diverse backgrounds in the classroom.

Offer interdisciplinary faculty reading groups and a speaker series on “The Cutting Edge,” to support faculty from different departments in identifying intellectual common ground and finding academic community through the process of engaging with cutting-edge scholarship.

IV

Staff Initiatives

Develop and fund specific initiatives to enhance the recruitment, retention and career development of staff from underrepresented groups across the college. Particular opportunities for professional development should be made available to staff engaged in outreach to underrepresented groups on campus or in the larger community, in recognition of the fact that supporting access to excellence sometimes extends beyond traditional job descriptions.

Create a “community in diversity day” -- along the lines of the programs on other campuses such as the Brown University Diversity Day – supporting staff development and recognition around daily matters of diversity.

Develop opportunities for staff from all areas and departments to come together for training and conversations that explore critical intersections between excellence and diversity.

V

Student Initiatives

Develop and fund specific initiatives to support “difficult dialogues” with civil discourse for all students. “Diversity Matters” dialogues should be offered through the student residential life system, among other venues, in order to strengthen communication within house communities. Support and training should also be provided for faculty members who wish to facilitate civil discourse on difficult matters within the classroom context.

Develop additional opportunities to connect student organizations for underrepresented groups with alumnae, in order to explore professional development opportunities and models for lifetime success.

Expand service learning opportunities for students to volunteer in local communities in conjunction with classes or special studies for academic credit.