Systemwide Strategic Diversity Plan
2006 - 2010
Recommended Goals and Strategies for 2006 - 2010
This comprehensive systemwide diversity plan is designed to help the colleges and universities "find ways to enroll and graduate many more students from populations historically underserved by higher education."
System Strategic Direction 1: Increase access and opportunity
Diversity Goal 1.1
Increase the number of underrepresented and underserved students who enroll at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities institutions.
Institutional Strategies
- In consultation with the Office of the Chancellor, each institution will establish its own goals for increasing the number of underrepresented and underserved students.
- Each institution will implement or improve current programs designed to increase the enrollment of students from underserved groups and measure the effectiveness of those programs.
- A select number of institutions will pilot high-contact recruitment models for recruiting underrepresented and underserved students.
Office of the Chancellor Strategies
- Disseminating information regarding admissions, financial assistance and opportunities at the system's colleges and universities using local communities of color, social service agencies, spiritual-based institutions and other organizations.
- Provide professional development opportunities for recruiters, financial aid officers, advisors and admission officers to develop specific and appropriate cultural competency skills.
- Facilitate regional focus groups with students, parents and community members to discuss the issues of access and success[1] of various groups to higher education.
- Encourage and support colleges and universities to work with local elementary and secondary education providers to increase the pool of college prepared students.
Diversity Goal 1.2
Increase the success rate of underrepresented and underserved students at the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities institutions.
Institutional Strategies
- Increments and timetables for improving the success of underrepresented students will be established by each institution.
- Each institution will establish objectives, with measurable outcomes, to annually assess the effectiveness of programs designed to retain and graduate underrepresented and underserved students.
- Each institution will provide professional development opportunities for counselors and academic advisors to demonstrate proficiency in appropriate cultural competency skills.
- Each institution will provide anti-racism and other appropriate anti-discrimination training to faculty, staff and students.
Office of the Chancellor Strategies
- Increase and enhance collaborative efforts with local school districts to increase the number of underrepresented and underserved students who are academically prepared for enrollment and success at the colleges and universities. Each institution will be expected to have ____ such programs in place by 2009.
- The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system will reaffirm its definition of student success.
- Provide anti-racism and other appropriate anti-discrimination training to the employees of the Office of the Chancellor.
Diversity Goal 1.3
Decrease the success disparity between the success rate of underrepresented and underserved students and the total student body.
Institutional Strategies
- In consultation with the Office of the Chancellor, each institution will establish retention, completion and graduation rate goals for underrepresented and underserved students.
- Provide opportunities for faculty and staff to enhance their knowledge about intercultural differences in communications, relationships and learning styles.
Strategic Direction 2: Promoting and measure high-quality learning and programs and services
Diversity Goal 2.1
Enhance diversity, pluralism[2] and inclusion in instructional programs and activities.
Institutional Strategies
- Each institution will improve the quality of learning by encouraging the faculty to ensure that both the general education and the major programs reflect multicultural and inclusive perspectives.
- Each institution will help faculty members integrate recent advances in effective ways of teaching diverse learners, including cultural differences, into their pedagogy.
- Each institution will conduct campus climate assessments every three years. Office of the Chancellor Strategies
- The Office of the Chancellor will conduct a workplace climate assessment every three years.
Diversity Goal 2.2
Increase the diversity of the faculty and staff.
Institutional Strategies
- Each institution, using information from its affirmative action plan, will develop and implement a program to increase the diversity of the faculty and staff members. Increments and timetables will be established.
- Each institution will monitor searches and hiring processes to determine the effectiveness of the hiring practices in recruiting its faculty and staff.
- Modifications, as appropriate, will be made to enhance the diversity of applicant pools for faculty positions.
Office of the Chancellor Strategies
- The Office of the Chancellor, using information from its affirmative action plan, will develop and implement a program to increase the number of racially and ethnically diverse employees by increasing the pool of such candidates who apply for positions. Increments and timetables will be established.
- Administrators in the Office of the Chancellor will monitor searches and hiring processes to determine the effectiveness of the hiring practices in recruiting its employees. Modifications, as appropriate, will be made to enhance the diversity of applicant pools for these positions.
Strategic Direction 3: Provide programs and services integral to state and regional economic needs
Diversity Goal 3.1
Strengthen institutional relationships with minority[3] and women businesses.
Institutional Strategies
- Enhance relationships with business, industry, and government programs and activities that support minority and women-owned businesses.
- Increase the amount of customized training with minority- and women-owned businesses. Goals and timetables will be established.
- Cultivate relationships with alumni who own or participate in minority- and women-owned businesses.
- Promote business, community and regional activities designed to enhance minority- and women-owned businesses.
Office of the Chancellor Strategies
- Enhance relationships with business, industry, and governmental programs and activities that support minority- and women-owned businesses.
- Enhance relationships with chambers of commerce that represent minority, immigrant and women business interests.
Diversity Goal 3.2
Strengthen minority and women-owned vendor programs.
Institutional Strategies
- Each institution should assess and, where appropriate, enhance its minority- and women-owned vendor programs.
- Provide training to administrators and staff on the use of the institution's minority- and women-owned vendor programs.
Office of the Chancellor Strategy
The Office of the Chancellor should assess and where appropriate enhance its minority and women vendor program.
Diversity Goal 3.3
Enhance learning linkages with minorities and women in business.
Institutional Strategies
- Seek student internship opportunities with minority and women professionals, business owners and professional organizations.
- Recruit employees from among minority and women professionals, business owners and professional organizations.
Office of the Chancellor Strategy
Recruit employees from among minority and women professionals, business owners and professional.
Strategic Direction 4: Innovate to meet current and future educational needs efficiently
Diversity Goal 4.1
Identify and remove barriers that impede the development of innovative programs designed to enhance the access and success of underrepresented and underserved students.
Institutional Strategies
- Assess current recruitment and retention programs to determine their effectiveness for underrepresented and underserved students.
- Identify and remove barriers that impede the development and creation of innovative recruitment and retention programs for underrepresented and underserved students.
Office of the Chancellor Strategy
- Assess relevant systemwide policies, procedures and practice to determine the impact that they have on the access and success of underrepresented and underserved students.
- Identify and remove systemwide barriers that impede the development and creation of innovative recruitment and retention programs for underrepresented and underserved students.
Diversity Goal 4.2
Reward and support administrators, faculty and staff, throughout the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, for innovations that advance higher education access and success for underrepresented and underserved students.
Institutional Strategies
- Diversity should be incorporated into the evaluation protocol for all campus administrators.
- Campuses will recognize administrators, faculty and staff for innovations that advance higher education access and success for underrepresented and underserved students.
Office of the Chancellor Strategies
- Campuses will be recognized for innovations that advance higher education access and success for underrepresented and underserved students.
- Campuses will be recognized for innovations that enhance the diversity of their workforces.
- Diversity should be incorporated into the evaluation protocol for members of the Chancellor's staff.
- Administrative units of the Office of the Chancellor will be recognized for innovations that enhance the diversity of their workforces.
[1] Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System's accountability measure defines student success to mean that the student is currently enrolled, has graduated or transferred to another higher education institution. The definition only applies to students who are seeking degrees as full or part time.
[2] The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System acknowledges that it is composed of individuals and groups of individuals distinctive in ethnic origin, cultural patterns, religions, etc.
[3] The term "minority" appears here because it is used by the government and the business community.
