SUNY Brockport’s five-year Strategic Plan for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion outlines
the College’s targeted goals for the next five years in regards to reducing barriers
to access, inquiry, engagement, and completion for all students as well as increasing
social equity for all members of the campus community. The plan aligns with the College's
core values: Community, Engagement, Excellence, and Transformation, which are part
of the College’s Strategic Plan, “Building a Better Brockport.”
EDI Strategic Plan Goals
SUNY Brockport has long held a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Below
are the goals of our current EDI Strategic Plan (2016-2021). Some progress has been
made, but not as swiftly as any of us would like. The College remains committed to
these goals and will enhance our efforts to achieve them.
Goal 1
Achieve a balance of representation in faculty and staff in line with student population,
and national, state, and regional demographics; and maintain a commitment to retention
and promotion of minority and underrepresented faculty and staff.
Goal 2
Achieve a balance of representation in student body population in line with state
demographics; and maintain a commitment to retention, completion, and academic success
of minority and underrepresented students.
Goal 3
Ensure that curriculum, programming, and/or trainings educate all incoming students,
faculty, and staff and are available to current students, faculty, and staff in issues
of social equity and the ability to speak to each other across differences as part
of the College’s commitment to inclusive community, diverse engagement, academic excellence,
and self-transformation.
Goal 4
Continue to build and maintain an inclusive and positive campus climate for every
member in which to foster internal and external community building on the campus,
local, regional, and international levels in which diversity is valued and inclusion
and equity are shared.
Progress Toward Goals
2020-21 2019-20 (pdf) 2018-19 (pdf)
Action Items
In response to concerns from members of our campus community, President Macpherson
has committed to a series of action items designed to strengthen our campus climate.
She has committed to structural changes in campus policies and practices. Those changes
include, but are limited to, the following:
Action 1: External Support
In partnership with SUNY, Dr. Rodmon King, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at
SUNY Oswego, joined our campus March 4 and will offer support throughout the spring
2020 semester. He will serve on President’s Cabinet to help rethink the structure
and strategic plan for the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in addition to
providing guidance, direction and support for the College.
Action 1 Progress Update
Action 2: Revamping Bias Reporting Mechanism
The re-launch of the bias reporting mechanism website launched in January was confusing
to many. The former bias reporting mechanism has been reinstated while a new and improved
mechanism is developed. If you have a concern and wish to report it, please go to
the Issue Reporting Center and click on “Report an Incident” under the Bias Related Incident Reporting System.
Action 2 Progress Update
Action 3: New Trainings
A comprehensive plan is being developed by the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
and Human Resources which will include online and face-to-face training in implicit
bias, institutional racism and structural inequality. This training is mandatory for
college leadership.
Action 3 Progress Update
Action 4: Demographic Review
A thorough review is underway of the demographics and diversity representation of
each of the 87 campus departments to identify which units have little racial/ethnic
diversity, and devise a plan to eliminate these “diversity deserts.”
Action 4 Progress Update
Action 5: Additional Community Conversations
We are committed to holding additional community conversations to hear issues and
concerns that need to be resolved and to rebuild trust in our community. President
Macpherson is actively engaged in these conversations.
Action 5 Progress Update
Read the full EDI Strategic Plan:
EDI Strategic Plan 2016-2021 (pdf)
Enrollment by Race and Ethnicity (pdf)
Adult Student Enrollment Trends (pdf)
International Student Enrollment (pdf)
Enrollment by Gender (pdf)
Divisional Progress Updates
- Academic Affairs
2020-21
The leadership team established new Leadership Guiding Principles which are published
on the website:
- Equity, diversity, and inclusion needs to be threaded throughout all of our decision-making
and actions as divisional leaders.
- Leading by example and setting expectations is part of our job, and in turn, the job
of our sub-leaders.
- Equity, diversity, and inclusion is not something "external" that is "done" to people
on campus. It is something internal - a light that guides all of us.
- There are resources to assist us, but we need to do the work. It isn’t about more
training nor is it the job of the CDO or HR. It is about our leading change.
- We need to discuss, honor, and understand that this work is a heavy lift, yet we will
be stronger for doing this.
Academic Affairs also focused on opportunities to support faculty development and
enrichment. Academic affairs launched and reviewed an Appointment, Promotion and Tenure
(APT) satisfaction survey to determine what areas need more investigation, conducted
focus group work and developed an anti-bias “worksheet” for APT committees. They reviewed
current mentoring practices with the aim of developing whole-College mentoring program
for new faculty, and they invested in membership for all faculty in the National Center
for Faculty Development and Diversity. NCFDD is a nationally recognized company that
is dedicated to supporting faculty in making successful transitions throughout their
careers, and includes online career development and training, and mentoring resources.
Drake Memorial Library colleagues created an anti-oppression LibGuide, collected diversity
books for the campus Little Free Library (located near Alumni House), analyzed the
library’s juvenile collection to ensure it is diverse, submitted a grant application
to develop a series of programs on EDI for local libraries, and attended a webinar
series on antiracism resources for information literacy instruction.
The School of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office shared with department chairs and program
directors a document developed jointly by the Urban Institute and the Rossier School
of Education at the University of Southern California with which faculty can review
their syllabi and modify their syllabi to promote racial/ethnic equity and equity-minded
practice.
Due to her leadership of the Comprehensive Colleges’ PRODiG Fellows project, which
focuses on expanding the pipeline for underrepresented faculty and women in STEM,
the provost was selected to co-chair the SUNY Chancellor’s Racial Equity Action Plan
Working Group on Curriculum Development, the results of which fed into the SUNY 25-point
DEI plan referenced above.
Fall 2020 Updates
- Welcomed new PRODiG Fellow, continue to support 4 PRODiG 2019-20 cohort faculty, applied
for and received approval for 4 new PRODiG 2020-21 cohort faculty who began in fall,
2020.
- Began College partnership with NCFDD
- There are 120 Brockport faculty who have signed up for memberships
- There have been over 420 “active sessions” for members this year
- 18 people have taken the “14-day Writing Challenge”
- One individual attended summer NCFDD workshop, gave CELT workshop on what she learned
- AALT group read and discussed Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership
for Student Success. This led to the development of Leadership and Diversity Guiding
Principles for AALT that guide our practice.
- AALT group read, discussed and implemented suggestions Leadership and Diversity in
Higher Education. This led to broad discussion on better communication when making
key decisions and the need for inclusive practice
- Dr. King met with AALT to discuss trauma informed practice in our leadership
- All AALT members undertook and discussed several Harvard Implicit Bias Tests and Kirwan
Institute modules.
- Asked Deans to review how IAS scores are being “privileged” in APT review letters
and how this can lead to bias in review processes.
- Leading SUNY-wide PRODiG Fellows Program
- Significant work with the PRODiG Steering Committee which has met 5 times
- Reviewed SUNY response to 2021-22 program requests, data
- Updated charge of group and developed full membership
- Reviewed new Brockport Diversity Recruitment and Retention Plan
- Developed APT satisfaction survey
- Developed and administered mentoring survey to determine where mentoring occurs on
campus and how.
- International Faculty presented IAS and teaching award data to the steering committee.
Previous Updates (Spring 2020)
- The leadership team has had multiple discussions on how to lead for change. Ultimately,
each dean will be asked to create a plan for their school, and each department, when
we recommence in the fall, will be tasked with addressing EDI explicitly within their
training, meetings, operational practices, and procedures. A review of Appointment,
Promotion and Tenure requirements will be asked for from each department.
- Launched an OpEd project, “Write to Change the World,” in collaboration with SUNY
Geneseo. The mission of the OpEd project is to change “who” writes history, diversify
knowledge in the public domain, and accelerate solutions to society’s greatest challenges.
The intended outcome was to provide an opportunity for diverse faculty to use their
public “voice” through writing op-ed pieces in the media. Participants have access
to national coaches for one year after the event. Responses from participants said
it was an intense, rewarding, and helpful experience. Brockport has had two op-ed
pieces published as a direct result of the training.
- Broadened the scope and context of the PRODiG Steering Committee to include not only
PRODiG support, but review of all support structures, ensuring more accountability,
including review of data, placing and language of ads, hiring practices, mentoring,
support of early career faculty, support of faculty promoting for full, developing
new opportunities for all faculty, and ensuring a supportive atmosphere on campus.
- With the advice and encouragement of the chair of the Faculty and Staff of Color Group
and our CDO, we have contracted with the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity for whole campus access, with a soft launch in spring and planning for more of a
“hard launch” for all faculty in fall 2020.
- Advancement
2020-21
Advancement and College Communications worked collectively and individually to sponsor
events in the ROC area and beyond, including Action for a Better Community’s “Racism
is a Public Health Crises” virtual conference series, the Urban League’s Interrupt
Racism Summit and Early Recognition Ceremony. Advancement is a sponsor of the Urban
League of Rochester’s 42nd Annual Salute to Black Scholars.
VP for Advancement Mike Andriatch chaired one of the subcommittees of the Community
Advisory Board (CAB) and Advancement acted as a champion of EDI projects through the
Town/Gown committee, and other committees. One disappointment was that, due to budgetary
constraints, the planned Coordinator of Advancement Diversity Initiatives role was
left unfilled. Advancement will continue to review opportunities to support this area
further.
Fall 2020 Updates
- Secured funding for the Joey Jackson ’88 Intercultural Center
- Recruited new members of the Foundation Board to increase racial diversity
- All Directors completed Kirwan Modules
- Completed Divisional Assessment Survey with Dr. Rodmon King
- Examined privilege through multiple materials
- Numerous members of staff participated in 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge
- Marcus Watson, Foundation Board member and ’95 alum, presented as part of “Free Food
for the Mind” virtual speaker series
- Secured funding (one of five SUNY campuses) for emergency student needs through the
Hecksher Foundation
- Held two Town Halls (June and December) with alumni and friends to discuss the College’s
past, current, and future EDI practices
- Dr. Rodmon King attended numerous meetings with Divisional Directors and presented
one session to entire Division
- Have added and tested an EDI goal to the Case for Support for the pending Comprehensive
Campaign
- VP for Advancement co-chaired the Economic Development sub-committee of the Community
Advisory Board
- The Golden Eagle Opportunity Fund has supported nearly 300 students with more than
$80,000 in emergency grant funds since the pandemic started
- Two members of the team attended the Interrupting Racism Summit sponsored by the Urban
League of ROC
Previous Updates (Spring 2020)
- Two members of the team lead EDI committees for campus, the EDI Awards Committee,
and the Recruitment and Retention Committee of the PCDI.
- Fundraising activities lead to more than $1 million in support in the form of scholarships,
prizes, and undergraduate research awards; our underrepresented students are over-represented
in terms of scholarship receipt. Some of the funds of the Foundation have been explicitly
geared towards our EOP students, with an additional $35,000 in support raised to support
their needs over the last two years.
- Advancement set up the Golden Eagle Opportunity Fund (GEOF) to help students in financial
need during the COVID-19 crisis.
- Advancement and Admissions work together each spring and summer as the incoming class
of first year students decide on Brockport as their school of choice. Admissions seeks
a diverse group of alumni in cities across the state to join accepted students and
their families at these receptions.
- Created a new Coordinator of Advancement Diversity Initiatives position, repurposing
a vacant line to do so. This position will be split between our Offices of Alumni
Engagement and Annual Fund (The Fund for Brockport) and focus on activities and fundraising
around our diversity efforts. This is a first-of-its-kind position within the SUNY
Comprehensive Colleges.
- Administration and Finance
2020-21
In addition to hiring the new Diversity Recruitment and Retention Specialist, Administration
and Finance also worked to restructure the existing HR recruitment team to move from
passive to active recruitment. This included implementing a Candidate Relationship
Management (CRM) feature in our applicant tracking system, allowing the recruitment
team to connect with and build a pipeline of qualified candidates. The Director of
HR participated in Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) meetings
to ensure that our diversity efforts are targeted and appropriate, and to ensure access
to additional support and resources around diversity, veterans, and disabled individuals.
HR has begun to actively review employee turnover data to identify root causes for
attrition and seek opportunities to retain our diverse workforce. More training is
in the pipeline for supervisors to assist with this aspect of our work.
The VP for Administration and Finance is chair of the College’s Policy Committee,
and he has implemented a high-level review of all policy development activity in order
to review for and guard against bias.
Fall 2020 Updates
- Hired Diversity Recruitment and Retention specialist, who has actively worked to improve
processes and procedures.
- Restructured the existing HR Recruitment team and moved from passive to active recruitment
with an emphasis on diversifying our applicant pools
- Revamped search committee training with focus on unconscious bias
- Stay interviews conducted with underrepresented employees; a number of recommendations
regarding supervisor training, internal promotions policy and search committee training
are being implemented.
- Policy Development for all of campus includes review/inspection to ensure EDI focus
and to guard against bias
- Implemented a Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) feature in our applicant tracking
system allowing the Recruitment team to connect with and build a pipeline of qualified
candidates
- Manager of Recruitment and Retention attended the CUPA Greater NY Chapter Recruitment
Workshop that focused on EDI recruitment tools, best practices and the PRODiG initiative.
- HR Director participated in Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP)
meetings and will continue to partner with their offices for additional support and
resources around diversity, veterans and disabled individuals.
- Undertaking ongoing analysis of employee turnover to identify root cause for attrition
- Recruitment team has attended EDI training sessions and webinars.
- A&F leaders are reading and discussing White Fragility and Set for Inclusion
Previous Updates (Spring 2020)
Initially focused on making changes to our HR practices to take into account EDI opportunities,
including the following:
- Affirmative Action Officer is working with Dr. King to identify nationwide partnerships
that our recruitment team develop specifically around faculty recruitment. She is
also working with Dr. King and Institutional Research on gathering data to inform
our outreach plans once the Diversity Recruiter is hired.
- HR has implemented a Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) feature in our applicant
tracking system allowing the recruitment team to connect with potential applicants.
- The CRM will allow us to stay connected with interested parties and build a pipeline
of qualified candidates.
- Everyone in the recruitment team has attended EDI training sessions and webinars,
and one member of the team attended the CUPA Greater NY Chapter Recruitment Workshop
that focused on EDI recruitment tools, best practices, and the PRODiG initiative.
- The Affirmative Action Officer participated in OFCCP meetings and will continue to
partner with their offices as they announced they will be providing employers additional
support and resources around diversity, veterans, and disabled individuals.
- Started the development of “HR101” training for new supervisors and managers, which
includes EDI awareness.
Administration and Finance will continue to work on the other areas of the division,
including facilities and planning, budget and management, and health and safety to
develop similar intensive EDI initiatives to transform the operations of our non-student-facing
activities.
- College Communications
2020-21
Advancement and College Communications worked collectively and individually to sponsor
events in the ROC area and beyond, including Action for a Better Community’s “Racism
is a Public Health Crises” virtual conference series, the Urban League’s Interrupt
Racism Summit and Early Recognition Ceremony. Advancement is a sponsor of the Urban
League of Rochester’s 42nd Annual Salute to Black Scholars.
College Communications proactively worked with the Student Advisory Board on how students
wish to see diversity threaded throughout the website and other communication vehicles.
One outcome was distribution of a Public Service Ad-style campaign to promote bias
literacy and how to be a good citizen. College Communications worked in conjunction
with the Bias Response Team to produce several social media campaigns aimed at increasing
awareness of individual biases as well as the College’s Bias Response System. The
following is a list of topics that were covered in 2020-21:
- October 2020: Culturally Insensitive Halloween Costumes
- November 2020: Respectful Citizenship during the Presidential Election
- December 2020: December Holiday Season Inclusivity & Education
- January 2021: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Inauguration Day: Reminders to Practice
Civility
- February 2021: Black History Month
- March 2021: Understanding Oppression 5-Day Media Challenge
- April 2021: Diversity Learning Series
- May 2021: Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month
College Communications also intentionally built EDI into social media outreach and
increased the diverse breadth of stories published in The Port. College Communications
worked with OEDI on an initial EDI microsite, Building a Better Brockport: Strengthening
Our Campus Climate, before merging the information into an overhauled EDI website
to ensure the wide dissemination of the College’s EDI activities.
Fall 2020 Updates
- Follow up Spring meeting with Student Advisory Board with a fall semester meeting
- Helped create/distribute Public Service Ad-style campaign to promote bias literacy
and how to be a good citizen
- Created EDI microsite, and then combined it with revamped EDI site
- Promoted cultural group recognitions and events
- Intentionally built EDI into social media outreach
- Increased the diverse breadth of stories published in the Port
- Sponsored several events, such as Urban League’s Interrupt Racism Summit and Early
Recognition Ceremony
- Several College Communications staff participated in the 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge
Previous Updates (Spring 2020)
- Discussions around EDI have become part of weekly meetings between the VP and directors.
- In the process of redeveloping the website’s main navigation to ensure that a link
to our diversity work is prominent on each of our hundreds of thousands of web pages.
- Building intentionality into its use of social media. For example, 5.5 of the 11 Instagram
takeovers thus far in 2020 have been by students of color.
- A member of the College Communications leadership team is assigned to support OEDI’s
marketing/communication needs — including event promotion, website support, video/photography,
and more.
- The interim CDO and the VP for University Relations have been discussing a plan to
thread more EDI imagery throughout the website, not just in ensuring that our photographs
represent our diverse student body, but also in thinking through how to ensure that
clubs, organizations, and activities that disproportionately attract students of color
get more visibility on the website and in our PR stories, such as our McNair Program,
our EOP program, and our cultural club activities.
- Enrollment Management and Student Affairs (EMSA)
Fall 2020 Updates
- All staff completed Kirwan Institute Bias Training Modules and Implicit Association
Tests
- Mandatory Professional Training for all staff – completed Safezone and Title IX trainings
- Directors introduced the book Becoming a Student-Ready Campus to each of their staffs
to read and discuss
- Divisional leaders were asked to meet with the EDI Student Advisory Board in separate
meetings. The committee requested and met with Divisional VP and AVPs, the University
Police Chief, and the Director of Housing. Directors in all areas will meet with
the student advisory board as requested.
- Information and a great deal of Assessment data from a number of EMSA Offices, such
as UG Admissions and ASC regarding retention, was provided to the CDO to complete
the OEDI Annual Report
Previous Updates (Spring 2020)
In Spring 2019, all EMSA units completed the Council for Advancement of Standards
in Higher Education Part 7 Self-Assessment focused on Equity, Inclusion, and Access.
This has become incorporated into the annual reporting process and informed departmental
annual goals, which are measured on an annual basis through the assessment process.
Specific initiatives undertaken in 2020 include the following:
- Golden Eagle Orientation Academy: An extended orientation for low income, first generation and/or students of color.
This is intended to provide additional transitional support, mentoring, and academic
skills. This was planned to be offered in summer 2020; we are now looking at offering
it in conjunction with an extended Welcome Week.
- Transition and Success Coordinator: This position was realigned from Career Services. The new Transition and Success
Coordinator position is part of the state-of-the-art Academic Success Center (ASC),
which opened in 2018 in the center of campus. Working with a team of dedicated, student-centered
professionals in the ASC, the Transition and Success Coordinator will develop and
implement comprehensive programs and interventions to support the transition and ongoing
academic and personal success of historically underrepresented groups. Specific priority
populations for this position will be historically underrepresented students, emerging
scholars, and military/veteran students.
- The Student Transition and Inclusion Steering Committee is charged with the following:
- Review, augment and/or recommend enhancements to the existing program proposal, approved
by President’s Cabinet in January 2020.
- Operationalize the strategies within the Program Proposal for implementation in summer
2020, fall 2020, and beyond.
- Provide support and advisement to the ASC Transition and Success Coordinator.
- Review assessment data on an ongoing basis to determine program effectiveness; identify
opportunities to improve programs and services.
- Based on the retention data analysis and findings, provide recommendations to the
Enrollment Management Committee to be integrated into the Strategic Plan for
- Undergraduate Retention, as well as other divisional goals/plans.
Admissions progress:
- We recognized a lack of diversity within our recent searches for new Admissions Advisors
so we piloted an internship program that created both a graduate and undergraduate
internship within the office. This program has been highly successful as we were able
to offer two internships this spring.
- We have refined our efforts to strengthen working relationships with school counseling
staff in high schools that have very diverse populations (by using NYSED data). Completed
events include College information sessions, EOP counseling trips (jointly conducted
by UG Admissions, Financial Aid, and EOP), Financial Aid literacy presentations, and
school counselor events. Prospective and admitted student bus trips were unfortunately
cancelled this spring, due to COVID-19.
- We have developed an action plan that provides opportunities for admissions advisors
to reach out to community leaders or non-profit organizations in areas of the state
that have a large minority population. Our platform of partners include OneGoal, CACNY,
GearUp, and the College Bound Initiative.
- We have reviewed admissions and enrollment processes by examining the following:
- Compare percentage of EOP applicants to funded EOP seats to inform advocacy efforts.
- Review and continue to offer acceptance to EOP applicants who meet regular admissions
standards.
- Continue to review and coordinate transitional programming for first year and transfer
students.
- Aspire to hire more professional staff with multi-lingual capabilities in the areas
of recruitment, enrollment, and advisement to increase the likelihood of being able
to communicate well with parents or guardians who are speakers of other languages.
- ROCHESTER EOC (REOC)
Fall 2020 Updates
- Started to include an EDI component in annual performance program goals.
- focused the 2020 REOC Convocation on EDI.
- Addressed civility and structural racism through various professional development
opportunities.
- Ensured that a REOC Leadership team member participated in the SUNY Brockport search
for its Chief Diversity Officer.
- Attended Urban League’s Interrupt Racism Summit.
- Participated in the 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge.
- Showcased the various cultures and provided historical context around major contributors
during its annual Martin Luther King celebration.
- Partnered with the ‘Refugees Helping Refugees’ program.
- Continued to intentionally showcase diverse student stories and successes through
the REOC Wall of Fame throughout the REOC building and on the REOC website.
- signed the “Racism is a Public Health Crisis” declaration.
- presented at the Right Talent, Right Now, Workforce Diversity Symposium, hosted by
Heritage Christian Services