Inclusive Excellence and Making Excellence Inclusive In cooperation with Association of American Colleges and University, University of Wisconsin-System mandated that all campuses institutional practices with Inclusive Excellence (IE), in part, to widen diversity efforts beyond racial/ethnicity lines of Plan 2008. IE is a philosophy or worldview requiring major comprehensive organizational change. Therefore, creating and sustaining the UW-Superior campus as a community that personifies inclusion, equity and diversity is a strategic Priority. IE, in effect, is among ‘first breaths’ in all considerations and decision making processes across the UW-Superior campus. IE seeks to: Establish hallmarks of academic excellence and institutional effectiveness; Operationalize inclusion in campus functioning; Ensure academic freedom responsibilities are understood and practiced; and, Create an educational process that has diversity and inclusion at the center Four Guiding Principles are critical to IE: Shared responsibility; Diversity sits at the center of institutional life; Different students require different forms of support (as do faculty, staff, etc.); and, Implementation matters as much as strategy Making Excellence Inclusive (MEI) is the action-oriented process that is intentionally and persistently implemented in facet of campus culture, and by all community members. Although MEI action seeks to manifest the IE philosophy, the two are distinct ideas. We reframe much of the remaining ideas of this report, and therefore, the proposed goals, outcomes and action steps for UW-Superior in terms of MEI. At UW-Superior, conscientiously creating results that accentuate MEI requires: Engaging sustained, direct, open and honest discussion; Critically examining inclusivity, equity and diversity needs and issues on campus, rather than merely celebrating them and “culture” more generally; Rejecting the natural tendency to over-discuss and over-define concepts, needs and issues; Understanding and utilizing, but not being paralyzed by institutional history; and, Enacting creative, focused and persistent action-taking and implementation. A campus culture that personifies critical thinking must recognize that even “Making Excellence Inclusive” itself is an abstract phrase and concept. Indeed, it is how we, as a campus community, actively bring to life its mission and spirit—through courageous, creative and sustained planning and action—that matters most.
MAKING EXCELLENCE INCLUSIVE AT UW-SUPERIOR 2010-2011 ANNUAL PLAN Outcome 1: Intentional reframing of campus processes, policies and priorities as a means to make excellence inclusive. Action Project Sponsor (own) Project Manager (plan/manage) Project Team (execute) Outputs Reporting Structure/Frequency Budget Facilitate academic program and unit examination of student equity issues and opportunities. Provost Academic Affairs Council; Retention Committee; Enrollment Management TBD by project manager Academic departments and programs fully understand and are prepared to aggressively address equity gaps by May 2011. Project Team to Project Manager TBD, Project manager to CIETF/monthly Help reframe campus strategic priorities and more explicitly campus strategic priorities with principles of Making Excellence Inclusive. Provost CIPT TBD by project manager Help reframe strategic priorities and secure appropriate governance approval by June 30, 2011. Project Team to Project Manager TBD, Project manager to CIETF/monthly Help reframe liberal education learning goals to explicitly articulate the expectation for intercultural competence and to align the goals with the principles of Making Excellence Inclusive. Provost Faculty Senate Chair & Senators TBD by project manager Help reframe and approve, utilizing the necessary feedback process, by June 30, 2010. Project Team to Project Manager TBD, Project manager to CIETF/monthly Review all recruitment, hiring, mentoring and review processes for alignment with Making Excellence Inclusive; revise as needed. CIETF AA&EO Committee Department Chairs, Unit Supervisors; Promotion Committee Review process and implement changes by June 30, 2011 Project Team to Project Manager TBD, Project manager to CIETF/monthly Strengthen faculty/staff retention efforts Provost & Chancellor TBD TBD TBD Chancellor & Provost
2010-11 UW-SUPERIOR MAKING EXCELLENCE INCLUSIVE ANNUAL PLAN Outcome 2: UW-Superior community shares common understanding of excellence and inclusion. Members of the campus community have capacity to perform inclusively and equitably while utilizing diversity as a learning resource. Action Project Sponsor (owner) Project Manager (plan/manage) Project Team (execution) Outputs Reporting Structure/Frequency Budget Host monthly making excellence inclusive brown bag lunches to build campus understanding and capacity of Making Excellence Inclusive. CIETF Whoever is facilitating the given brown bag. Whoever is facilitating the given brown bag. Host a minimum of five bag events by May 2011. Half to focus on teaching; half to focus on other campus units. Initiate first Making Excellence Inclusive Grant program. TBD CIETF conceptualizes and markets; referees for awards TBD Award eight $1,000 grants to support academic initiatives led by individual faculty or teaching academic staff, academic units or programs by November 2010. Semester end reports from grant recipients to CIETF $10,000 Launch and continually update Making Excellence Inclusive Website. Promote as a campus resource for all things regarding equity, diversity and inclusion. CIETF TBD Department Chairs; CIETF, Campus Life, Student Organizations Working website to launch by October 1, 2010. Project Team to Project Manager TBD, Project Manager to CIETF/Monthly Outcome 2: UW-Superior community shares common understanding of excellence and inclusion. Members of the campus community have capacity to perform inclusively and equitably while utilizing diversity as a learning resource.
Action Project Sponsor (owner) Project Manager (plan/manage) Project Team (execution) Outputs Reporting Structure/Frequency Budget Present Making Excellence Inclusive end of year awards CIETF Provost Chancellor’s Cabinet and/or Provost Leadership Team Present awards at Student and Faculty Achievement events to recognize a faculty member, staff member and student for dedication and commitment to making excellence at UW-Superior inclusive. 2010-11 UW-SUPERIOR MAKING EXCELLENCE INCLUSIVE ANNUAL PLAN
Outcome 3: Gather, utilize and respond to equity, diversity and climate evidence. Action Project Sponsor (owner) Project Manager (plan/manage) Project Team (execute) Outputs Reporting Structure/Frequency Budget Invest additional human and financial resources in institutional research and information technology to ensure assessment/research is sufficiently supported. CIETF Cabinet, CIPT IR; IT Plan & list IR and IT priorities for investment by December 1, 2010. Plan considered for biennial budget investment by May 2011. Recommended plan to CIETF and Cabinet. Complete Climate Chancellor IR Climate Survey Working Group (comprised of diverse campus representatives) Completed report to campus May 2011 Project manager provide monthly updates on research project to CIETF, Final report to CIETF Appoint Making Excellence Inclusive Evidence Team to closely determine various ways of examining diversity, equity and inclusion at UW-Superior. The Team seeks to identify specific behavioral strategies and appropriate statistical measures for goal-setting CIETF MEIET – four to five members from diversity related constituencies TBD Prepare report that identifies additional equity gaps and specific, substantive qualitative means of examining and responding to them by May 30, 2011. Group output (report) will be used in conjunction with statistical measures so as to provide campus with more comprehensive methodologies Project Team to Project Manager TBD; Project Manager to CIETF/Monthly
regarding campus gaps in these areas. 2010-11 UW-SUPERIOR MAKING EXCELLENCE INCLUSIVE ANNUAL PLAN Outcome 3: Gather, utilize and respond to equity, diversity and climate evidence. Action Project Sponsor (owner) Project Manager (plan/manage) Project Team (execute) Outputs Reporting Structure/Frequency Budget Conduct inventory of diversity, equity and inclusion practices and policies related to teaching and learning. Provost Department Chairs TBD by project manager Inventory report placed on IE website and used as an electronic resource to enhance collaboration for diversity as a learning resource by May 2011. TBD Conduct inventory of diversity, equity and inclusion practices and policies related to administrative services. Chancellor TBD TBD Inventory report placed on IE website and used as an electronic resource to enhance collaboration for diversity as a learning resource by May 2011. TBD Conduct inventory of programs related to equity, inclusion and diversity. VC Campus Life, AD Unit Supervisors TBD by project manager Final report to include staffing levels, financial resources, capital resources, mission and purpose by May 2011. Inventory report also placed on IE website and used as an electronic resource to enhance collaboration for diversity as a learning resource by May 2010. TBD