Clark is committed to fostering a campus community that is equitable, diverse, and inclusive. We are taking numerous steps to support students, faculty, and staff in these areas, including increasing funding and financial assistance for students from underrepresented groups, bolstering recruiting efforts to increase diversity on campus, and hiring faculty and staff from a broad range of backgrounds that include historically underrepresented candidates.
The Action Item has been fully implemented.
The Action Item is being worked on, with the goal of completion.
The Action Item is part of Clark’s continuous work.
General
Action Item: Build connections outside of Clark to support DEI efforts
Clark leadership will connect with organizations outside of Clark to work toward common goals around diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Action Item: Develop and support mentorship and leadership opportunities for faculty, staff, and students of color
Create mentorship and leadership development program opportunities for faculty, staff, and students of color and support such leadership opportunities at Clark and in the community.
Action Item: Search for new chief officer of diversity, equity, and inclusion
Search for and hire a new chief officer of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Students
Action Item: Develop and enhance recruitment programs to attract and support diverse undergraduate students
The Admissions Office will develop and enhance recruitment programs to attract and support a wider pool of diverse undergraduate students.
Action Item: Increase visibility of student supports on Dean of Students website
On its website, the Dean of Students Office will provide more information about student resources, ensuring that faculty, staff, and students better understand how students’ unique needs can be met.
Action Item: Address food security issues within the student community
Develop programs to address food security issues within the Clark student community.
Action Item: Review and enhance graduate student recruitment efforts around DEI
Develop initiatives and partnerships to recruit and admit a more diverse population of graduate students.
Action Item: Devote more staff and resources to student programming
Through the Student Affairs Office, increase student programming and events so that students can connect better with each other and the campus community.
Action Item: Increase student life programming during the pandemic
Increase student life programming so that students stay better connected to each other during the pandemic.
Action Item: Appoint liaison between Athletics and Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Establish a relationship between Clark Athletics and Recreation and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI).
Action Item: Improve counseling programs to better serve marginalized students
Improve programs and supports to better serve the mental health needs of marginalized students.
Action Item: Add counseling staff to better serve marginalized students
Add staffing to the Center for Counseling and Personal Growth (CPG) to better serve marginalized students.
Action Item: Increase funding for first-gen, low-income undergraduate students
Increase funding and opportunities for undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds, including first-generation and low-income students.
Action Item: Hire Undergraduate Admissions staff to increase student diversity
Hire Undergraduate Admissions staff to aid in the work of ensuring a strong pool that includes historically underrepresented candidates.
Action Item: Develop supports for LGBTQIA+ students in MFGSS
The Office of Multicultural and First Generation Student Support will develop supports for LGBTQIA+ students.
Action Item: Hire new director of multicultural and first generation student support
Hire a new director of the Office of Multicultural and First Generation Student Support (MFGSS).
Action Item: Update Clark Athletics and Recreation’s DEI mission statement
Update the Clark Athletics and Recreation’s diversity, equity, and inclusion mission statement.
Action Item: Form Clark Athletics DEI Committee
Create a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee within Clark Athletics and Recreation.
Action Item: Hire assistant dean for equity and student success
Create and fill a new leadership position, assistant dean for equity and student success, within the Dean of Students division.
Action Item: Increase visibility of DEI on Athletics and Recreation website
Enhance the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) presence on the Clark Athletics and Recreation website.
Action Item: Implement Athletics and Recreation team-specific DEI policies
Implement Athletics and Recreation team-specific diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and contracts.
Action Item: Create Athletics inclusion coalition led by students
Partnering with students, Clark Athletics and Recreation will establish a student-led inclusion coalition.
Action Item: Add staff to recruit more diverse graduate students
Add and develop staff to aid in the work of recruiting more prospective graduate students from diverse backgrounds.
Action Item: Increase financial assistance for underrepresented graduate students
Offer additional financial assistance to graduate students from underrepresented groups, including those from more difficult socioeconomic backgrounds.
Employees
Action Item: Recognize Juneteenth as a paid holiday
Recognize Juneteenth, which celebrates the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States, as a paid holiday for Clark employees.
Action Item: Hire an independent ombudsperson
In response to staff requests, hire an independent ombudsperson to support employees.
Action Item: Hire more diverse faculty and staff
Develop a plan and process to recruit and hire more diverse faculty and staff.
Alumni
Develop connections with alumni groups to support DEI efforts
Leadership will work with the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Clark Alumni Council to support the University’s efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Action Item: Create affinity group for LGBTQIA+ alumni
Create an affinity group to bring together LGBTQIA+ alumni of Clark University.
Action Item: Create affinity group for Black alumni
Create an affinity group to bring together Black alumni of Clark University.
Action Item: Establish Alumni Council committee for DEI work
Establish a standing committee on the Alumni Council related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work.
Programming and Events
Action Item: Support more events and programming focused on DEI issues
The campus will increase the number of events and programming focused on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, including inviting guests to present lectures, discussions, and performances throughout the year.
Action Item: Hold Difficult Dialogues on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Center for Gender, Race, and Area Studies will relaunch Clark’s Difficult Dialogues series, a space for the campus to explore all sides of, and hold face-to-face conversations about, current, often divisive, topics. Going forward, the series will focus on, and be renamed, Difficult Dialogues on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Action Item: Institute Multicultural and First-Generation Student Graduation Ceremony
Institute a Multicultural and First-Generation Student Graduation Ceremony to honor and recognize graduating seniors.
Action Item: Institute Lavender Celebration for graduating seniors
Institute an end-of-the-year Lavender Celebration honoring the achievements and contributions of graduating seniors who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Action Item: Institutionalize and hold annual MLK Day-related programming
Clark will institutionalize and hold programming each year for Martin Luther King Day in January.