OSU announces results of diversity self-study, maps course for future success

Friday, July 27, 2007

On Friday, the Oklahoma State University/A&M Board of Regents heard findings and recommendations from the most comprehensive evaluation of OSU's diversity efforts.

The self-study was a yearlong process that sought input from OSU faculty, staff and students and involved a site visit by an independent, national team of administrators and faculty. It was the first phase of implementing strategic plans for an ambitious diversity initiative for the entire OSU System.

More than 150 information gathering sessions were held after the self-study began during a July 2006 Board of Regents retreat, according to Cornell Thomas, OSU vice president for institutional diversity.

“This diversity self-study led by Dr. Thomas and his staff will be vital to the successful implementation of our strategic plan for diversity,” said interim OSU System CEO and President Marlene Strathe. “It is imperative that we move forward in establishing an inclusive environment on all OSU campuses to prepare students for achievement in a global society.  I commend our faculty, staff and students for helping identify our most significant challenges as well as steps we can begin to take to overcome them.”
     
Thomas said he wanted to allow every full-time employee within the OSU System and several students to help develop a vision for attaining diversity and inclusion on each campus. 

"I believe this is the first time such a document regarding diversity has been developed in such an inclusive way," Thomas said. "Every voice that wanted to be heard was. Every idea presented by the OSU System community was seriously considered and greatly impacted the final decisions that were made."

OSU’s study drew heavily on “Now is the Time,” a report developed by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges to help universities establish an institutional vision for diversity.

Faculty, staff and student participants were provided information from the report and asked to consider OSU diversity initiatives regarding recruitment, retention, partnerships, campus climate, professional development and assessment. Their recommendations for attaining diversity and inclusion respective to every campus, college and division in the OSU System were outlined as initiatives in an executive summary of the self-study.

“Action steps in the document are designed to help us develop campus environments that are inclusively diverse where learners are afforded opportunities and experiences that better prepare us to live and work successfully in what is becoming a more inclusively diverse world,” Thomas said. “Most importantly, all of our students will be better prepared for success.”

The wide range of initiatives includes expanding the role of the newly created Diversity Academic Support office; adding diversity discussions to orientation for new faculty, staff and students; increasing the number of OSU students studying abroad and international students coming to OSU; and enhancing existing partnerships and transfer scholarship assistance to increase access for non-traditional and lower socioeconomic students. OSU students recommended developing a diversity curriculum emphasizing how everyone benefits from diversity and inclusiveness.

Progress by women and minorities in higher education nationwide has not been as pronounced at OSU, where Native Americans, African Americans, Asians and Hispanics comprise less than 18% of the non-international student body and about 10% of the non-international faculty. However, the executive summary addresses not only the recruitment and retention of scholars, faculty and staff from underrepresented groups but also activities to establish inclusion and diversity as core values at OSU.

In addition to the executive summary of the self-study, Thomas presented OSU’s new marketing campaign to promote internally and publicly the self-study initiative and the university’s definition of diversity: Diversity in action should empower individuals to think and act in ways that will embrace and promote a more inclusive world.