STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1:

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We will position the School as leaders in diversity, equity and inclusion within the University and our community. We will continue to work towards a learning and workplace environment that is more diverse and equitable. We will strive to ensure all students, faculty and staff feel safe, heard and valued. We demonstrate our integrity and trustworthiness as scholars, educators, practitioners and community members by promoting social work values, ethical practice and the process of critical reflection. We embrace the inherent worth of all people. By taking the position of cultural humility and applying the lens of intersectionality, we seek to develop and promote modes of antioppressive social work and dismantle structures of exclusion.

GOAL 1: All decisions are made through a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) lens

TACTICS • Revise organizational chart and/or position descriptions • Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion • DEI Coordinator • Liaison to Native Communities • Develop DEI Strategic Plan • Continue the visioning process and evaluating the School’s identity • Ensure an inclusive working environment by confirming the importance of each individual & eliminating hierarchal academic norms • Hold space in meetings for all employees to participate and voice opinions • Find time to celebrate all successes and confirm the value each bring to the organization • Redesign collateral materials and website to show our commitment to DEI • Use the Vision, Mission, Guiding Principles and Promise to guide our work • Implement the Vision of Justice Challenge and create virtual and visual displays • Support the work of the DEI Workgroup to review policies and procedures through a DEI lens • Review governance documents and policies to ensure anti-racist processes and practices • Conduct ongoing Equity Audits in departments and programs

GOAL 2: Become a leader at the University of Kansas (KU) and in the community in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and actions

TACTICS • Faculty, staff and student engagement in community DEI initiatives, committees and organizations throughout KU • Hold an annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion End of the Year Celebration • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fellows and Scholars Program. Students receive financial support to conduct small research studies on a topic related to racial and disability justice • Assist with the development of local community resources for LGBTQIA+ youth who are in middle and high school • Engage with Native American communities • Collaboration with Haskell • Addressing families and community needs in all four federally recognized tribes in Kansas through the Kansas Serves Native American Families grant • Host the national LGBTQA+ Symposium • Launch an LGBTQA+ Center

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

GOAL 3: Recruit, support and retain under-represented faculty, staff and students - mentor and support individuals to maximize success

TACTICS • Increase efforts to hire and recruit a more diverse employee population • Utilize the Excellence in Diversity hiring guide handbook • Provide ongoing training and learning opportunities for faculty and staff • Assess and identify search practices to facilitate explicitly anti-racist search processes, policies, and procedures • Provide support and resources that allow individuals and departments autonomy • Individualized budgets for programs, research, marketing, events, field and recruitment • Top-level encouragement and space to perform • Internal website resources • Regular meetings between department directors and the Dean and/or Associate Dean • Encourage growth and learning through faculty and staff development and support • Dedicate part of the budget for professional development requests • Incorporate voluntary DEI professional development exercises into internal meetings sessions • First year faculty mentor group • New faculty orientation • Annual performance evaluations for all faculty and staff • Support the student group RISE (Resilience, Inclusion, Support, and Empowerment) with a mission to empower BSW, MSW and Ph.D. students of color (racially-ethnically) to excel personally, academically, and professionally in order to foster successful degree. • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund to support BSW and MSW students • Relationship building events such as birthday celebrations, welcome, holiday and end of the year events • Analyze salaries for equity and provide raises to close the gaps

GOAL 4: Increase the number of opportunities to celebrate and share innovative work, practices and partnerships

TACTICS • Events • Provide monetary awards at the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion End of the Year Celebration (8 awards handed out in 2019) • End of the year Integrated Health Scholars event to highlight student presentation • New Grant Kick Off Meetings for all newly funded projects (includes PI, ADR, School Business Manager) • Grant Completion Celebrations • Increase accessibility of school sponsored events that highlight research through flexible delivery formats • Communications • Margo Award announcements to celebrate field partnerships and student accomplishments • Increase communication & collaboration internally • Beginning of monthly Research Staff Brown Bag’ to allow research staff to connect and share ideas (3rd Tuesdays) • Development of Ad Hoc Workshopping Group • Reintroduce Research Conversations (Lunchtime research discussions & presentations on 1st Fridays) • Reintroduce Bi-annual Research Office Informational Meeting • Bi-weekly Dean Update email • Monthly internal research newsletter • Director Email Campaign (MSW and PhD specific) • School and research spotlight calendar including faculty, staff, student, donor and alumni interviews for social media, website, email, newsletters, etc. • Highlight economic and social impact as a result of research through communications and collateral materials • Track annual field education hours converted to volunteer dollars given back to Kansas • Track increased licenses and school graduation rates in areas for extreme need for advanced level social workers