Elon Commitment Theme I: An unprecedented commitment to diversity and global engagement

Members of the university committee came together to accomplish many things so far. Here are some of the highlights:

• 2011-12 Progress Report
• 2010-11 Progress Report

2010-11 Progress Report

STUDENTS

• Recruited Elon’s first class in the International Fellows program;
• Increased the ethnic diversity of the Class of 2015 to a record 16 percent (239 students), compared with 15 percent (205 students) in the Class of 2014
• Established the Elon Commitment Scholarships providing major financial assistance to 6 students annually and supporting Elon’s priority of increasing socioeconomic diversity
• Created the Elon Engagement Scholarships to benefit approximately 150 students annually whose admissions application essays show academic ability and promise of impact locally and globally during their four years
• Created the PACE (Providing Aid Through Campus Employment) program to provide additional work-study assistance to students of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds
• Created a campus climate student survey to be administered in fall 2011

FACULTY AND STAFF

• Hired five faculty members from diverse ethnicities and six faculty members with international backgrounds
• Created an opportunity fund to better enable Elon to recruit outstanding teacher-scholars who contribute to diversity
• Strengthened Elon’s recruiting processes with a revised Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) statement, diversity understanding for search committees and additional funding for advertising to reach diverse audiences
• Created a human resources system to monitor the diversity of pools of applicants for employment at Elon
• Developed standards for reporting race and ethnicity of employees in Elon’s online factbook and in the fall report from Academic Council
• Enhanced the annual professional performance evaluation process for staff and administrators to include accountability for diversity goals

PROGRAMS/PROCEDURES

• Created the President’s Diversity Council comprised of students, faculty and staff.
• Expanded Elon’s pre- and post-doctoral program that provides one or two-year fellowships and mentoring for faculty members of underrepresented ethnic groups
• Developed protocols to analyze Elon student assessment data related to group categories such as race, gender and socio-economic status, allowing for deeper annual analysis of such factors as transfer rates, academic probation and graduation rates 
• Began a pilot program to develop a domestic diversity-themed Winter Term 2013
• Infuse diversity and disability services perspectives into the design of new campus facilities, including universal bathrooms and automatic door openers in every new building project
• Created a diversity advocacy group in the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning to develop inclusive pedagogy practices and workshops and began diversity curriculum infusion grants
• Added a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant from China for the 2011-12 academic year and a guest scholar from China, who is conducting research in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business
• Joined the Yellow Ribbon scholarship program for military veterans and their dependents
• Strengthened Elon’s credit bank program for local high schools students, building ties with guidance counselors in the Alamance-Burlington School System and enhancing orientation and advising for students in this program, who include 23 percent from underrepresented ethnic groups and 17 percent from low-income families
• Created Life@Elon, providing lifelong learning opportunities for area residents over the age of 55
• Created the Diversity and Global Engagement website, a site that includes links and information about all of Elon’s initiatives in support of Elon Commitment Theme I
• Created a new “About our Region” website to assist in recruiting new employees and detail regional resources for people of diverse backgrounds
• Enhanced the Elon Academy website as a more effective tool to recruit and communicate with students from diverse backgrounds
• Analyzed Elon’s print, web and video communications, ensuring that content supports the university’s diversity and global engagement initiatives

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2011-12 Progress Report

STUDENTS

• Created student job registry for 2012-2013 academic year so that our students can jobs on campus more easily.
• Increased international students 40% from 113 in fall 2010 to 158 in fall 2011 (fall 2010 = 57 non-resident aliens and 56 dual citizens and fall 2011 = 70 non-resident aliens and 88 dual citizens).
• Formed First in Family support group for first generation students
• Created summer bridge program for 30 Watson, Odyssey and Elon Commitment scholar first year students.
• Launched sophomore Watson, Odyssey and Elon Commitment scholar cultural immersion program in the Mississippi Delta.
• Created Better Together student organization and living learning community with students from 5 different faith traditions. The student organization hosted a forum in the fall.
• Developing an undergraduate research program exchange with faculty from the University of Costa Rica (San Jose, Costa Rica) and the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow, Scotland)
• Created affiliated staff in Multi cultural center associated with Black/African American, LGBTQ, and Latino/Hispanic students.

FACULTY AND STAFF

• Created bias and discrimination response coordinator position and hired Dr. Elizabeth Nelson.
• Created new HR position for employee relations, strategic hiring and investigations of all forms of harassment and hired Carla Ugboro.
• Began efforts for professional development all across campus with anti defamation league sessions.
• Created hiring protocols for all units on campus in order to recruit the best faculty and staff. Increased faculty ethnic diversity by 5% and staff ethnic diversity by 1% in first year of implementation.

PROGRAMS AND PROCEDURES

• Identified future space for LGBTQ resource room and named first coordinator, Dr. Kirstin Ringelberg.
• Created bias and discrimination response coordinator position and hired Elizabeth Nelson in that role.
• Created bias and discrimination council and education and response teams with depth of expertise in racial and ethnic, religious, sexual, gender and geographic identities.
• Formed a team of faculty and staff to create modules for a pilot Elon 101 with a focus on self-identity.
• Began work on a new winter term theme concept to launch in 2013.
• Hosted consultants to work with us on the use of student learning outcomes data related to diversity programming.
• Fielded campus climate surveys for students in fall 2011 and will field survey for faculty and staff in spring 2012.
• Created inclusive pedagogy website at CATL and developed faculty professional development through peer led conversations and leadership of Academic Council diversity committee: http://www.elon.edu/e-web/academics/teaching/inclusive%20classrooms/default.xhtml
• Implemented new hiring protocols across campus in order to employ the best practices in human resources.
• Worked with our campus interior designer on a pilot program to transform a faculty pod, classroom and seminar room based on faculty input of ways to better demonstrate diverse perspectives in our interior spaces on campus.
• Hosted events for Hispanic History and Heritage month.
• Created a new Black History Month website and planning committee and the planning committee created events for January through March of this year.
• Supported five diversity infusion grant projects during 2011-2012 academic year: https://elon.digication.com/diversityinfusion/Home.
• Identified future space in Alamance for African and African-American Studies student engagement space, conference room and office.

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