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Diversity Plan:
2003 - 2005
GOAL I: Climate
USM continuously strives to make the campus a welcoming
climate inclusive in its understanding and integration across
multiple dimensions of diversity, including, but not limited
to, diversity based on race and ethnicity, gender, disability,
sexual orientation, age, gender expression and identity, religion
and class.
- The Office of Campus Diversity & Equity (OCD&E)
will provide campus-wide programming, forums and dialogues
that will address white privilege and internalized oppression.
- The OCD&E will strengthen collaboration with campus
groups. Such groups will include GLBTQA, the Women's Resource
Center and the Office of Intercultural Development.
- The OCD&E will support off-campus community multicultural
events. Examples of support will include financial, advertising
and actively encouraging attendance.
- The Office members will act as internal consultants to
departments and academic units on diversity-related topics.
- The OCD&E will provide educational seminars and consulting
on issues related to the American with Disabilities Act.
- The OCD&E will continue to ensure that USM's job announcements
and job descriptions have inclusive and nondiscriminatory
language, and that USM policies, processes and practices
are inclusive and nondiscriminatory.
GOAL II: Academic Experience
The USM academic experience, which includes both
curricular and co-curricular activities will increasingly
reflect the multiplicity and diversity of communities and
cultures locally, nationally and globally.
- The OCD&E will sponsor forums that focus on multiculturalism
in the curriculum.
- The OCD&E will act as consultants on curriculum issues.
GOAL III: Student Recruitment and Retention
USM strives to increase the diversity of its student
body through active outreach and recruitment. USM increasingly
works to develop structures and mechanisms that support the
retention of all students, particularly students of color
and other underrepresented populations.
- The Office of Campus Diversity & Equity will collaborate
with Admissions and Advising Services on strategies for
the recruitment and retention of students of color.
- The Office will conduct workshops for the Counseling Center
regarding services as they pertain to students of color.
- The Multicultural Center will continue to serve as a catalyst
for creating community for students of color through programming,
cultural activities, celebrations and through collaboration
with affiliated student organizations.
- The Center will continue to play a unique role in the
support of students from marginalized communities and cultures
by exploring critical issues of race, class, ethnicity,
nationality and culture.
- During the next three years, the Multicultural Center
will strive to meet the CAS (Council for the Advancement
of Standards in Higher Education) standards for multicultural
student affairs. These standards include:
- Assess the needs of minority students in selected areas,
set priorities among those needs, and respond to the extent
that the number of students, facilities, and resources
permit;
- Orient minority students to the culture of the institution;
- Assist minority students to determine and assess their
educational goals and academic skills;
- Provide support services to help minority students achieve
educational goals and attain or refine academic skills
necessary to perform adequately in the classroom;
- Promote and deepen each minority student's understanding
of their unique cultures and heritages;
- Provide training in leadership skills and other personal
and social skills for minority students and those seeking
to assist them;
- Offer or identify appropriate minority mentors and role
models;
- Create an improved process for student self-identification;
- Move to a more qualitative approach so as to better
improve services for retention;
- The Office of Campus Diversity and Equity supports USM's
underrepresented students by continuing to address discriminatory
concerns and complaints in a fair and timely manner.
GOAL IV: Faculty and Staff Recruitment and Retention
USM strives to increase the diversity of faculty
and staff, particularly faculty and staff of color, but inclusive
of other underrepresented populations as defined in Goal I.
- Advise search committees regarding EEO/Diversity Plan/Affirmative
Action Guidelines by attending early meetings and remaining
involved with the process until a hire is made and secured.
- The Coordinator of Employee and Community Outreach will
continue to work with other departments of the university
to support underrepresented staff in their departments.
Examples will include luncheons and social events to be
held for Multicultural staff to meet and support each other.
- The Office of Campus Diversity and Equity (OCD&E)
will continue to educate University staff on diversity-related
issues.
- The OCD&E will continue to provide information and
contacts for underrepresented candidates who are brought
to campus for final interviews. This is in the form of receptions
with affinity communities so candidates can assess the social
environment in the Greater Portland community as well as
the campus climate.
- The OCD&E will maintain and increase the database
that is used to locate potential candidates that are from
underrepresented populations attending Ph.D. programs around
the country. This database is the source of direct mailings
to inform candidates of faculty openings at USM.
- The OCD&E in collaboration with the Vice President
for University Advancement will raise funds to continue
the grant money for projects focused on Maine's Multicultural
Heritage. This grant encourages collaboration with USM faculty,
staff and the community.
- The OCD&E supports USM's underrepresented staff and
faculty by continuing to address discriminatory concerns
and complaints in a fair and timely manner.
- The OCD&E will create opportunities for staff professional
development, particularly as it relates to cultural identity.
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