Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Action Plan

At the University of New Haven, we are committed to:

1. Building an Inclusive Campus Infrastructure

Enhance the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Council to address overall diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at the University, provide guidance, and offer feedback to each academic college and school and their annual diversity and inclusive plan.
Create a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI&B) committee in each academic college and school and divisional units to carry forward the DEI&B priorities.
Appoint a dedicated point person in Advancement and Alumni Relations to engage alumni in DEI&B initiatives within the University community.
Support the Diversity Peer Education student workers as they carry out DEI&B programming and mentoring.
Create supportive networks for underrepresented students.
Continue to support the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Student Ambassadors Program to assist the University in fostering inclusivity within each academic college and school.
Support Human Resource infrastructure:
- Create high-impact diversity and inclusion learning and professional development plan.
- Develop talent management resources to attract, hire, and retain a diverse workforce.
- Proactive utilization of assessment tools such as exit interviews and turnover metrics to understand and act on employee turnover.

Conduct a bi-annual campus climate survey of all members of the campus community.
Provide resources and training opportunities for faculty and staff to become proficient at working in a diverse and inclusive environment.
Build opportunities for difficult discussions and reflections on issues of diversity, inclusion, and social justice as part of daily practice inside and outside of the classroom.
Implement policies, procedures, programs, and services that will help reduce biases within the community (integrate restorative justice practices, conflict resolution & mediation and early intervention practices).
Work with the IDEA Council to develop a set of practices that foster the free exchange of ideas while maintaining the University’s responsibility to protect the safety of all community members.
Build accountable bias reporting and grievance practices coordinated with the Office of Human Resources, Academic Affairs, and the Dean of Students office that promotes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Support the establishment of Affinity groups to help foster a sense of belonging.

Develop and strengthen pilot programs and partnerships through pathway programs outside of the University.
Develop a clear, intentional, and personalized outreach strategy for underrepresented and international students on campus.
Increase opportunities for underrepresented student mentorship.
Expand and replicate successful programs on campus that provide persistence, retention, and support services for underrepresented students.
Promote student-initiated, student-led recruitment, retention and community-empowerment efforts.

Allocate resources for hiring initiatives to increase the hiring of faculty and staff from underrepresented groups.
Leverage external partnerships to attract a more diverse pool of student (graduate and undergraduate) professional staff, and faculty.
Create of Diversity Search Ambassador positions to ensure diversity in hiring searches.
Create a mentoring program for new hires to be mentored by seasoned employees.
In collaboration with different divisions and Human Resources, develop a clear and intentional outreach strategy to increase the pool of diverse and talented candidates.
Increase assessment and accountability for hiring pools and yields at the administrative and academic department level.

Improve nonacademic services that contribute to students’ academic and social success.
Expand and enrich living-learning communities and affinity groups to provide all students, prospective students, and alumni/ae with rich support networks throughout their affiliation with the University.
Provide resources and incentives to support new and existing departmental programs that focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Provide intentional assistance with funding and supporting initiatives that advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racist practices among the student body.
Create spaces and foster intergroup dialogue on critical and challenging topics that inspire genuine understanding, inclusion, belonging, and collaboration.
Develop and promote programs, trainings, workshops, and events that engage the entire campus community and develop individuals’ understanding of diversity and issues of inclusion and belonging.

Work with the Curriculum Committee and the Office of the Provost to evaluate accountability related to diversity and inclusion within the classroom.
Conduct a DEI&B audit of the University curriculum to make the classroom a more inclusive and safe space.
Create a DEI&B committee to help embed diversity and inclusion research, service, teaching, and training across all divisions, colleges, schools, and departments.

The President and the leadership team will bring the voices of students, staff, and faculty into all campus-wide conversations and senior leadership team meetings.
In collaboration with academic leadership and Human Resources, each academic and staff unit will develop DEI&B action plans for the academic year, releasing progress reports at the end of the academic year as a part of the existing reporting procedures.
The DEI&B leadership team will work with departments and divisions to review organizational practices to identify structures or partnerships within our community that may be hindering our goal of being an anti-racist institution.
VP of Diversity and Inclusion will work with Human Resources to review University onboarding processes to ensure all new-hires are aware of the University of New Haven DEI&B resources, tools, and expectations.
Establish a coordinated campus-wide effort to implement and report on the progress of this strategic vision.
Embed the structure and resources for diversity and inclusion in all administrative units and within the job responsibilities of those in critical roles.
Create strategic initiatives with neighboring communities within a 30-mile radius on shared goals for diversity and inclusion.