Inclusive Excellence | Master Plan

Inclusive Excellence MASTER PLAN FEBRUARY 2021

St. Catherine University’s Inclusive Excellence Statement Inspired by our founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Catherine University is committed to academic excellence and educating women to lead and influence in a community characterized by respect for human dignity, equity, and solidarity. The mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, “love of God and the dear neighbor without distinction,” impels us to respond to the most urgent needs of society. We do this through intellectual inquiry which results in transformative leadership for action.

We work to create a community and a world in which race, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, ability, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, and other forms of human difference are neither sources of prejudice nor barriers to equal access, opportunity, representation, and agency. Human diversity is a strength.

St. Catherine University acknowledges the historic and current oppression of people based on various intersecting identities. Dismantling the oppression that creates barriers for marginalized people begins by understanding the policies and practices that keep oppression in place, and then acknowledging that we have much work to do. It is not enough to simply denounce oppression. Instead, we must actively address it in the ways that we live, work, and learn. To this end, St. Catherine University works for equity and inclusion within and beyond the classroom and workplace.

As citizens of a diverse world, our University is committed to reflecting this diversity in our students, faculty, staff, administrators, Board of Trustees, and alumni in participation, policy, leadership, and equity in opportunities. Our understanding of and respect for human differences is integral to a liberal arts education and preparation for a diverse workforce. Our community challenges itself to be welcoming and respectful, while interacting effectively, sensitively, and with humility in an increasingly diverse, global community. All members of our community should have equitable access to education, safety, care, and career regardless of status, position, or privilege. This is our collective work.

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Our Inclusive Excellence Journey at St. Catherine University Inclusive Excellence is not new to St. Catherine University. For more than 100 years, we have been building upon a legacy of influential and visionary women. At the founding of the College of St. Catherine in 1905, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJs) committed themselves to providing the highest standard of educational excellence to the underserved: women, immigrants, and Catholic. The earliest works related to diversity, equity, and inclusion are tied to the then College of St. Catherine’s commitment to social justice. While the meaning of social justice is a much more capacious one at the University today than it was at the College’s founding, all of the elements that comprised academic excellence, inclusivity, and social justice then are still fundamental to our mission today, despite over a century of social change (Carroll, et al., 2012).

Throughout the 20th century, CSJs faced challenges educating women in a patriarchal and sexist society; preserving Catholicism in a Protestant dominated/antiCatholic prejudice society especially prevalent in the 1920s and 1930s; serving immigrants/working class in a time of nativism and class oppression and discrimination; and continually acknowledging and trying to address some of the social and economic injustices in American society through their focus on providing access to an outstanding academic experience. The College admitted its first African American student in 1937. In the 1960s and 1970s, under the leadership of President Alberta Huber, CSJ, the College of St. Catherine and the CSJs were actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement, the Women’s Movement, and opposition to the Vietnam war.

During this period the college admitted and supported a small but growing population of Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) students and responded to the demands of the time by becoming one of the first colleges to offer courses in American Indian art and on Ojibwe language. At the same time, the college hired a coordinator of American Indian Activities, and the first Counselor of African and African American Students.

The last decades of the 20th century were the era in which our definition of social justice broadened most dramatically to comprise more aspects of diversity; the now St. Catherine University was affected by and responded to the significant changes of the era and the social justice issues that came to the forefront (Carroll, et al., 2012). This expanded definition included providing services for students with disabilities and those needing additional academic support through the founding of the O’Neill Center in 1977. By the early 1980s, work around equity, diversity, and inclusion were initiatives and activities guided by a Twelve Point Plan for Diversity led by June Noronha, the founding director of Multicultural 3

and International Programs and Services Office (MIPS). Later, the principles of this plan were integrated into the work of a Bush Foundation Grant for Diversity and Democracy in the early 2000s.

The University experienced a 99 percent increase of self-identified undergraduate multicultural students from 2001 to 2011. We also acknowledged growing communities of students with disabilities, first generation, LGBTQ+ and Muslim students (Hauer, 2012). Work around Affirmative Action, student support, and integrating diversity into the undergraduate curriculum continued in various forms through the committed work of staff and faculty and continues through today.

In Spring 2019, St. Catherine University President, Becky Roloff, charged an Inclusive Excellence Advisory committee to: • Recommend to the President the top Inclusive Excellence strategic priorities for the University to address over the next three to five years.

• Create and sustain a forum for campus-level dialogue on issues related to equity and inclusion.

• Be Inclusive Excellence advocates in their respective centers of influence by promoting awareness of the policies and programs being done across the University throughout the year that enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion.

• Report annually to the President so that she can issue an annual summary with the community on progress made.

Setting Our Sails Strategic Initiatives St. Catherine University embarked on a new strategic plan, Setting Our Sails, in 2018.

The plan calls for the University to: 1.

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Strengthen academic excellence Stake our claim Forge partnerships Foster forever St. Catherine Drive a culture of Inclusive Excellence Build a strong and sustainable foundation

Inclusive Excellence is inextricably linked to all of the other University strategic priorities. For example, within the initiatives to Strengthen Academic Excellence, implementing a faculty and staff development model that addresses preparation for future teaching and advising calls us to consider the diversity of the students we teach. Likewise, investing in physical and technological infrastructure and delivery of systems includes examining access for all members of the St. Kate’s community and thus Inclusive Excellence. In essence, Inclusive Excellence becomes the “purple thread” that is woven through all of the University’s strategic priorities.

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Inclusive Excellence Inclusive Excellence, a term coined by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U, 2005) is the recognition that a community or institution’s success is dependent on how well it values, engages, and includes the rich diversity of students, staff, faculty, administrators, and alumni constituents.

Inclusive Excellence is a comprehensive approach to institutional transformation, focusing on students’ ability to recognize, assess, and critically analyze systems of inequity so they may work toward eliminating some of the most urgent injustices of society through their chosen fields and professions. It also focuses on employees’ abilities to recognize and analyze behaviors and systemic inequities in policies, practices, procedures, and infrastructures across the University to develop and maintain an inclusive and equitable, high-quality learning, living, and working environment for the St. Catherine University community.

The vision and practice of Inclusive Excellence...calls for higher education to address diversity, equity, and inclusion as critical to the wellbeing of democratic culture...The action of making excellence inclusive requires that we uncover inequities in student success, identify effective educational practices, and build practices organizationally for sustained institutional change.

(AAC&U n.d) It is our institutional responsibility to prepare students to be global citizens, leaders, and employees when they leave the institution (i.e., effectively work with diverse people, recognize, analyze; and dismantle systemic oppression; adopt a worldview that reflects an understanding and appreciation of the complexity of diversity, equity, and inclusion). In alignment with our mission, vision, and values, our commitment rests on the following three imperatives of Inclusive Excellence: • That we treat all of our students, faculty, and staff equitably (which is related to, yet distinct from, “equally”).

• That all of our students, faculty, and staff have equitable access to learning and working, and the tools they need to do so successfully and meaningfully.

• That all of our students, faculty, and staff feel welcomed, valued, respected, and supported as they live, learn, and work.

We work to build a community that focuses on much more than structural diversity, or who is at our University. Our efforts in this strategic plan focus on a high quality, comprehensive approach for achieving an inclusive and welcoming campus and community, as well as making sure that integration of diversity, equity, inclusion, and excellence are recognized as interdependent. Our focus must be on systemic change and transforming our institution’s policies, practices, curriculum, and outreach in ways that allow us to meet the most urgent needs of our time by increasing our capacity to create a socially just university and society. The strategies recommended here are intended to be aspirational and drive institutional change and transformation, and not be an exhaustive “to do” list.

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Strategic Priority Areas The Inclusive Excellence Strategic Plan proposes great strides for St. Catherine University over the next seven years. The plan sets high expectations and offers a framework and guide for St. Kate’s as it actively works to embed Inclusive Excellence throughout all University operations and fulfills aspirations for excellence.

The strategic priorities outlined in this document reflect the work of members of the Inclusive Excellence Advisory Committee and many other constituents. Over the course of the past year, subcommittees of the IE Advisory Committee through engagement with the broader community of current students, alumni, staff, and faculty worked to identify key areas and strategies that will move St. Catherine University forward in meeting the needs of a diverse student body and employee base, recognizing the complexity of our current society and striving to meet the most urgent needs of our time.

These priorities focus on developing the necessary infrastructure, awareness, and expertise in crucial areas of the University; developing stronger data collection, strategic planning, analysis, and reporting of key performance indicators regarding campus climate, student success, and demographics; and developing and supporting a wide range of relevant professional development and educational opportunities for campus leaders, administrators, faculty, students, and staff to actively strive to become an anti-racist and inclusive institution over the next seven years. The plan is a dynamic living document that is meant to be flexible to meet the changing needs of the St. Catherine University community and is continually shaped as St. Catherine University engages in a reiterative and thoughtful process for making excellence inclusive.

Culture and Climate of Inclusion As a Catholic institution, driven by Catholic Social Teaching, we strive to create an open and inclusive campus community that is women centered, grounded in the liberal arts, and above all, values the intrinsic worth of all students, faculty, and staff. A positive and inclusive climate at St. Catherine University is our collective responsibility and we each play a critical role in fostering and sustaining it.

When faculty, staff, and students are engaged, feel a sense of belonging, and feel valued and respected, we maximize each individual’s potential to contribute to our goal of institutional excellence as a premier university for women’s leadership and scholarship.

Goal 1: Develop and maintain a campus climate and culture where all community members experience a sense of belonging and well-being that is supported through academic success, respectful engagement, authentic relationships, and growth.

Objective 1: Conduct a climate assessment during the 2020-2021 academic year to establish baseline data.

Recommended action steps may include: • Conduct the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium (HEDS) Diversity and Equity Campus Climate Survey to provide baseline data in year one.

• In conjunction with the HEDS survey, conduct focus groups to collect qualitative data to enhance the survey results.

• Develop a schedule for conducting regular climate assessment.

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Objective 2: Provide opportunities for St. Kate’s community members to participate in challenging conversations and critical dialogue that allow for different perspectives.

Recommended action steps: • Develop and implement a series of campus-wide dialogues related to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

• Develop and implement an Integrative Learning Series.

• In partnership with Residence Life and other entities, develop programming and processes to support a positive living and learning environment for students from traditionally underrepresented populations (LGBTQ+, BIPOC students, first generation students, students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and students with disabilities).

• Develop and provide campus-wide and unit-specific programming.

Access, Equity, and Success Guided by our mission to educate women to lead and influence, and our commitment to social justice, we are called to recognize and eliminate inequities that exist. A more equitable campus means that individual and identity cohorts of students, faculty, and staff not only have access to a liberal arts education and employment opportunities, but they also have equitable access to resources to ensure academic and professional success.

Goal 1: Develop and implement strategies to remove barriers and increase support to ensure students and employees have equitable access to education and employment opportunities.

Objective 1: Identify barriers (such as processes, policies, and procedures) that contribute to inequitable access, outcomes, and success and prevent achievement for students from traditionally underrepresented populations.

Recommended action steps may include: • Develop strategies to examine grading practices and course completion rates.

• Develop strategies to examine entrance into or access to high-impact practices such as internships and fellowships.

• Develop and expand pathways to high impact practices for programs, departments, and schools.

• Identify and address ways to provide access equity in the delivery of services to better meet the needs of student populations (e.g., adapting business hours for service areas such as counseling, financial aid, etc.).

Objective 2: Develop and implement a long-term plan to address physical accessibility in order to meet the needs of contemporary and future students, faculty, and staff.

Recommended action steps may include: • Review and communicate to the St. Catherine University community work that has been done to date.

• Determine if additional assessment of need is warranted.

• Develop and communicate a plan to move forward including a projected timeline for implementation.

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Goal 2: Attract, retain and increase promotion among historically underrepresented and underserved faculty and staff.

Objective 1: Develop and implement robust recruitment, hiring and retention programs to increase BIPOC faculty and staff at all levels in order to be representative of our student body.

Recommended action steps: • Conduct workforce analysis to project faculty needs over the next five years and develop a workforce plan based on the results.

• Explore a variety of recruitment strategies, such as cluster hiring, post-doctoral fellowships, etc. that could increase the number of faculty from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.

• Explore activities such as faculty exchanges with minority serving institutions, visiting faculty positions, faculty in residence, etc. that would expand our academic offerings and knowledge for the time they are at St. Catherine University.

• Identify and allocate resources to implement targeted recruitment strategies for staff and faculty.

• Develop and implement a process to examine employee advancement.

• Establish a mentoring program for BIPOC faculty and faculty from other underrepresented groups.

• Explore a Diversity Fellows program with a focus on research and work around equity and inclusion.

• Continue to enhance anti-bias training for search committees.

• Implement an initiative to ensure that at least one member of each search committee for targeted staff and faculty hiring serves as an advisor on inclusive practices regarding recruiting, interviewing, and hiring new employees.

Goal 3: Develop and implement a comprehensive strategic enrollment plan that is inclusive of all three colleges.

Objective 1: Develop targeted outreach plans to enhance existing and develop new pipelines to broaden the applicant pool and admit qualified students from historically underrepresented backgrounds.

Recommended action steps: • • • •

Determine the student profile for each college.

Develop and implement strategies to increase the diversity of the graduate student population.

Establish and maintain relationships with BIPOC communities.

Enhance academic pipeline initiatives with K-12 and community colleges to support transitions and improve success for underrepresented students.

• Develop and implement strategies to increase diversity of our graduate student population.

Objective 2: Explore and grow alternative funding sources for undergraduate and graduate student scholarships.

Recommended action steps: • Pursue donor opportunities in honor of George Floyd for BIPOC students.

• Pursue funding opportunities for BIPOC students in HSSH in honor of Breonna Taylor.

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Goal 4: Increase retention and graduation rates for historically underrepresented students, with a particular focus on closing the college attainment and degree completion gaps.

Objective 1: Develop and implement strategies to address barriers to academic progress and achievement of BIPOC, first-generation, students with disabilities, and students from low socioeconomic background across all degree levels.

Recommended action steps: • Identify root causes and risk factors regarding retention and graduation gaps for underrepresented undergraduate and graduate students and develop strategies to address them.

• Launch initiatives for underrepresented students that focus on enhancing academic success, student engagement, personal growth, and social capital development.

• Increase services offered to traditional and non-traditional undergraduate students, including but not limited to tools, scholarships, support, etc.

• Identify academic programs with lowest enrollment, retention, and completion rates for underrepresented students and develop specific strategies to address disparities.

• Establish additional mentoring opportunities to match BIPOC students with faculty, staff, alums, trustees, etc. as role models.

• Develop and implement strategies to support the mental and emotional well-being of BIPOC and other underrepresented students by ensuring their access to culturally competent mental health resources.

Education, Learning, and Development The essential mission of American higher education is to serve democracy and to actuate its values.

Grounded in our mission to educate women to lead and influence, we carry out this responsibility through professional development at all levels. In order to honor our historical commitment to meeting the most urgent needs of our society and to foster women’s leadership, we must focus on curricular and pedagogical innovation, as well as enhanced co-curricular offerings and professional development for students, faculty, and staff that encourage knowledge (of self and others); attitude (empathy and curiosity); and skills (empathy, verbal and nonverbal communication) around issues of Inclusive Excellence.

Goal 1: Develop strategies for integrating topics of Inclusive Excellence in the general education and major discipline course content.

Objective 1: Develop Inclusive Excellence student learning outcomes that demonstrate cultural fluency across the curriculum.

Recommended action steps: • Along with Academic Affairs, establish a work group to develop Inclusive Excellence student learning outcomes.

• Develop, regularly review, and revise a rubric to measure and meet desired Inclusive Excellence student learning outcomes.

• Develop and review a recertification process for courses to meet Inclusive Excellence related learning goals.

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Objective 2: Develop and deliver a rigorous curriculum that encourages cultural fluency through increased opportunities, knowledge, and skills related to intercultural understanding.

Recommended action steps: • Establish and assess specific student learning objectives related to developing cultural fluency across the curriculum.

• Provide multiple pathways to high-impact practices for students of diverse identities to counteract historical oppressive practices which have had negative impacts on their academic trajectory/record.

Objective 3: Update the general education program so that Inclusive Excellence is embedded throughout a woman-centered curriculum.

Recommended action steps: • Develop strategies to work collaboratively with faculty to revise the general education core curriculum to give all undergraduate students a foundation in Inclusive Excellence.

• Develop strategies to ensure that Inclusive Excellence is scaffolded throughout the general education curriculum.

• Develop criteria to include Inclusive Excellence in the development of new courses and revisions to existing courses.

Goal 2: Provide faculty and staff professional development opportunities to build capacity for supporting and implementing Inclusive Excellence.

Objective 1: Create professional development opportunities for faculty and staff.

Recommended action steps: • Develop and offer workshops and other learning opportunities, programs, and events on Inclusive Excellence related topics.

• Develop and implement a St. Kate’s Anti-Racism Pedagogy curriculum.

• Assess faculty and staff professional development needs.

• Develop and implement an annual professional development calendar.

Objective 2: Develop and embed Inclusive Excellence content into new faculty, staff and student orientation programs.

Recommended action steps: • Create materials that would be delivered during virtual and in-person orientations.

• Develop a required onboarding Inclusive Excellence series for new employees to complete in the first year.

• Work with academic leadership to embed Inclusive Excellence in first-year curriculum and co-curriculum.

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Objective 3: Develop and implement a general Inclusive Excellence training or workshop for all staff and faculty which will help develop common language and understanding of key objectives of Inclusive Excellence.

Recommended action steps: • • • •

Develop workshop course content.

Pilot and gather feedback in the spring of 2020.

Implement soft launch in fall of 2020.

Launch the workshop in spring of 2021.

Objective 4: Explore additional financial resources (e.g., donors, grants, etc.) to support the development of a comprehensive program for the development of faculty and staff.

Recommended action steps: • Create a fund for campus community programming that aligns with Inclusive Excellence goals.

• Develop a list of needs that could be addressed by corporate funding.

Goal 3: Develop and offer co-curricular programming to students.

Objective 1: Ensure that Inclusive Excellence is embedded into academic enrichment and cocurricular programming.

Recommended action steps: • Explore ways to increase the number of students from historically underrepresented backgrounds participating in high-impact practices such as learning communities, community service, internships, research, and study abroad.

• Establish opportunities for students to engage in open and authentic conversations about difficult topics.

• In partnership with Student Affairs, design and offer campus programming and ongoing student activities that include both support for historically underrepresented students and education for others about diverse populations.

• Work with stakeholders to support them in delivering Inclusive Excellence-aligned cocurricular opportunities.

Operational Excellence In order to make Inclusive Excellence a reality at St. Catherine University, we must develop systemic infrastructure including ongoing assessment and measures of accountability to embed equity, diversity, and inclusion at the center of our day-to-day operations. This commitment to structural change is aligned with our steadfast dedication to women’s education, rooted in the liberal arts and Catholic Social Teaching, because it recognizes that structures of oppression are easily reproduced as a result of societal pressures to move away from our mission-centered work, which is outstanding academic excellence, and relevant fields of study so that all of our graduates may achieve their life goals.

Goal 1: Develop and implement an Inclusive Excellence Strategic Plan.

Objective 1: Establish priorities for the next seven years.

Recommended action steps: • Establish annual priorities and implementation plan.

• Identify expected outcomes.

• Create an Inclusive Excellence annual report to update the St. Kate’s community on progress toward meeting Inclusive Excellence goals.

Goal 2: Develop and implement a comprehensive, University-wide system of accountability that will assess and measure the progress of integrating Inclusive Excellence into our day to day operations.

Objective 1: Establish a sustainable budget for Inclusive Excellence that extends beyond the life of the GHR grant.

Recommended action steps: • Align Inclusive Excellence budget and funding support with activities, events, and initiatives that have University-wide impact.

• Explore funding sources to create an operational budget.

• Develop a list of needs that could be addressed by corporate funding.

Objective 2: Each school/division/department will establish Inclusive Excellence goals that align with and supports institutional goals.

Recommended action steps: • Develop processes to facilitate each division, department, and unit of the University to identify and implement Inclusive Excellence goals.

Objective 3: Develop a strategy map to connect school, divisional, and departmental Inclusive Excellence goals and strategies to demonstrate integration, alignment, and identify interdependency.

Recommended action steps: • Establish a cross-functional workgroup(s) to ensure alignment of efforts across the University and to facilitate ongoing communication University-wide.

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Objective 4: Collect and analyze data related to diversity, equity, and inclusion to effectuate Inclusive Excellence direction and strategies.

Recommended action steps: • Determine key data categories related to Inclusive Excellence and how data will be assessed and measured.

• Establish baseline data.

• Develop and implement a data dashboard to communicate progress toward accomplishing Inclusive Excellence goals.

Objective 5: Develop tool(s) to assess and measure Inclusive Excellence progress and long-term institutional impact.

Recommended action steps: • Establish metrics to measure the attainment of Inclusive Excellence goals.

• Utilize the Campus Pride Index to help benchmark, inform, and improve resources and support for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff.

Objective 6: Promote workforce equity through improvement of evaluation, promotion, and hiring processes.

Recommended action steps: • Incorporate Inclusive Excellence indicators into the faculty evaluation, promotion, and tenure processes.

• Incorporate Inclusive Excellence indicators into the staff performance/evaluation and promotion processes.

• Implement hiring criteria and practices that highlight a commitment to Inclusive Excellence and cultural fluency of candidates.

• Review the Employee Engagement Survey to determine if equity and inclusion need to be added.

Objective 7: Review and amend University policies, procedures, and systems to ascertain if they are inhibiting Inclusive Excellence or potential inequities.

Recommended action steps: • Develop and implement a tool for conducting audits of policies, practices, and procedures using an inclusive lens.

• Leverage practices and technology to be more inclusive of identity cohorts (i.e., user names other than their legal first names).

• Establish a process to track all bias incidents and issues related to campus climate and analyze data for systemic change.

Goal 3: Engage all members of the St. Kate’s community to develop and leverage their professional and personal expertise to ensure the successful implementation of St. Kate’s Inclusive Excellence goals.

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Objective 1: Provide opportunities for interested faculty, staff, and students to engage in the work of Inclusive Excellence.

Recommended action steps: • Create a standing Inclusive Excellence Committee composed of representatives from faculty, staff, students, and CSJs who meet on a regular basis to promote Inclusive Excellence and connect IE activities to the broader University-wide strategic priorities.

• Develop an Inclusive Excellence Community of Practice to engage members of the campus in ongoing discussion and learning about equity, inclusion, and Inclusive Excellence.

• Establish and launch an ARPAC Community of Practice to develop and implement a St. Kate’s Anti-Racist Pedagogy Across the Curriculum.

Objective 2: Implement strategies to intentionally engage students in Inclusive Excellence work.

Recommended action steps: • Connect with Student Senate and college student governance boards for input and collaboration on Inclusive Excellence-related activities.

• Support ongoing programming for students that engage the community in regular discussions and engagement with diversity, equity, and inclusion.

• Strengthen ties with student affinity groups.

Objective 3: Implement strategies to intentionally engage BIPOC and other historically underrepresented faculty, staff and alumni.

Recommended action steps: • Explore ways to better engage BIPOC and otherwise underrepresented alumni from all of the colleges.

• Explore activities which will build community among BIPOC faculty and staff and encourage participation in the work of Inclusive Excellence.

• Explore ways to engage the Board of Trustees and CSJs in the work of Inclusive Excellence Goal 4: Emphasize the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts by utilizing a wide range of communication strategies and tools that demonstrate support for Inclusive Excellence.

Objective 1: Establish and launch a Community Response Team (CRT) to quickly respond to rapidly developing issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in ways that align with the overarching mission of St. Catherine University.

Recommended action steps: • Identify issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion that impact the St. Catherine University community.

• Identify issues that should be addressed with the St. Kate’s community and develop strategies for timely communication to keep community members informed and empowered to act on the issue.

• Provide educational opportunities that encourage civil discourse.

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Objective 2: Examine how St. Kate’s communicates our values internally and externally, and develop strategies for highlighting Inclusive Excellence.

Recommended action steps: • Develop an Inclusive Excellence website as a means to provide and receive information, share resources and report progress toward University-wide Inclusive Excellence goals.

• Infuse language around Inclusive Excellence in all University-wide messaging.

• Help ensure that all communications and marketing documents accurately reflect the diversity of the populations of students, faculty, and staff and promote Inclusive Excellence.

Goal 5: Improve collaboration with community constituents to develop mutually beneficial initiatives regarding community development and civic engagement.

Objective 1: Develop and support the growth of existing and new community partnerships in order to build stronger connections with diverse local communities.

Recommended action steps: • Explore strategies between St. Kate’s and local community organizations and K–12 schools to enhance communication, build relationships, and identify mutual needs.

• Collaborate with other Minnesota Private College Council (MPCC) schools to leverage our resources to enhance our Inclusive Excellence efforts.

• Support existing Civic Engagement Initiatives in order to build on the strength of existing programs that support meaningful connections with our diverse local communities.

• Develop a Land Acknowledgement statement and guide developed with respect to local Tribal communities.

Objective 2: Guide and support collaborative efforts across the St. Kate’s community that promotes activities to help achieve Inclusive Excellence.

Strategies include the following: • Develop and implement a University-wide calendar of IE events and activities.

• Develop rewards and recognition programs to recognize and incentivize individual and team contributions for advancing Inclusive Excellence.

Year 1 Priorities: Strengthening the Foundation for Inclusive Excellence • Develop and roll out St. Kate’s Statement on Inclusive Excellence.

• Develop, roll out, and begin implementation of Driving a Culture of Inclusive Excellence 2028 strategic plan.

• Develop Inclusive Excellence metrics/performance indicators and establish baseline data.

• Conduct a climate assessment during the 2020-2021 academic year to establish baseline data.

• Develop Inclusive Excellence learning outcomes for the undergraduate core curriculum.

• Reconstitute the President’s Inclusive Excellence Advisory Committee.

• Launch the revised screening and selection process.

• Launch the IE Community of Practice.

• Launch the St. Kate’s ARPAC Community of Practice.

• Develop and implement a professional development needs assessment to identify IE priority areas for faculty and staff.

• Develop inclusive leadership indicators/competencies.

• Further develop relationships with student organizations.

• Collaborate with Student Affairs to develop co-curricular activities for students.

• Develop and launch the first annual Inclusive Excellence progress report.

• Develop and finalize a Land Acknowledgement statement.

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Year 2 and 3 Priorities: Building the Infrastructure for Inclusive Excellence • Establish and implement metrics for measuring outcomes and monitoring accountability at all levels of the University.

• In collaboration with Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, review the array of student support services and develop strategies to advance persistence and success of students.

• Develop and implement a search committee advisor program to ensure anti-bias and an equity lens in the screening and selection process.

• Develop and launch an inclusive leader development program and incorporate inclusive leader competencies into the supervisor performance review process.

• Develop and include Inclusive Excellence indicators into the staff performance review process.

• Work in collaboration with the faculty senate to develop and begin implementation of inclusive excellence indicators into the faculty evaluation, promotion and tenure process.

• Work in collaboration with the SVP of Enrollment Management to develop and implement a strategic enrollment management plan.

• Work in collaboration with Academic Affairs to implement cultural fluency learning outcomes in the undergraduate core.

• Develop and implement a climate enhancement plan based on climate assessment results.

• Develop and implement a comprehensive professional development plan for faculty and staff based on the needs assessment results and evaluate the impact and outcomes of the professional development.

• Work in collaboration with MarComm to develop and implement a University-wide communications plan related to Inclusive Excellence.

• Launch a Land Acknowledgement statement.

• Develop and provide a comprehensive update on progress made on the University’s Inclusive Excellence Plan.

• Support each division/school/department to develop and implement Inclusive Excellence goals that align with and support the university goals.

• Establish a cross functional work group to ensure alignment of IE efforts across the University.

• Develop and begin implementing a tool and process to audit and review University systems, policies, and procedures using an inclusive lens.

• Develop and support the growth of existing and new community partnerships in order to build stronger connections with diverse local communities.

Expected Outcomes Through the daily commitment of our very best effort to achieve the bold intent of this plan, we will provide an even greater transformational educational experience to our students, offer our faculty and staff an outstanding work environment, and share what we learn so that we continue to demonstrate what Inclusive Excellence leadership can mean.

• The ongoing work of Inclusive Excellence is distributed, coordinated, and aligned across roles, responsibilities, and all levels of the University.

• There is infrastructure in place that supports and promotes the successful implementation of Inclusive Excellence.

• There is measurable evidence that Inclusive Excellence is systematically integrated into all University operations and is used to inform decision-making, educational, and work practices and policies.

• Campus climate is measured on a regular basis, communicated, and all members of the St. Kate’s community work to continually improve it.

• Students, faculty, and staff are able to equitably access all opportunities the campus has to offer, and engagement comes through positive and inclusive campus experiences that promote a sense of belonging and inclusion.

• St. Catherine University is preparing all students to lead and influence in a diverse and pluralistic society.

• Students are persisting in and completing their educational programs at normative rates.

• Academic departments are engaged in a reiterative, rigorous, and thoughtful process for the adoption of learning outcomes and the means of assessment in response to changing student needs and best practices.

• There is measurable evidence of increased cultural fluency of faculty, staff, and students.

• There is measurable evidence in the increase and retention of faculty and staff from underrepresented populations.

• There is a demonstrated increase in the number of BIPOC faculty achieving tenure.

• The University has strengthened collaboratives with K-12 and enhanced student pipelines.

• St. Kate’s is viewed as an educational destination of choice by prospective students and parents based on our mission, academic rigor, and the welcoming and inclusive environment.

• St. Kate’s will be viewed as a leader in higher education for actively striving to be an anti-racist organization by continually evaluating and modifying our policies, practices, procedures, curriculum and co-curriculum to mitigate systemic racism.

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Commonly Used Terms Accountability means that systems are put in place to prompt and encourage community members to keep the commitments that are prioritized in the Inclusive Excellence plan, starting with a broad effort for each division to take ownership and responsibility for this collective work. It’s about taking responsibility for results and not assuming it’s someone else’s responsibility. Accountability means establishing performance standards and engaging in ongoing assessment of progress made at both the division and institutional level to achieve University IE goals.

BIPOC is an acronym for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Black can refer to dark-skinned peoples of Africa, Oceania, and Australia or their descendants, without regard for the lightness or darkness of skin tone, and who were enslaved by white people. Indigenous, here, refers to ethnic groups native to the Americas, and who were killed en masse by white people. People of color is an umbrella term for non-white people, especially as they face racism and discrimination in a white dominant culture. (dictionary.com, 2020) Bias Incident refers to any actions, conduct, speech, images, or expression that demonstrate conscious or unconscious bias which targets individuals or groups based on but not limited to their actual or perceived race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, religion, socioeconomic status, or other social identities.

Campus Climate is defined as the current attitudes, behaviors, and standards of faculty, staff, administrators, and students concerning the level of respect for individual needs, abilities, and potential.

Catholic Social Teaching refers to Catholic wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society. (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) The principles are not exclusively Catholic, but simply come from a long history of Catholic Church teachings, doctrines, statements, and actions rooted in the gospels and the life of Christ.

Co-Curricular refers to activities, programs, and learning experiences that complement in some way what students are learning in the curriculum. Co-curricular activities are typically defined by their separation from academic courses and generally do not offer academic credit. (The Glossary of Education Reform, 2019) Cross-Cultural deals with the comparison of different cultures. In cross-cultural communication, differences are understood and acknowledged, and can bring about individual change, but not collective transformations. In cross-cultural societies, one culture is often considered “the norm” and all other cultures are compared or contrasted to the dominant culture. (Spring Institute, 2017) Curriculum is defined as the courses and course work offered by an educational institution (MerriamWebster) or the subjects comprising a course of study in a school or college (Google Dictionary). For our purposes, this would include service learning, study abroad, Honors, Assistantship Mentoring Program, internships for credit, etc., which can be taken for academic credit.

Culture is defined as a people’s way of life that is socially learned, shared, and transmitted from person to person and often across generations; a set of beliefs, traditions, and values held by a group of people.

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Cultural Competence is the ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures. Cultural competence encompasses being aware of one’s own world view; developing positive attitudes towards cultural differences; gaining knowledge of different cultural practices and world views; and developing skills for communication and interaction across cultures.

Cultural Fluency is the understanding and effective use of the hidden cultural currents of communication. It is how effective communicators use language to connect with others, how they break and transcend the rules, and how they feel and flow in communication. (RealLife English, 2019) It is an awareness of the ways cultures operate in communication and conflict, and the ability to respond effectively to these differences.

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy is defined as using cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant and effective for them. It teaches to and through the strengths of these students. (Gay, 2010) Diversity refers to individual differences (e.g., personality, prior knowledge, and life experiences) and group/social differences (e.g., race/ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, country of origin, and ability as well as cultural, political, religious, or other affiliations). (AAC&U, 2005) Discrimination is the unfair or prejudicial treatment of people and groups based on characteristics such as race, gender, age, or sexual orientation.

Equity is the creation of opportunities for historically underserved populations to have equal access to and participate in educational programs that are capable of closing the achievement gaps in student success and completion. (AAC&U, 2005) It is the creation of opportunities for historically underserved populations to have equal access to and participate in educational programs that are capable of closing the achievement gaps in student success and completion.

Equity-Mindedness refers to the perspective or mode of thinking exhibited by practitioners who call attention to patterns of inequity in student outcomes. These practitioners are willing to take personal and institutional responsibility for the success of their students, and critically reassess their own practices. It also requires that practitioners are race-conscious and aware of the social and historical context of exclusionary practices in American Higher Education. (Center for Urban Education, University of Southern California) Ethnicity refers to a person’s nationality or belonging to a cultural group. Normally has similar traits, such as a common language, common heritage, and cultural similarities within the group. Other variables that play a role in ethnicity, though not in all cases, include a geographical connection to a particular place, common foods and diets, and perhaps a common faith. (NCBI, 2014) Extracurricular activities are those that do not fall within the scope of a regular curriculum or program of courses.

Gender Neutral refers to a space, language, ideology, etc. suitable for, applicable to, or common to all genders.

High-Impact Practices are transformational, active learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom that promote deep learning by encouraging student engagement such as learning communities; ePortfolios; internships; service learning and other community-based learning opportunities; capstone courses and projects; collaborative assignments and projects, etc. (Kuh, 2008) 20

Historically Underrepresented refers to groups who have been systematically denied access and/or suffered past institutional discrimination in the United States. These groups include African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics or Latinx, and Native Americans, as well as individuals with disabilities, people with LGBTQ+ identities, people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and first-generation college students.

Inclusion refers to the action or state of including or being included within a group or structure.

(Google dictionary) Inclusion is the act of creating environments in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate. Inclusion puts the concept and practice of diversity into action by creating an environment of involvement, respect, and connection — where the richness of ideas, experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives are harnessed to create innovation and value for the University. (Jordan, 2011) Intercultural Communication focuses on the mutual exchange of ideas and cultural norms, and the development of deep relationships. In an intercultural society, no one is left unchanged because everyone learns from one another and grows together. (Spring Institute) Interprofessional Education occurs when students from two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes. (World Health Organization) Intersectionality is a lens through which you can see where power comes and collides, where it interlocks and intersects. (Kimberlé Crenshaw) LGBTQ+ is an inclusive term covering people of all genders and sexualities, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, allies, and more.

Microaggression refers to the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership. (Derald Wing Sue) Multicultural refers to a society that contains several cultural or ethnic groups. People live alongside one another, but each cultural group does not necessarily have engaging interactions with each other. For example, in a multicultural neighborhood, people may frequent ethnic grocery stores and restaurants without really interacting with their neighbors from other countries. (Spring Institute) Nationality refers to the place where the person was born and/or holds citizenship. However, nationality often can be determined by place of residence, ethnicity, or national identity.

Neurodiversity is a concept where neurological differences are to be recognized and respected as any other human variation. These differences can include those labeled with Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Dyscalculia, Autistic Spectrum, Tourette Syndrome, and others. (National Symposium on Neurodiversity) Pluralism refers to a society, system of government, or organization that has different groups that keep their identities while existing with other groups or a more dominant group. (https://examples. yourdictionary.com/examples-of-pluralism.html)

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Social Justice is a term that is commonly used but for which there are numerous definitions. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet’s mission, grounded in Catholic Social Teaching, calls us to educate, advocate, partner, and act for justice leading to systemic change in communion, especially with our “dear neighbor.”

Race is a social construct that is often used to refer to the perceived color of a person’s skin, but is actually a combination of physical characteristics. Importantly, there is no biological basis for race, but in our society, people identify themselves racially, and also seek to identify others racially.

Universal Design is a framework for guiding educational practice that provides flexibility and access in instruction to provide appropriate accommodations, supports, and challenges while maintaining high expectations for all students. (University of Washington, 2017)

Inclusive Excellence Advisory Committee Members Courtney Abbott Zaynab Abdi Trina Bartok Madeline Bianchi Rafael Cervantes Brittany Clausen Kira Dahlik Raine DeCampeau Sharon Doherty Rebecca Gaunt Peterson Laura Gilchrist Mary Ann Graham Amy Hamlin Donna Hauer Nancy Heitzeg*

Sharon Howell, CSJ Victor Juran Jewelly Lee Pa Kou Lor Jessica Lubo Amy Mars Sandra Mitchell Leso Munala Gloria Nathanson Emmanuel Ngabire Anh-Hoa Nguyen Julie Olson Rand Isabel Pastoor Patricia Pratt-Cook Dawn Quiqley

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Sharon Radd Barabara Salinas Alisson Scheel Denise Silva Alma Silver Vincent Skemp Seth Snyder Toccara Stark Pa Der Vang* Cuc (Kim) Vu Lindsay Whipple Cynthia Yang

* Denotes Leader

Acknowledgements This plan is made possible through the tireless efforts of members of the President’s Inclusive Excellence Advisory Board and the input of hundreds of members of the St. Catherine University community of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and members of the Board of Trustees.

Powering Lives of Meaning For more than a century, St. Catherine University has been building upon a legacy of influential and visionary women. St. Kate’s guides an inclusive community of women to learn and discern wisely, live and lead justly, and shape a better world.

stkate.edu

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