Framework for Equity and Inclusion at Grand Valley State University
Equity and inclusion are integral to our mission at Grand Valley
State University to educate students to shape their lives, their
professions, and their societies, and to enrich the community through
excellent teaching, active scholarship, and public service.
The profound integration of Grand Valley's commitment and approach
to equity and inclusion is visible across the university, and guided
by values of inclusiveness and community:
From Grand Valley Board of Trustees Policies, Chapter 1: Vision,
Mission, and Values Statement
Inclusiveness. Grand Valley State University values all identities, perspectives,
and backgrounds and is dedicated to incorporating multiple voices
and experiences into every aspect of its operations. We believe that
diversity competencies are an intellectual asset and that a range of
thoughtful perspectives and a commitment to open inquiry strengthens
our liberal education tradition. We recognize that the long-term
viability of the institution depends upon anticipating and meeting
the needs of emerging constituent groups, especially our changing
student body. Therefore, the institution seeks to include, engage,
and support diverse groups of students, faculty and staff members,
as well as community members. Grand Valley is committed to
strengthening our living, learning, and working environment by
recognizing and removing the barriers to full participation and
providing a safe, inclusive, vibrant community for all.
Community. Grand Valley State University values its connections to,
participation with, and responsibility to local communities, West
Michigan, the state, the nation, and the world. We value the
collaboration of faculty members, staff members, and students with
external partners in addressing mutual interests and community
needs. The university offers the communities it serves resources and
inspiration in their own lifelong pursuit of knowledge. Faculty and
staff members are encouraged to contribute their expertise and
service working in partnership with communities. Students are
encouraged to take part in various service learning and volunteer
opportunities in their communities and abroad. To foster and expand
these community connections, the institution and its members
promote, value, and honor diverse perspectives.
Grand Valley's vision is to become one of the nations premier
institutions of higher education grounded in the tradition of the
liberal arts. This commitment to liberal arts education is
strengthened by providing a welcoming environment where all members of
the Grand Valley community can safely and proudly be their authentic
selves with equitable opportunity for success. Grand Valley strives to
foster a healthy and diverse environment where all members of the
community act with integrity, communicate respectfully, and accept
responsibility for their words and actions. Authentic personal
relationships and a spirit of community matter at GVSU.
Grand Valley intends to be a national model for equity and
inclusion in higher education, not only by implementing and innovating
evidenced-based best practices and responding to regional and national
and trends, but also by contributing to local and national discourse
on the responsibility of higher education to provide equity and
inclusion to all students, faculty and staff. Grand Valley aspires to
embody the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of our region, thus
becoming recognized as the practiced model and resource for equity and
inclusion in West Michigan.
Long-Standing Commitment to Advance Inclusion and Equity
In 2008 and building on prior decades of work, President Thomas J.
Haas (2007-current) created the Division of Inclusion and Equity.
Grand Valley was one of the first universities to create a unit
portfolio division structure to lead diversity efforts. This included
a chief diversity officer (CDO) at the senior management level who
reports directly to the president. The path to the creation of a CDO
at GVSU was led by a significant number of factors that had emerged
over the previous decade. Not only did the institution consider the
importance of diversity to accrediting bodies, it also listened to its
own constituents. GVSU conducted a climate study that gathered
quantitative and qualitative information; it supported the growth of
numerous grassroots efforts (e.g., the People of Color Network, the
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender [LGBT] Faculty/Staff
Association, and the Intercultural Awareness Committee); and it
listened to student concerns that had arisen as a result of bias
incidents on campus. These strengths and challenges painted a picture
of an institution ready to grow, and were propelled by the leadership
of a new president who understood that notable and sustained progress
required more formal leadership to lend authority and coordination to
diversity efforts.
Significant progress toward creating a welcoming environment has
been achieved at GVSU since 2008. A university-wide Inclusion
Implementation Plan (IIP) was completed in 2011 under the leadership
of the inaugural Vice President for Inclusion and Equity, Dr. Jeanne
Arnold (2008-2014). The IIP documents strategic initiatives from each
college, division and unit detailing their contribution to making GVSU
a more inclusive campus. Four action areas were highlighted: access
and equity, campus climate, diversity in curriculum/co-curriculum, and
organizational learning. Grand Valleys efforts to advance
equity and inclusion are now embedded in the 2016-2021 university
strategic plan. As previously noted, Grand Valley has also been a
leader in campus climate assessment and will complete a fifth
assessment in the fall of 2015.
Grand Valley has received national recognition for its commitment
to diversity and inclusion. In September 2014, Insight Into
Diversity named GVSU among its Higher Education Excellence in
Diversity (HEED) recipients. Grand Valley has also received the
Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council's Corporate ONE Award
and was named a Role Model Institution by Minority Access Inc.
Grand Valley intentionally recognizes its place among larger
systems of marginalization and oppression, the cumulative effect of
racial inequality that plagues the education system, and the continued
existence of identity-based tension on campuses that sometimes results
in educational and experiential inequalities. Grand Valley, as a
complex social system, is neither immune to the impact nor the root
causes of systemic oppression and takes stock of the history that has
marginalized some communities and prevented full access to the
benefits of higher education on a systemic level. Unfortunately,
college access continues to be stratified along racial, ethnic, and
socioeconomic lines. Underrepresented communities are more likely to
have feelings of exclusion, isolation, and experiences with
insensitivity and microaggression leading to a general sense of
vulnerability and even invisibility. Consistent with national trends,
findings of GVSU's 2011 campus climate study show that some groups on
campus, particularly people of color, LGBTQ individuals, and women,
reported having less comfort with the climate in some areas in
relation to their counterpart groups. And while these dynamics are not
isolated to Grand Valley, or even always under the universitys
direct control, the equity and inclusion framework provides the
necessary accountability to ensure even greater progress for all
communities despite these historical challenges.
Next Phase of Grand Valley's Commitment to Advance Inclusion
and Equity
The noteworthy leadership and commitment of President Haas, other
senior leaders, countless members of the GVSU community, and community
partners are indicative of a strong foundation for advancement. Grand
Valley acknowledges the need for a new, coordinated, and comprehensive
strategy to advance equity and inclusion. The challenge ahead is to
continue to transform GVSU into a more diverse, equitable, and
inclusive university. This effort honors the diversity of West
Michigan, renews a commitment to individuals and communities of every
background and perspective, and advances social justice locally and nationally.
Higher Learning Commission. Grand Valley's continued efforts will align with the
university accreditation standards of the Higher Learning Commission.
The framework articulated here and the university's strategic planning
for equity and inclusion advances HLC's guiding value that education
for a diverse, technologically and globally connected world is
essential, and demonstrates an example of Grand Valley's culture of
continuous improvement amid great success related to equity and
inclusion. Importantly, equity and inclusion efforts at GVSU will be
driven by evidence-based institutional learning and a commitment to
evaluation and assessment that aligns equity and inclusion efforts
with the evidence and assessment critical quality assurance function
of accreditation.
Commitment to Advance Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Social Justice
Diversity. Diversity refers to the presence of
difference and variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews
that arise from difference of culture and circumstance. Such
differences include race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender
identity and expression, disability, age, class, religion and
spirituality, geographic and international, and more. Diversity, in
all its forms, is at the heart of Grand Valley's mission to provide a
liberal education that will help shape lives, professions, and
societies. Diversity is affirmed and celebrated at GVSU and in the
community as a necessary intellectual asset and institutional
resource. Grand Valley believes it has a responsibility to serve all
members of our community through a coordinated equity and inclusion strategy.
Inclusion. Inclusion refers to GVSU's support for
the success and engagement of all students, faculty, staff and campus
visitors in creating a healthy and affirming climate. Inclusion is
the active, intentional, and ongoing engagement with diversity
in people, in the curriculum, in the co-curriculum, and in communities
(intellectual, social, cultural, geographical) with which individuals
might connect in ways that increase one's awareness, content
knowledge, cognitive sophistication, and empathetic understanding of
the complex ways individuals interact within value systems and
institutions (Association of American Colleges and Universities,
AAC&U). Inclusion establishes an environment in which all
individuals and communities are able to thrive in authentic ways.
Moreover, an inclusive and welcoming climate embraces difference so
that all people can fully participate in the university's
opportunities. Grand Valley is committed to the advancement of
inclusion the act of creating environments where individuals feel
welcomed, respected, supported, and valued.
Equity. Equity is a guiding principle at GVSU. It
refers to the guarantee of fair treatment, access, opportunity, and
advancement for students, faculty, and staff at every stage of
educational and career development. Grand Valley acknowledges that
there are historically underserved and underrepresented populations.
Every effort is made to identify and eliminate barriers preventing
their full participation.
Social Justice. Social Justice serves as the
conceptual foundation for Grand Valley's commitment to diversity,
equity, and inclusion. The institution recognizes its responsibility
to examine traditional power structures and to address unfair
treatment of any university constituent within these structures.
Moreover, Grand Valley intends to educate and empower all members of
the community to think critically about systems of marginalization and
oppression. This includes a deeper understanding of privilege and the
need for all in the community to work toward equity and fairness in
the pursuit of transformation of lives, professions, and societies.
Strategic Planning and Accountability for Inclusion and Equity
An organized strategy that focuses on diversity, inclusion, and
equity, solidly grounded in a foundation of social justice, drives the
next phase of the university's work. Looking forward, Grand Valley's
commitment includes sustaining institutional efforts to ensure that
equity is embedded across the campus, and ingrained in all functions,
decision-making, and planning. Grand Valley will also redouble
efforts to eliminate inequities and advance access while continuing to
create a campus climate that is welcoming and inclusive for all.
A social justice foundation motivates the increased intellectual
depth that is crucial for solving societal challenges. It also
contributes to the mechanisms and advocacy that are necessary to
ensure access and support for all at GVSU. This plan will also support
university efforts to:
Further position GVSU as the national model for equity and
inclusion among public, regional comprehensive universities.
Operationalize Grand Valley's 2016-2021 Strategic Plan, and guide
strategic planning for the Division of Inclusion and Equity.
Develop communications and outreach content to support cohesive
messaging for internal and external engagement.
Multifaceted and Coordinated Approach
Grand Valley is a large and complex institution, with over 25,000
undergraduate and graduate students, nearly 3,500 faculty and staff,
and over 100,000 alumni. In addition, the University partners with
countless community members, organizations, business, and other
institutions across the world. This framework for inclusion and
equity seeks to engage GVSU in activities related to faculty,
students, prospective students, staff, administrators, trustees,
alumni, and external community members. In the next phase of this
commitment, Grand Valley seeks to organize its efforts to advance
equity and inclusion through an integrated and multifaceted approach
with a focus in three broad areas: equity and structural diversity,
inclusion and campus climate, and, learning and development. In each
of these broad areas, an intersectional social justice lens and
strategic planning and accountability are central organizing frameworks.
1. Equity and structural diversity: how does
GVSU eliminate exclusionary barriers and support the educational
pipeline? Grand Valley seeks to recruit and retain students, faculty,
and staff who more accurately reflect the diversity of West Michigan.
As a public institution, GVSU can shape the educational pipeline by
supporting equity in education for K-12 students, increasing
college-readiness and college eligibility, promoting the success of
students through undergraduate graduation, and encouraging the pursuit
of graduate degrees at equitable rates. Areas of focus within equity
and structural diversity include:
Recruitment and Retention (students, faculty, and staff)
Nondiscrimination and Compliance (Priority: moving beyond-compliance)
Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity
Gender equity and Title IX and Civil Rights framework
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and accommodations
Procurement/Supplier Diversity
Education pipeline and outreach
Relevant objectives in GVSU's 2016-2021 Strategic Plan:
GVSU's diversity of students, faculty, staff, and administrators
increases to 18% to reflect the populations of West Michigan.
(1.B.1.)
Retention rates between first-year and sophomore years and
sophomore and junior years for first-generation and other
non-traditional undergraduate students meet or exceed the retention
rates of traditional undergraduate students. (1.B.2.)
2. Inclusion and campus climate: how does GVSU
continually improve campus climate and become an integrated member of
the broader community? Grand Valley desires to sustain an
institutional climate that allows all members of the community to
thrive and seeks to eliminate incidents of bias and discrimination on
campus. Understanding the impact of the external environment on campus
climate, Grand Valley strives to be a voice of progress and an
advocate of social justice for and within the broader community. In an
effort to better understand the experiences and perceptions of the
campus community and to promote openness and accountability, Grand
Valley prioritizes the collection of campus climate and
diversity-related data. It commits to developing sustained action
plans to respond to findings. It considers relationships with diverse
external communities and strives to develop compelling messages and
initiatives that resonate with those communities. Areas of focus
within inclusion and campus climate include:
Climate Assessment
Education and Response to Bias
Intergroup Relations and Discourse
Student, Faculty, Staff Achievement and Success
Retention
Institutional Development
External Relations
Alumni Relations
Relevant objectives in GVSU's 2016-2021 Strategic Plan:
Retention rates between first-year and sophomore years and
sophomore and junior years for first-generation and other
non-traditional undergraduate students meet or exceed the retention
rates of traditional undergraduate students. (1.B.2.)
All decision-making bodies at every level institution-wide include
diverse individuals and reflect diverse perspectives. (2.B.1.)
All university systems and policies ensure inclusiveness and
accessibility. (3.B.1.)
At least 90% of the GVSU community report high levels of equity as
characteristic of the institutional climate. (3.B.2.)
On a 7-point scale, Grand Valley improves its overall reputation
and familiarity in West Michigan and Metro Detroit among prospective
students of color by at least 0.2 points. (4.B.1.)
On a 7-point scale, Grand Valley improves its overall reputation
and familiarity in West Michigan and Metro Detroit among the general
public of color by at least 0.2 percent. (4.B.2.)
3. Learning and development: how does GVSU
ensure that university expertise related to equity and inclusion is
relevant and innovative? How does GVSU support the community's
continual development of greater self-awareness, knowledge, and skills
required for the advancement of equity and inclusion? Social justice
education is a life-long learning process. Areas of focus within
learning and development include:
Curriculum and Instruction
Research and Inquiry
Leadership Development
Social Justice Education
Relevant objectives in GVSU's 2016-2021 Strategic Plan:
Orientation for all new employees includes intercultural training
and development. (2.B.2.)
4. Intersectionality: GVSU's multifaceted and
coordinated framework for equity and inclusion considers and affirms
the role of multiple identities with relationship to various social
contexts and interlocking systems of power, privilege, and oppression
in shaping experiences of our community members. The University's
efforts broadly consider complex experiences and needs through
multiple dimensions of identity, with particular centrality to
marginalized identities, including:
Age
Disability status/varying abilities
First generation status
Gender
Gender identity and expression
International status and national/geographic origin
Race and ethnicity
Religion and faith/spirituality
Sexual orientation
Socio-economic status
Veteran/Military status
While intentional focus on intersectionality is central to the
University's framework, community- and identity-specific efforts are
necessary until full equality is realized. These efforts acknowledge
important nuances within diverse communities and identities and allow
for strategic attention that advances the work more broadly.
5. Strategic Planning and Accountability:
Strategic planning focuses on creating measurable ways inclusion and
equity can support the strategic direction, goals, and objectives of
the university. At GVSU, strategic planning is centralized through
the 2016-2021 University Strategic Plan. Although all academic and
administrative units contextualize objectives and outcomes, all
objectives, across the university, should advance the goals enumerated
in the university plan. To ensure the success of Grand Valley's
strategic planning related to equity and inclusion, accountability is
key. Efforts should include opportunities to review progress and
articulate course-corrections, if necessary. While efforts should be
broadly shared across campus, accountability partners should be
identified to ensure timely progress. Accountability helps to ensure
that "everyone is on board" and actively engaged in the
equity and inclusion process. At GVSU, the Division of Inclusion and
Equity is charged with supporting and advancing the university's
strategic framework for equity and inclusion.
Charge of the Division of Inclusion and Equity. In
its policies, the Board of Trustees of Grand Valley State University
charges the Division of Inclusion and Equity to direct diversity
planning for the university, address equity issues in collaboration
with other divisions and units, and support the vision and mission of
the university by providing leadership and services. The Division
will provide leadership to the University through a divisional
strategic plan. The Division of Inclusion and Equity supports GVSU in
being the model for equity and inclusion among public, comprehensive
regional universities in the nation.
Everyone has a stake in these efforts. While the
Division of Inclusion and Equity takes a leadership role in advancing
this framework through its divisional strategic plan, the
participation of the entire campus is essential to its success.
Everyone has a stake in this work! - equity and inclusion makes each
member of our community better and is fundamental to what it means to
be a Laker.
Mission
Through collaboration, consultation, and leadership with students,
faculty, staff, administrators and community partners, the Division of
Inclusion and Equity advances Grand Valley State University's
social justice framework for equity and inclusion. The division
coordinates sustainable and strategic institutional efforts to engage
all members of the community while also intentionally supporting and
advocating for historically underrepresented communities. The
division's work furthers the university's liberal education and
student-centered mission.
Vision
Grand Valley State University is transformed as a national model for
equity, inclusion, and social justice through pioneering, innovative,
and dynamic leadership by the Division of Inclusion and Equity and its
shared efforts.
Value Statement
Social Justice-Focused: A social justice and
intersectional framework guides the strategic efforts of the division.
This framework acknowledges systems of oppression and marginalization
and aspects of power and privilege and seeks to educate and empower
all members of the community to work toward equity. This framework
also acknowledges the university's place within systemic and
institutionalized challenges for equity and inclusion, but affirms our
commitment and responsibility to strive for transformation. The
division is guided by this framework to seek a deeper understanding of
complex intersecting social identities which highlights the centrality
of understanding the full dimensions of identities and how these they
dynamically interact with one another. As such, our work and
education is grounded in teaching about and addressing interdependent
systems of oppression and marginalization.
Equity-Minded: The division's value for equity
supports the university's institutional commitment to acting with
integrity, communicating openly and honestly, operating transparently
and accepting responsibility for our words and actions (University
Compliance Office) and commitment to identify and eliminate barriers
to recruitment and retention of diverse students, faculty, and staff.
The division seeks to set high standards of professional ethics and
consistency in principles, expectations, and actions. The division
supports the university's compliance with extensive and ever-changing
applicable federal and state laws and regulations regarding
nondiscrimination and affirmative action as well as university policy.
The division also ensures GVSU's commitment to equal opportunity for
all persons and works to eliminate and prevent discrimination on the
basis of age, ancestry, citizenship, color, familial or marital
status, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender
identity, gender expression, genetic information (including family
medical history), height, national origin, political affiliation,
pregnancy, physical or mental disability, participation in the
uniformed services, veteran status, or weight in admissions, access,
and treatment in educational, athletic, social, cultural, or other
university programs and activities and employment. Equitable practices
and policies are designed to accommodate differences in the contexts
of learning and working, particularly in light of historical factors
of disadvantage and marginalization. While taking seriously the
university's legal obligations, we also understand that if we look at
this approach as merely a compliance issue we will never achieve our
greater goals within our community. By creating a community that
fosters diversity, rather than requires it, we hope to create a place
where obligations are met organically rather than through federal
mandate. As such, the division accepts a beyond-compliance model that
recognizes compliance as a minimum standard for equity and inclusion
and strives to set a new bar for excellence and advocacy in these
areas.
Student Success-Centered: The division furthers the
university's commitment to student success by supporting the
recruitment, development, and retention of reflective,
student-centered faculty and staff who are prepared to meet the needs
of our diverse students. It shapes educational practice and policies
that encourage high levels of learning and personal development for
marginalized and underrepresented students, student persistence, and
student satisfaction. The division partners with faculty, staff, and
the community to educate all students about power and privilege and
works collaboratively to empower students from diverse communities.
Collaborative: Understanding that equity and
inclusion must be embedded across the university to effect
institutional change, the division accomplishes its mission in part by
establishing partnerships within the university and across our
external communities. As such, effective equity and inclusion
strategies are derived only through efforts that support shared
understanding and shared accountability. In these efforts, the
division prioritizes collaboration with academic and administrative
units across campus, and furthers the university's commitment to
shared governance through ongoing education, engagement, and
consultation with students, faculty, staff, and administrators.
Effective, authentic, and genuine collaboration is modeled within the
division.
Community-Engaged: GVSU's success in advancing equity
and inclusion is due, in part, to the long-standing diversity
champions within West Michigan's diverse communities. GVSU strives to
be as much a part of the community as it hopes the community is a part
of it. It's with this deep understanding that the division is
committed to creating reciprocal and mutually beneficial external
partnerships particularly with historically underserved communities.
Strategic, Data-Driven and Action-Oriented: The
division seeks to advance the university's culture of assessment and
data-driven decision-making and is committed to implementing and
innovating evidence-based practices that are supported by measurable
outcomes that drive institutional actions and further the university's
strategic planning priorities. Diversity, equity, inclusion and
social justice are not just rhetoric within the division, nor at GVSU.
Enacting equity requires a continual process of learning,
disaggregating data, and questioning assumptions about relevance and
effectiveness. We are committed to measuring and demonstrating
institutional change through assessment and reporting and maintaining
a high level of transparency and accountability.
Functions of the Division of Inclusion and Equity
The Division of Inclusion and Equity provides central leadership
for education and advocacy as well as administers the university's
compliance program related to diversity, inclusion and equity.
Aligning with the university's strategic outcome that GVSU will be
diverse and inclusive by 2021, the division maintains six high-level
strategic functional areas that will guide divisional efforts and
activities between 2016 and 2021 as outlined below.
1. Coordinate and provide leadership for the university's
extensive efforts to advance inclusion and equity that engage all
members of the community, with a central focus on supporting the
university's diverse and historically underrepresented communities.
2. Assure the university complies with all relevant federal and
state laws, university policies, and requirements related to civil
rights including all facets of promoting and monitoring equal
employment opportunity and affirmative action, developing related
educational programs, and preventing or responding to issues of
harassment, discrimination, and bias.
3. Provide consultation and support to deans, colleges/schools,
departments, and divisions to implement strategies that assist in
achieving a more diverse and inclusive university through strategic
planning, campus climate initiatives, program evaluation, pipeline
development strategies, and recruitment and retention initiatives
for underrepresented students, faculty, and staff.
4. Direct a comprehensive social justice education and
intercultural competency for social justice program for the campus
community, using both formal and informal delivery methods to
address the broad range of relevant issues, in an effort to develop
a shared understanding of social justice and equity and support
continual self and professional development of all community members.
5. Represent the university in local, state, and national
dialogues related to equity and inclusion and engage all members of
the community in understanding the vision and values for social
justice while advancing the university's reputation as a pioneer,
content expert, and dedicated advocate.
6. Advocate for and demonstrate equity-mindedness in all
university functions, particularly providing support for the
continued evaluation, implementation, and updating, as necessary, of
university policies, procedures, and planning, and monitoring of
progress toward meeting the university's goal to be more diverse and inclusive.
7. Student success focused to help empower students to develop
skills for academic and personal success that will also increase
retention, time to graduation and graduation rates. Skill
development will concentrate on civic engagement, resource
development, leadership, and social justice education.
8. External Community focused to embrace our world outside of the
university by promoting the voices and experiences of all and
incorporating them into our learning environment.
Strategic Priorities, outcomes, and key objectives
Strategic Priority Area 1: Actively engage learners at all levels.
Outcome A: Grand Valley's learning environment is personal, challenging, and transformational, supporting excellent academic programs and co-curricular opportunities.
Outcome B: Grand Valley is diverse and inclusive.
Outcome D: Grand Valley supports innovative teaching, learning, integrative scholarly and creative activity, and the use of new technologies.
Strategic Priority Area 2: Further develop exceptional personnel.
Outcome B: Grand Valley is diverse and inclusive.
Strategic Priority Area 3: Ensure the alignment of institutional structures and functions.
Outcome B: Grand Valley is diverse and inclusive.
Strategic Priority Area 4: Enhance the institution's image and reputation.
