DEIB Staff & Faculty Resources

The Presidential Commission on Racism, Bias, and Community Safety identified four recommendations prioritized in order of importance.

1. Develop, promote, and support truth and reconciliation.

2. Develop, promote, and support research, teaching, and learning that advance antiracist scholarship, pedagogy, and culture.

3. Develop, promote, and support University-wide onboarding, mentorship, auditing, and continuing development of students, staff, faculty, and administrative leadership in equitable and inclusive practices and procedures.

4. Develop, promote, and support accountability in implementing and sustaining an equitable and inclusive campus culture.

College leadership, with input from a College Recruiting and Hiring Working Group, has developed a standard diversity statement to be placed in all full-time job postings for HHD. Individual committees may add to this statement.

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusive excellence that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusive excellence as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.

Learn more about how we hire with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging in Mind by reviewing our policies and procedures as well as recommended college practices.

New Faculty Orientation

All new faculty are invited to participate in real-time training with the University Affirmative Action Office (AAO) professional development coordinator, Dr. Shakoor Ward, to explore learning opportunities in the area of diversity, equity, inclusion, and bias, and to provide strategies for practical use to new faculty.

BUILD Pilot

The college is excited to be partnering with various University offices to pilot the new University DEIB training program: Broadening Understanding and Inclusion through Learning and Dialog (BUILD). As announced in Penn State Today, the pilot program will run from May 16 through July 8, 2022. Five percent of employees within each of the pilot units have been randomly selected to participate.

College Leadership

The College of Health and Human Development is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion training to grow the leadership skillset of faculty and staff in support of this important work. In addition to an ongoing dialog within their departments, each unit leader is expected to commit to continuous growth, learning, and self-reflection as individuals and leaders within the college. In the area of goal setting, all unit leaders in the college were asked to specify at least one unit-level diversity, equity, and inclusion goal, as well as a personal goal in this space.

Faculty Pathway and Senior Faculty Mentors

Faculty Pathway and Senior Faculty Mentors is an Educational Equity Resource for support, professional development, and career Advancement. The Faculty Pathway website has additional information related to the program, which includes, a faculty toolkit for professional development and advancement, multicultural faculty development support funds, the Midcareer Faculty Advancement Program (MFAP): 3-Year Pilot, and resources for inclusive classrooms.

In the area of goal setting, all unit leaders in the college are asked to specify at least one unit-level diversity, equity, and inclusion goal, as well as a personal goal in this space.

All faculty and staff are asked to consider setting at least one diversity, equity, and inclusion goal on a voluntary basis for the current review cycle. This is now a required part of the annual goal setting process.

Staff

 All staff in the college are asked to set a goal in furtherance of the college strategic plan goal of expanding, diversifying, and supporting our community.

All staff performance reviews are completed in Workday. In addition to individual and organizational goals set in collaboration with individual managers, all staff will see the college cascading goal in their goal setting module and are asked to identify activities to advance this goal.

Goal added to Workday

Goal: Demonstrate support for the college strategic goal to expand, diversify, and support our community by identifying and carrying out one or more actions that contribute to support diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging.

Description: Support for diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging is demonstrated by:

• Committing to understand the University and college goals related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and identifying ways that your work impacts the success of these goals.
• Engaging in activities that promote collaboration, knowledge sharing and mentoring, physical and emotional well-being, and improving workplace relationships and culture in both remote and on-site settings.
• Finding opportunities to learn and grow the skills necessary to become culturally competent through accepting feedback, listening to the perspectives of others, and/or participating in trainings.
• Welcoming ideas that are different than your own and supporting team members with varying views when working through tasks and projects.
• Supporting HHD’s culture by actively participating in committees, professional development opportunities, and events that highlight our aspiration to be an organization rooted in the belief that it is the little things that matter.

Faculty

In line with the goals of the HHD Strategic Plan, all faculty are asked to incorporate a diversity, equity, and inclusion goal in their goal setting. This can be accomplished through goal setting in teaching, research, service, or a combination of domains.

Resources

Not sure where to begin? Utilize these ideas and resources:

• University Office of Educational Equity - SharePoint site
• Office of Education Equity - page
• Resources for Inclusive Classrooms provided by the Office of Educational Equity
• Affirmative Action Office
• LinkedIn Learning
• Graduate School Diversity Office
• Action Together – Advancing Diversity Equity and Inclusion site
• Student Affairs
• Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence

So many of our faculty and staff will find their own creative ways to set goals in this space, so you are encouraged to talk to your colleagues, your unit DEI committees, Faculty Senators, Staff Advisory Council members, and supervisors about the ways they are taking responsibility for this important work.

• The Office for Graduate Educational Equity Programs leads the Graduate School’s efforts to foster diversity and provide a welcoming climate for both prospective and current graduate students of underrepresented groups.

• The Affirmative Action Office serves as a resource in promoting and furthering the University’s commitment to equal opportunity and diversity.

• The Forum on Black Affairs is comprised of faculty, staff, and graduate students dedicated to ensuring that all Black persons at Penn State participate fully in and benefit from the mission of the University.

• The Guide to Administrative Offices in HHD provides an overview of the different units and their functions within the college. This is an excellent tool to foster collaboration and build a community of belonging.