2020-2021 Community Update - Harvard Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Institutions build great communities by capitalizing on the full range of ideas, experiences, backgrounds, and personalities. Inclusion and belonging are about helping people to see themselves as part of Harvard when they look at Harvard—and about making our University the best it can be.
—LAWRENCE S. BACOW, 29th president of Harvard University
Our Mission The Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging will guide Harvard toward inclusive excellence by fostering a campus culture where everyone can thrive. We seek to catalyze, convene, and build capacity for equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging, and anti-racism initiatives across Harvard University.
The newly renamed Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (OEDIB) aims to advance and align efforts that support a more inclusive culture using a four-phase model. Beginning with listening, learning, and data gathering as a crucial first step, OEDIB
identified key areas of long-term growth with the broadest impact, as well as shorter term projects that will address immediate community concerns. Progress may occur unevenly or out of sequence as an organization continually evolves and progresses toward inclusive excellence.
In Pursuit of Inclusive Excellence
2016
September 2016
Presidential Task Force on Inclusion and Belonging is established.
2017
April 2017
Listening and discovery phase of the Task Force’s work concludes with an Afternoon of Engagement event.
March 2018
Final report of Presidential Task Force on Inclusion and Belonging is released and provides recommendations for advancing EDIB work.
March 2018
President Drew Faust names member of the board of overseers and former president of Morehouse College John Silvanus Wilson Jr. as a senior advisor.
2018
October 2018
Schools and units complete initial rounds of EDIB strategic planning.
October 2018
The Office for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging is established within the Office of the President and reporting directly to President Lawrence S. Bacow.
March 2019
Under President Lawrence S. Bacow, Harvard launches the first Universitywide Pulse Survey on Inclusion and Belonging.
July 2019
Inaugural meeting of the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Leadership Council convenes representatives from each Harvard School.
2019
September 2019
The website DIB.harvard.edu is published online.
October 2019
Harvard Culture Lab Innovation Fund (HCLIF) launches with $250,000 dedicated from the President’s fund to seed innovative EDIB projects.
Latinx Graduation Ceremony speaker Claribel Aguilar Whyte, EdM ’21, addressed her peers via livestreamed video in May.
Harvard Medical School “Stand Against Racism” rally, April 2021.
What Is Inclusive Excellence?
Inclusive excellence is an organizational framework that intentionally embeds diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and anti-racism policies, processes, and initiatives as core elements of Harvard’s mission and culture. The aspiration to achieve inclusive
excellence is rooted in a commitment to equity, as well as the understanding that true excellence is reliant on the broadest set of ideas. Only by including ideas brought forth by individuals from across disciplines, representing a range of perspectives and backgrounds, can we move toward inclusive excellence.
INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE
March 2020
Harvard University moves courses online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
June 2020
HCLIF winners are announced and begin programming to address the needs of Harvard’s most vulnerable community members.
2020
August 2020
Harvard hires inaugural Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Sherri Ann Charleston, who begins an eight-month listening tour with a series of community conversation events.
October 2020
University-wide Community Dialogue Series launches, cohosted by the Office of the President, bringing together experts with different viewpoints to model constructive dialogue.
Community Spaces for Affinity Groups launches in response to heightened anxiety within the Harvard community due to national and global events.
January 2021
Provost Alan M. Garber launches a University Discrimination and Harassment Policy Review.
CDIO Sherri Charleston chairs the nondiscrimination working group.
Spring 2021
ODIB is restructured to include AA/EEO team; recruiting begins for new positions to support campus-wide EDIB learning, outreach, engagement, and assessment.
2021
June 2021
ODIB hosts a week-long series of events in honor of Juneteenth which became a U.S. holiday.
Fall 2021
Office relaunches as Harvard Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (OEDIB) to highlight equity as a foundational component of University and Office priorities.
OEDIB shares a strategic planning model to guide EDIB work across the University.
MOVING CLOSER TO INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE
Inclusive excellence requires ongoing effort, University-wide implementation, measurable goals, accommodation of differences, and continued learning and engagement at all levels of the organization.
Harvard College Office of BGLTQ Student Life, the University’s Visitor Center, and OEDIB supported the “What Pride Means to Me Campaign,” which was shared online and on Instagram throughout June 2021.
Organizational Excellence A Community Commitment to Excellence and Equity
Harvard University is comprised of Harvard College, twelve graduate schools, the Harvard Radcliffe Institute, over 300 centers, programs and initiatives, as well as research institutes, teaching hospitals, museums, and more. The decentralization of this diverse and complex network makes establishing and growing an infrastructure that supports a shared sense of values, coordinates local efforts, and complements best practices a vital step in ensuring the longterm success of equity and inclusion efforts.
Milestone Appointment
Established under and reporting to President Bacow, OEDIB is positioned to strategically align diversity and inclusion efforts across the institution. The appoint-
Alta Mauro (far left), Harvard College associate dean of students for inclusion and belonging and a member of the DIB Leadership Council, welcomes students back to campus on move-in day in August.
ment of Sherri Ann Charleston, Harvard’s inaugural chief diversity and inclusion officer in August 2020, is a milestone for the University and a critical step in President Bacow’s efforts to prioritize issues of equity and inclusion. Charleston, a historian, attorney, and expert in diversity and higher education, began her tenure with an eight-month listening tour, meeting with more than 2,500 community members and over 500 hours of one-on-one and group meetings.
Building Inclusive Infrastructure
With the appointment of Charleston, the office (previously ODIB) was renamed at the beginning of the 2021-22 academic year to include “equity” in its name. This change more accurately reflects the University’s focus on the importance of equity, as well as the addition of Harvard’s Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity (AA/ EEO) team into the office.
Harvard’s AA/EEO team joined OEDIB in January 2021. The team develops annual, University-wide affirmative action plans, provides support and stakeholder updates, and identifies strategies that advance equal employment access and inclusive hiring.
OEDIB also added four new positions to support a growing portfolio and increased community interest.
Putting Plans in Place
In addition to restructuring and capacity building, OEDIB focused on developing organizational goals to direct its own work and a ten-year planning model to guide the
high-level strategy needed to support the work of the broader University community.
This ten-year planning cycle is broken down into a five-year organizational and performance phase, followed by a five-year assessment and reactivation phase. The plan focuses on three strategic goals:
1. Develop EDIB organizational excellence
2. Foster a culture of EDIB engagement
3. Pursue an asset-based approach to shared EDIB leadership
See page 12 for details on OEDIB’s future strategy and planning.
A Model for Distributed Leadership
In the fall of 2021, OEDIB expanded the membership of the DIB Leadership Council in recognition of the growing network of those involved in EDIB work at Harvard. The expanded membership will include those who have some formal responsibility for providing EDIB leadership across the University. Expanding the council to bring these important voices into the conversation facilitates coordination and builds a broader community of EDIB practitioners.
Communicating Our Shared Vision
To ensure that all members of the Harvard community begin to have a shared understanding of the University’s vision for a more inclusive culture, the OEDIB launched a new Harvard webpage in collaboration with Harvard Public Affairs and Communications. The page captures the breath of work happening across Harvard. View the website at: www.harvard.edu/about-harvard/diversity-and-inclusion/
When you have complex issues, linear and siloed thinking will not give you as good a result as having multiple voices, perspectives, and backgrounds at the table.
—JOAN
Y. REEDE, MD, MPH ’90, SM ’92, MBA Harvard Medical School Dean for Diversity and Community Partnership
EDIB Spotlight: Including faculty DEI efforts in promotions
In August 2021, Harvard Medical School Dean George Daley, Dean for Diversity and Community Partnership Joan Y. Reede, and Dean for Faculty Affairs Grace C. Huang announced that faculty EDI efforts would be formally recognized as part of the promotion process at Harvard’s Medical School (HMS) and School of Dental Medicine (HSDM). Incorporating EDI efforts into the promotion process allows faculty the opportunity to emphasize their important contributions, and ensures that promotions criteria recognize not only excellence in a clinical area of expertise, but also in supporting the values of HMS and HSDM.
Leaders and Partners
Reede and other diversity officers and deans convene monthly as part of the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Leadership Council. The council members share issues and opportunities from each of their respective schools or units. See a list of School diversity deans and officers on page 11.
MFostering a Culture of Inclusion A Community across Distance and Difference
aintaining a sense of connection despite social distance requirements was a priority in 2020-21. Our constituents here in the United States and abroad conveyed that COVID, growing racial tensions, and political unrest negatively impacted their mental health. OEDIB responded to these urgent concerns with virtual spaces and events. Focused on historically excluded and vulnerable communities, the spaces served as avenues to share concerns, bridge differences, or simply spend time together.
Civic Participation, Civil Discourse
In an effort to model and support respectful disagreement, OEDIB in partnership with the Office of the President, launched the Community Dialogue Series. The series addresses the decline in civility within the public discourse by bringing together those
In March, the Community Dialogue Series hosted Harvard Business School Professor David Moss (below), who led an online discussion of his case “Martin Luther King and the Struggle for Black Voting Rights.” The event, cohosted by the American Repertory Theater (ART), featured a live performance by actor Brandon Dirden (inset below), known for playing Dr. King on Broadway and the ART.
with differing viewpoints especially across the political spectrum. The series launched in October 2020, with Deval Patrick, former Massachusetts governor, and continues to invite guests to share a variety of perspectives.
Together in Celebration
In spring, OEDIB assembled work groups to support identity-based affinity graduation events. Latinx, Black, Lavender (LGBTQ+), and First-Generation Graduation Celebrations were livestreamed and shared via YouTube. These work groups continue to meet and plan for additional affinity graduation events.
In addition to event series, OEDIB organized special community events. In March, HBS Professor David Moss, presented his case study on Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the struggle for voting rights.
In June, OEDIB coordinated with partners for a week-long celebration of Juneteenth centered on Black freedom, food, and family traditions. Also that month, with the Harvard College Office of BGLTQ Life, Graduate School of Education, and Smith Welcome Center, OEDIB highlighted Pride Month through the “What Pride Means to Me” campaign. The campaign invited the LGBTQ+ community to share their photos and experiences of pride.
In July, with University Disability Resources, Harvard University IT, Digital Accessibility Services, and the Ability+ Employee Resource Group, the office celebrated the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
Leadership and Innovation A Shared Responsibility for Inclusion
Discovery and innovation are Harvard hallmarks, highlighted by dozens of novel EDIB efforts across departments and disciplines—from student-led advocacy and support groups to employee resource groups and dedicated school-level EDIB offices—all modeling shared responsibility.
OEDIB led initiatives that complemented current efforts, leveraging past data and gathering new information to update policies, processes, and administrative structures in support of the University’s EDIB goals.
Innovation Fund Addresses Community Needs
The Harvard Culture Lab Innovation Fund (HCLIF) provides funded opportunities for students, staff, faculty, and postdocs to pursue projects that aim to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. The Office of the President funds the competitive
The Next Gen Initiative team, (pictured below in 2019), promotes institutional change and investment in students who are “firsts” so that they can thrive as Harvard’s next generation of leaders. The Next Gen Initiative was funded as part of the Culture Lab Innovation Fund’s 2020 cohort.
grants, which range from $2,000 to $25,000 per project. In FY20, OEDIB awarded thirteen projects that innovatively advance diversity and inclusion at Harvard. Fourteen projects will be funded in FY21.
There are no limitations on scope or subject matter, but funded proposals address critical EDIB challenges and identify creative solutions that have the potential to catalyze a culture shift at Harvard. A list of recipients can be found at: edib.harvard. edu/CLIF-fund-recipients
A Hub for Asynchronous Learning
With community input, OEDIB diversity fellows researched, compiled, and published guides and toolkits covering EDIB-related topics most requested by community members. These self-guided resources are accessible via the OEDIB website (see page 12 for details) and include:
• DIB Glossary
• Gender/Pronouns Resource Page
• Inclusive Dialogue Strategies
• DIB Committee Toolkit
• Calling In and Calling Out Guide
• DEI Commitment Statement Guide
• Inclusive Meeting Guide
Building on Learning and Upskilling
To ensure that current and potential community members feel welcome and supported, OEDIB focused on two key efforts in partnership with Harvard Human Resources (HR). The Inclusive Hiring Initiative developed tools and training to support hiring managers and recruiters in inclusive hiring best practices. Next, with Harvard HR and the Center for Workplace Development, the
DIB academy, a six-module capacity-building course for staff, launched in February. The course develops knowledge and strategies to enhance inclusion and belonging.
To date there have been thirty-three courses with 865 attendees.
A Campus Free of Discrimination and Harassment
Launched by the Office of the Provost in January 2021, the University Discrimination and Bullying Policy Steering Committee and Working Groups examine how Harvard address discrimination and harassment. The three working groups review existing policies and recommend new Universitywide procedures concerning sexual misconduct, discrimination, and bullying.
Chaired by CDIO Sherri Charleston, the Non-Discrimination Policy Working Group examined how to address forms of prohibited discrimination other than sexual and gender-based harassment. This group evaluated processes for complaint submissions, investigations, and resolution procedures, and is charged with recommending mechanisms to address policy violations and make the policies more visible and accessible.
BIPOC Connections Event
With over fifty University partners, OEDIB hosted Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Connections. This innovative, two-day virtual welcome event provided a platform for over 1,000 new community members to network and learn more about BIPOC resources at Harvard.
It is critical to remember that emotional wellness is inexorably linked to all other components of well-being: physical, relational, environmental, financial, spiritual, vocational, and intellectual wellness.
—GIANG NGUYEN, MD, MPH, MSCE, Executive Director of Harvard University Health Services
Making (Online) Space for Mental Health
In response to increased levels of depression and anxiety in 2020, Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) led by physician Giang Nguyen, partnered with the DIB Leadership Council, Harvard Chaplains, and OEDIB on a series of online mental health spaces for historically marginalized communities. Two HUHS departments, Counseling and Mental Health Services and Behavioral Health, staffed each event with a licensed mental health clinician alongside an EDIB community facilitator.
Exceptional Service
During May’s online Lavender Graduation celebration, the HUHS BGLTQ team received the inaugural Evelynn Hammonds Award for Exceptional Service to BGLTQ+ Inclusion. The award recognizes the team for advancing BGLTQ health care at Harvard. The award is named for Hammonds, now the Rosenkrantz Professor of History of Science and and African American Studies, who in 2008 became the first woman and African American dean of Harvard College.
• Alumni Affairs and Development–Partnered to support EDIB programming across alumni groups and gatherings and hosted events to elevate and bring diverse alumni voices into Harvard’s EDIB conversations.
• Harvard Public Affairs and Communications–Launched and continue collaboration on a diversity and inclusion page on the University’s Harvard.edu website. Partnered to spotlight race and inequality across the U.S. and work being done at Harvard to address these issues in the Unequal series at: harvard.edu/in-focus/unequal
• Harvard Chaplains and Harvard University Health Services–Partnered on a series of online mental health and affinity group support events. See page 9 for details.
EDIB Planning Across Harvard
A number of Schools, at the direction of senior leaders and local EDIB leadership, have developed committees and strategic plans to advance EDIB within their communities. Initiatives and strategic plans at Harvard’s schools can be found at: edib.harvard.edu/ schools-and-units
School and Senior Leadership
Each Harvard School is actively engaged in planning and programming that advances EDIB goals. Harvard’s Schools and units have dedicated teams leading efforts that are tailored to the identities and needs of each community. These local efforts contribute to a movement toward a more inclusive culture.
In 2020, Harvard’s deans and president reaffirmed their commitment in a joint statement. “We are committed to a just Harvard and a just world where all people’s rights and dignity are respected and honored.” Read more at: https://www.harvard.edu/president/news/2020/reaffirming-our-commitments/
Deans and Diversity Officers
Tomiko Brown-Nagin, Dean
Charles Curti, Senior Human Resources Consultant
RADCLIFFE INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDY
Nancy Coleman, Dean
Shirley Greene, Associate Dean of Students
HARVARD DIVISION OF CONTINUING EDUCATION
George Q. Daley, Dean
Joan Reede, Dean for Diversity and Community Partnership
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
Srikant Datar, Dean
Terrill Drake, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL
Emma Dench, Dean
Shiela Thomas, Dean for Academic Programs and Diversity
HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Francis J. Doyle III, Dean
Alexis J. Stokes, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
HARVARD JOHN A. PAULSON SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCES
Douglas Elmendorf, Dean
Robbin Chapman, Associate Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT
Claudine Gay, Dean
Sheree Ohen, Associate Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
HARVARD FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
William V. Giannobile, Dean
Brian Swann, Interim Assistant Dean, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
HARVARD SCHOOL OF DENTAL MEDICINE
David N. Hempton, Dean
Melissa Bartholomew, Associate Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
HARVARD DIVINITY SCHOOL
Rakesh Khurana, Dean
Alta Mauro, Associate Dean of Students for Inclusion and Belonging
HARVARD COLLEGE
Bridget Terry Long, Dean
In Recruitment, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
John F. Manning, Dean
In Recruitment, Assistant Dean for Community Engagement, Equity, and Belonging
HARVARD LAW SCHOOL
Sarah M. Whiting, Dean
Naisha Bradley, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF DESIGN
Michelle A. Williams, Dean
Amarildo “Lilu” Barbosa, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
Throughout its long history, Harvard has been at the forefront of discovery, scholarship, knowledge creation, and change. Today, our world is more interconnected than ever and we face complex social challenges of global magnitude. We must rely on a growing diversity of ideas and perspectives to inform and strengthen us in meeting these new challenges.
A diversity of ideas is foundational to any rigorous intellectual community. We know that, regardless of our
differences, each of us performs better and can reach our highest potential in a culture that is inclusive. It is our shared responsibility to bring about advances in our community that ensure it is safe, welcoming, and equitable for all. Over the next five years, Harvard will continue to support a culture of inclusion and equity by building infrastructure, facilitating partnerships, gathering data, and assessing the progress of EDIB work on our campuses.
OEDIB’s Five-Year Planning Model
ORGANIZATIONAL PHASE
2021–2022
Eighteen-month organizational process and launch of first five-year strategic planning cycle
Establish infrastructure for OEDIB and EDIB activities at Harvard
Launch targeted collaborations around high-impact initiatives
Find Resources, Take Action
PERFORMANCE PHASE
2023–2026
Anticipated review point assessing progress and evaluating structural effectiveness
Reassessing ongoing goals for the next five-year strategic planning process
ASSESSMENT & REACTIVATION PHASE
2026+
Strategic framework assessed and reactivated utilizing performance data
A collective, community commitment is a vital part of every phase of current activities and future plans. Access self-guided learning resources, get event information, or apply to get your EDIB project funded.
Apply for Culture Lab funding: edib.harvard.edu/culture-lab
University-wide and school-based EDIB resources: edib.harvard.edu/resources
Self-guided learning guides and toolkits: edib.harvard.edu/guides-toolkits
Register for an upcoming event: edib.harvard.edu/events
Read the 2019 Pulse Survey results: edib.harvard.edu/data
Subscribe to the OEDIB Newsletter: edib.harvard.edu/subscribe
