NOA Phase II Tracking
High Level Recommendations
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The following recommendations from the Network of Advisors are grounded in the goal to advance GVSU’s social justice framework for equity and inclusion. With much collaboration, consultation, and leadership from students, faculty, staff, administrators and community partners, this report summarizes recommendations for change to GVSU’s systems, processes, practices and procedures and also highlights where greater human connection is needed. We seek to support and advocate for historically underrepresented communities while enabling the development of an equitable approach to our greater community.
1. Make our commitment to DEI and cultural competency more visible to our campus community and prospective members.
2. Better understand the experiences of diverse employees and students to improve retention and sense of belonging through enhanced climate check-ins.
3. Continue to elevate the voices and expand the engagement of diverse students.
4. Reinforce and support faculty/staff connection with diverse students and diversity-related research opportunities.
5. Unify student support and technology experience to better serve marginalized and underrepresented students.
6. Adopt additional inclusive recruitment practices for students and hiring practices for employees.
7. Articulate clear DEI-A expectations and accountabilities for leadership and management.
8. Offer more leadership, professional, and organizational development to foster inclusion and equity.
9. Strengthen people-centered retention with particular attention to diverse employees and students.
10. Develop additional promotion pathways and greater engagement for employees.
1. Make our commitment to DEI and cultural competency more visible to our campus community and prospective members.
Continue to enhance the university's supplier diversity program.
Substantial Progress Made
Responsible Party: Valerie Rhodes-Sorrelle
Develop and/or promote an inclusive language guide.
Completed or Ongoing
Responsible Party: Rhonda Lubberts & Mary Eileen Lyon
Expand work on de-colonization and land acknowledgement education.
Some Progress Made
Responsible Party: Marlene Kowalski-Braun & Native American Advisory Council
Follow-up to review of current policing practices.
Substantial Progress Made
Responsible Party: Brandon DeHaan
Incorporate DEI messages wherever possible.
Some Progress Made
Responsible Party: Connie Dang
2. Better understand the experiences of diverse employees and students to improve retention and sense of belonging through enhance climate check-ins.
Administer myGVSU Campus Climate survey every two years.
Completed or Ongoing
Responsible Party: Jesse Bernal & Kathleen VanderVeen
Consider administering the COACHE Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey or other opportunity..
Some Progress Made
Responsible Party: Ed Aboufadel & Christine Rener
3. Continue to elevate the voices and expand the engagement of diverse students.
Create opportunities for students and university leadership to discuss campus climate, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Substantial Progress Made
Responsible Party: Jesse Bernal & Senior Leadership Team
Create or identify a unified student support and technology experience to better serve all students, particularly first-gen students.
Some Progress Made
Responsible Party: Miloš Topic & Donta Truss
Elevate student voices, including attention to strategic student leadership positions and work to diversify membership and leadership, supporting climate and culture with Student Senate and other student organizations, and DEI development opportunities.
Some Progress Made
Responsible Party: Jenny Hall-Jones & Valerie Guzman
Establish a peer-to-peer education program that is designed to further support the work of the student Ombuds (problem solving, conflict management).
Some Progress Made
Responsible Party: Takeelia Garrett & Marlene Kowalski-Braun
Implementation of SEMP priorities that advance sub-population enrollment and success outcomes; Support for SEMP transformation teams.
Substantial Progress Made
Responsible Party: Donta Truss & Transformation Teams
4. Reinforce and support faculty/staff connection with diverse students and diversity-related research opportunities.
Expand access to undergraduate research opportunities for marginalized students and utilize student-generated knowledge in university programming and planning.
Substantial Progress Made
Responsible Party: Susan Mendoza & Bob Smart
Inclusion of DEI-A efforts in faculty workload reports and Digital Measures (connect to implementation team on contributions to DEI-A).
Some Progress Made
Responsible Party: Ed Aboufadel
5. Unify student support and technology experience to better serve marginalized and underrepresented students.
Review current processes and identify best practices related to the recruitment, hiring, training, and professional development of student staff and leaders.
Some Progress Made
Responsible Party: Michelle Rhodes & Valerie Guzman
6. Adopt additional inclusive recruitment practices for students and hiring practices for employees.
Adopt a talent management system that integrates the full employee lifecycle.
Some Progress Made
Responsible Party: Mychal Coleman
Enhance inclusive recruitment and hiring practices.
Some Progress Made
Responsible Party: Mychal Coleman & Kathleen VanderVeen
Include a statement expressing the university's commitment to inclusion and equity and a land acknowledgment in job descriptions.
Some Progress Made
Responsible Party: Mychal Coleman
Redesign of Inclusion Advocates Program.
Some Progress Made
Responsible Party: Kathleen VanderVeen & Implementation Team
Review the current university diversity statement and recommend any necessary updates.
Not Started or N/A
Responsible Party: Jesse Bernal
Where appropriate, encourage applicants to submit a statement describing the integration of DEI-A in their work or their teaching/professional effectiveness, scholarship, and service.
Some Progress Made
Responsible Party: Mychal Coleman
7. Articulate clear DEI-A expectations and accountabilities for leadership and management.
Deliver Intercultural Development Inventory.
Substantial Progress Made
Responsible Party: Marlene Kowalski-Braun
8. Offer more leadership, professional, and organizational development to foster inclusion and equity.
Continue National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) institutional membership.
Completed or Ongoing
Responsible Party: Jesse Bernal & Christine Rener
Create a portfolio of social justice professional development and training opportunities for faculty, staff, and administrators.
Some Progress Made
Responsible Party: Marlene Kowalski-Braun
Establish a DEI-A committee, including student advisors, in each division and college dedicated to moving the organizational unit forward and improving the climate.
Some Progress Made
Responsible Party: Executive & Appointing Officers w/ Coordination by Elizabeth Doyle
Identify inclusion and equity leads in each of the major organizational units and divisions.
Some Progress Made
Responsible Party: Senior Leadership Team & Deans
Expand inclusive pedagogy professional development for faculty and staff.
Substantial Progress Made
Responsible Party: Christine Rener & Marlene Kowalski-Braun
Explore ways we can expand education for our students to ensure every graduate deepens understanding of systemic racism, social justice and racial equity.
Substantial Progress Made
Responsible Party: Fatma Mili
Institute a Faculty Intergroup Dialogue Program or related initiative as collaboration among the Center for Civil Discourse, Pew FTLC, social justice centers, and Inclusion and Equity.
Some Progress Made
Responsible Party: Marlene Kowalski-Braun & Christine Rener
Consider expanding the DEI Fellowship in the Pew FTLC.
Not Started or N/A
Responsible Party: Christine Rener
Provide Faculty Success Program opportunity to new tenure-track faculty from underrepresented groups.
Substantial Progress Made
Responsible Party: Inclusion and Equity & FTLC
Reinstitute the Inclusion & Equity Faculty Associates Program.
Some Progress Made
Responsible Party: Connie Dang
University training for all members of our university community on social justice, power, privilege, anti-racism, indigeneity, decolonization, and more.
Nearing Completion
Responsible Party: Kathleen VanderVeen & Marlene Kowalski-Braun
9. Strengthen people-centered retention with particular attention to diverse employees and students.
Conduct salary equity study every 3-5 years.
Completed or Ongoing
Responsible Party: Human Resources
10. Develop additional promotion pathways and greater engagement for employees.
Responsible Party: Human Resources & Implementation Teams