School's Diversity Plan

School of Public Health-Bloomington Diversity Plan

1. School of Public Health-Bloomington Mission and Diversity Objectives:

   The School of Public Health-Bloomington follows Indiana University's institutional commitment to growing and sustaining a multi-culturally diverse, equitable, and inclusive living, learning, and working environment. Policies, procedures, organizational structures, curricula, and co-curricular programs function across the campus to create a climate that supports unique individual identities and missions yet promotes common shared goals. Citizens of the university are encouraged at every opportunity: to recognize our shared humanity; to treat each other with civility, tolerance, respect, and compassion; and to collaboratively usher in an ideally beneficial shared future.

   In keeping with the mission of the School of Public Health-Bloomington to promote health among individuals and communities in Indiana, the nation, and the world, we welcome our responsibility to recruit and retain a diverse faculty and staff as well as recruit, admit, retain, and graduate a high achieving and diverse student body. We understand that the richness of this diversity not only strengthens the experiences of teaching and learning but also energizes all who seek to promote the importance of health and quality of life as a human right. We value diversity in all forms, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic class, national and regional origin, ability status, sexual orientation, and religion. We affirm that the denigration, dismissal, or silencing of members of any group diminishes all of us.

   Given this context, the School of Public Health-Bloomington acknowledges the aforementioned categories, but believes that the essence of human dignity supersedes any attempt at categorization and only for pragmatic, protective, and quality assurance purposes do we endeavor to define what constitutes an underrepresented group within our school. Therefore, the School of Public Health-Bloomington defines underrepresented groups as all historically disenfranchised and/or excluded populations within our society. This term is inclusive of underrepresented minorities (URM), first-generation students, and low-income students. Additionally, we recognize that any grouping of individuals beyond the previously stated categories defined by size (i.e., small number of students), by mutual experiences (i.e., military veterans or children of 9/11 victims), or by small international groupings (i.e., individuals from developing countries) can add to the richness of diversity within our school.

   To this end, we are committed to the following diversity and inclusion objectives:

   • Using our resources to identify ways we can support efforts to overcome local, national, and global health problems related to racial and sexual violence, health inequity, intolerance, and oppression.
   • Developing and implementing opportunities to attract a diverse community and ultimately hiring faculty, administrators, and staff reflective of our student population and nation.
   • Cultivating acceptance and civility to encourage a consistent and thoughtful appreciation of the contributions of all School of Public Health-Bloomington members.
   • Conscientiously and promptly responding to the concerns of any individual or group who feel that their voice and presence have not been welcomed and valued or that their rights have been challenged.
2. Guiding Policies & Structure
   1. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is a responsibility of every individual within School of Public Health-Bloomington. All School of Public Health-Bloomington employees are charged with aiding in creating community within the school and sharpening the talent of the school's diverse scholars. School of Public Health-Bloomington has made a conscientious effort to create administrative positions and committees to advance our DEI goals. The following structure—including administrative offices, positions and committees—currently exists:
      1. Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion (OSDI)
      2. Assistant Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Organizational Climate
      3. Committee on Diversity and Inclusion
   2. The school maintains a full-time Director of Student Diversity and Inclusion (Director of OSDI) who provides leadership to diversity initiatives that work toward a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Although focused on student diversity, this role was designed to facilitate an inclusive climate in the school. Additionally, the director provides leadership to the school on recruitment, retention, outreach, and success of underrepresented groups at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The Assistant Director of Student Diversity and Inclusion (Assistant Director of OSDI) works in consultation with the director to create, coordinate, implement, and evaluate recruitment and retention initiatives for underrepresented groups and populations. The assistant director is also responsible for coordinating public health–related events with the various IU Culture Centers, creating marketing specifically for the heritage month celebrations and other campus outreach. OSDI reports to the Assistant Dean for Student Academic Affairs. The Assistant Dean for Student Academic Affairs is accountable for the assignment of duties and performance of the full-time staff in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
   3. The school maintains an Assistant Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Organizational Climate who advises the School of Public Health-Bloomington dean and the school on items related to culture, climate, and inclusivity; comments on recruitment and retention efforts of faculty, staff, and students; and conducts inclusivity and equity training of faculty and staff.
   4. The Committee for Diversity and Inclusion is a standing committee of the school's faculty governance body, the School of Public Health-Bloomington Academic Council. The Committee for Diversity and Inclusion is co-chaired by the Director of Student Diversity and Inclusion and a current School of Public Health-Bloomington faculty member. The committee comprises faculty representatives from each School of Public Health-Bloomington department, professional staff, and current School of Public Health-Bloomington students (both undergraduate and graduate). The Committee for Diversity and Inclusion is charged with reviewing DEI measures for the Council on Education of Public Health accreditation process; advising School of Public Health-Bloomington leadership and DEI specialists on climate surveys, focus groups, assessment, and other activities.
3. Recruitment & Retention
   1. Faculty Recruitment. School of Public Health-Bloomington is committed to recruiting and retaining a faculty that is reflective of our student population and, aspirationally, the nation's demographics. In recent years, School of Public Health-Bloomington has made significant strides in this area (see Figure below), but fully recognize that this will be an on-going priority for years to come. We celebrate our accomplishments and look to capitalize on these efforts in the future.
      
      
      

      School of Public Health-Bloomington is a school that encompasses STEM disciplines, health sciences, and behavioral sciences. To this end the school utilizes the National Science Foundation's (NSF) definition of underrepresented minorities (American Indian or Alaskan Native, Black or African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Pacific Islander) when focusing on inclusive hiring pools and faculty recruitment. The following procedures and best practices are enacted in our continued efforts to recruit a diverse faculty:

      1. Deans and/or department chairs are expected to be attentive to the inclusion of diversity in the makeup of the committee and within the applicant pool. Processes are consistent with the IU Bloomington's Best Practices for Faculty Recruitment, which is provided to all members of the search and screen committee as mandatory reading.
      2. At least one member of every search and screen committee is required to attend a Faculty Hiring Workshop hosted by the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs. Topics covered in the workshop include: Creating Effective Searches, Implicit Bias in Evaluation and How to Reduce it; Selecting, Interviewing, and Recruiting: Best Practices for Achieving Diversity; and Dos and Don'ts in Interviewing Candidates.
      3. The Executive Associate Dean is accountable for general fidelity to search and screen procedures, which incorporates diversity. The School of Public Health-Bloomington Director of Human Resources is accountable for maintaining correct documentation of searches.
      4. All faculty applicants are required to provide a written diversity statement as part of their application materials.
      5. Once successfully hired, all new faculty hires are contacted by several people within the school to aid in their transition. These points of contact include, but are not limited to, their department chair, the Executive Associate Dean, the Director of OSDI, and a fellow colleague from their home School of Public Health-Bloomington department.

         For example, the Director of OSDI compiles campus and community resources outlined in welcome packages and pamphlets to new hires—particularly those who are looking for childcare, eldercare, international markets, beauty shops and barbers, and other personal and cultural needs.

      6. School of Public Health-Bloomington and partners recently (summer, 2019) hosted the inaugural "Rising Stars in Health Sciences Symposium." The symposium, which focused on networking, science, mentoring, and career development, was tailored to underrepresented minority scholars who are in the early stages of their careers, including advanced Ph.D. students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career faculty. Attendees were selected from institutions across the United States on the basis of their academic experience, productivity, and recommendations from senior scientists. The goal of this meeting (and hopefully future meetings) was to nurture and mentor URM rising stars in the health sciences to positively impact vital research and practice.
   2. Faculty Retention Efforts. In addition to our commitment to recruiting a diverse faculty, School of Public Health-Bloomington has designated retention activities to assist in the development of our faculty. Internal efforts include:
      1. The Dean's Office and School of Public Health-Bloomington leadership create and facilitate monthly activities and gatherings to familiarize new faculty with School of Public Health-Bloomington culture. The goal on these gatherings is to facilitate connections to the larger IU Bloomington community by designing a cohesive onboarding experience, connecting faculty to campus and community resources, and hosting social events that build community within School of Public Health-Bloomington.
      2. Mentorship: Select School of Public Health-Bloomington departments pair new and junior faculty with seasoned faculty peers within their respective School of Public Health-Bloomington departments.
      3. Monthly Talks with the Dean: All faculty/staff are encouraged to utilize the dean's office hours, yet a concerted effort is made for URM, women, and junior faculty to connect with School of Public Health-Bloomington leadership. Most months the dean hosts a time for (1) non-fiscal-related items and (2) fiscal-related items and concerns.
      4. Biguans: The Chinese term 壁观 (pronounced roughly 'biguan') loosely translates to a period of retreat to a quiet place for meditation. We have scheduled biguans or cloistered sessions for grant application development and writing with very good results. School of Public Health-Bloomington invests heavily in these efforts. The foci of School of Public Health-Bloomington Biguans are (a) to increase the number of grant applications submitted; (b) to increase the quality and creativity of grant applications submitted; and (c) to increase the ease with which grant applications are submitted.
      5. Additionally, the Assistant Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Organizational Climate is available to work directly with any and all URM and underrepresented School of Public Health-Bloomington faculty who have any concerns regarding departmental and School of Public Health-Bloomington climate.
   3. Student Recruitment & Retention. School of Public Health-Bloomington student recruitment and admissions are facilitated by staff members who are specifically focused on either undergraduate student recruitment or graduate student recruitment. Each director is responsible for a comprehensive recruitment program for undergraduate and graduate students in School of Public Health-Bloomington, with the goal of increasing the number of students that the school attracts. Furthermore, OSDI personnel play an integral role in targeting specific student demographics and our outreach to underrepresented student populations. Concerted recruitment and retention practices include:
      1. Undergraduate
         • OSDI personnel 'table' and actively recruit at area middle schools and high schools with a significant population of URM, as designated by IU Office of Admissions and/or the Director of Student Recruitment. The Assistant Director of OSDI leads undergraduate URM recruitment efforts.
         • In efforts to create a pipeline to public health programs and disciplines, OSDI hosts information sessions to community groups (e.g., Boys & Girls Club), summer programs (e.g., Jim Holland summer science programs), and Indianapolis area programs.
         • OSDI personnel work directly with the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural Affairs (OVPDEMA) scholarship programs—21 ^st Century Scholars, Groups Scholars, and Hudson & Holland Scholars—to inform enrolled students about School of Public Health-Bloomington majors, minors, and disciplines. In efforts to recruit and ultimately retain underrepresented student scholars, School of Public Health-Bloomington offers a partnership scholarship for Hudson & Holland Scholars who are School of Public Health-Bloomington majors. The $1,000 annual scholarships are for those maintaining the requisite cumulative 3.0 GPA and who have met certification requirements or who are a direct admit into their program.
      2. Graduate
         • Office of Graduate Admissions and Enrollment staff are available to consult with prospective graduate students about SOPHAS, the centralized application service for schools and programs of public health.
         • School of Public Health-Bloomington actively participates in the University Graduate School recruitment initiative "Getting You Into IU" (GU2IU). The Director of OSDI leads graduate URM student recruitment and outreach. OSDI works collaboratively with the Director of Graduate Admissions and Enrollment to coordinate any visits from prospective master's and doctoral students and to answer any admissions-related inquiries.
         • OSDI oversees the application process and recipient selection for the Roderick Paige Fellowship. The Paige Fellowship was established to honor the service of School of Public Health-Bloomington alumnus and former Secretary of Education, Roderick Paige. Because, as part of its mission, Indiana University is committed to diversity, special consideration is given to underrepresented populations.
   4. Staff Recruitment & Retention. School of Public Health-Bloomington prioritizes hiring URM staff members. Additionally, every effort is made to diversify the applicant pool. The School of Public Health-Bloomington Director of Human Resources, with consultation from IU Human Resources and School of Public Health-Bloomington deans, identifies best practices in attracting a diverse candidate pool. An effort is made to advertise School of Public Health-Bloomington positions throughout the nation, including targeted group websites and email lists (e.g., HBCU alumni boards) and affinity groups and professional organizations (e.g., Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science). Finally, retaining our underrepresented staff is a priority and steps are made to connect them to internal and external resources to support their personal and professional development.
      1. Director of OSDI represents School of Public Health-Bloomington on the Staff Diversity Council (SDC): SDC provides campus diversity professionals a place to share ideas, develop professionally, and interact with campus diversity leaders. The council's mission is to work collectively to create inclusive and equitable spaces across campus by providing support and advocacy for students, staff, faculty, alumni, and external constituents.
      2. Affinity Groups and Ally Networks: When appropriate the Director of OSDI connects underrepresented staff to campus groups such as the Black Faculty & Staff Caucus, the Latino Faculty and Staff Council, and LGBTQ+ Ally Training. These spaces are integral to improving climate and for staff to network with colleagues across the campus. We also encourage staff participation in the IU Bloomington Professional Council (IUBPC). The Bloomington Professional Council provides leadership in the continual improvement of university policies and practices that enhance the quality of life of the professional employee, while supporting the institutional mission.
      3. Bimonthly Check-Ins: OSDI staff meet with specific populations monthly or bimonthly (as warranted) to discuss well-being, concerns, and resources.
4. Inclusivity
   1. Programming & Events. School of Public Health-Bloomington typically hosts guest lectures and keynote speakers through a series of events—at the school and department level. For instance, the Distinguished Colloquium Series and the Center for Sexual Health Promotion deliberately schedule speakers with diverse perspectives, those who are from underrepresented backgrounds in the STEM and health sciences fields, and researchers who work directly with specific populations. As aforementioned, OSDI commits itself to programming events for all students, yet specifically international students, OVPDEMA scholar programs, URM, etc.
   2. Symbolic & Structural Examples. Representation and inclusion should not only manifest in hiring, policy and procedures, and scholarship, but also in physical structures, building aesthetics, accessibility options, and more. To this end, School of Public Health-Bloomington is committed to:
      1. Discussing, reexamining, repurposing, and/or removing items and structures that create division, that foster intolerance, or that are not congruent with our school's values and inclusion goals.
      2. Curating spaces within School of Public Health-Bloomington facilities that recognize the contributions of our diverse students, staff, and alumni. For example, in addition to honoring its own past deans with exhibited portraits, School of Public Health-Bloomington has unveiled a new set of portraits highlighting alumni serving as academic deans at other institutions. This allows us to highlight accomplished alumni who encompass varying identities.
      3. Working with Bloomington campus leadership and facilities and services to ensure School of Public Health-Bloomington buildings and facilities are accessible to people with varying abilities.
   3. School of Public Health-Bloomington Task Force on Group-based Health Disparities, Social Justice, and Inclusion. This task force was initiated and commissioned by the Dean of the School of Public Health-Bloomington for the purpose of providing scholarly recommendations for the operational directions of diversity and inclusion that address group-based disparities in public health. The charge of the task force is to create a summary of recommendations resulting from a series of multi-disciplinary discussions focused on a plan for both the inward (School of Public Health-Bloomington) and outward (world) facing ways that School of Public Health-Bloomington can best promote diversity, inclusion, and justice.
5. Measures of Accountability
   1. Monitoring School's Progress. In 2018 School of Public Health-Bloomington conducted its first climate assessment via a survey. An invitation was shared with students, faculty, staff, and administrators to report their experiences and thoughts regarding the climate within the School of Public Health-Bloomington. This was a chance to share concerns and constructive suggestions. The results of the survey provided important information about the school's climate. These data were utilized to create programs and initiatives that improve the environment for learning, living, and working at the School of Public Health-Bloomington. In an effort to continually monitor the climate for all stakeholders—and as a best practice—School of Public Health-Bloomington plans to conduct an analysis of our stakeholders every 2 to 3 years. There are several methods by which School of Public Health-Bloomington plans to collect relevant information to move forward with our DEI goals. Those include:
      1. Surveys/metrics (e.g., climate surveys)
      2. Focus groups
      3. Listening tours

      The main goal of the focus group discussions will be to give School of Public Health-Bloomington members a chance to share their experience working and studying in School of Public Health-Bloomington. It may be valuable to go beyond the results of any quantitative survey and conduct more information and story gathering to best support members of our school.

   2. Cultural Competency Workshops. Cultural intelligence and cultural competence trainings are pivotal for sustaining an inclusive environment. According to the National Education Association (NEA), "cultural competence is having an awareness of one's own cultural identity and views about difference, and the ability to learn and build on the varying cultural and community norms of students and their families." School of Public Health-Bloomington is committed to ensuring that our administrators, faculty, researchers, staff, and students have a working level of cultural competence. Moreover, through these workshops School of Public Health-Bloomington faculty, staff, and students may become aware of actions, situations, and language which may be exclusive in nature. Cultural competency workshops, trainings, and other professional development opportunities may be facilitated through multiple venues internally and externally. Those include:
      1. School of Public Health DEI staff and faculty (e.g., OSDI staff; Assistant Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Organizational Climate)
      2. Third-party/contracted DEI consultants, speakers, or organizations
      3. School of Public Health-Bloomington Director of Human Resources and Workforce Development
      4. IU Human Resources (IUHR)
      5. Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL)
   3. Bias Reporting. We aim for every member of the School of Public Health-Bloomington community to feel appreciated, accepted, and affirmed. Acts of hate, bias, discrimination, and intolerance experienced by and/or witnessed by a School of Public Health-Bloomington stakeholder should be reported. The IU Bloomington campus is dedicated to creating a safe and civil campus community, and there are bias-reporting structures for students, staff, and faculty to use. Below is an outline of the School of Public Health-Bloomington reporting structure:
      1. External Reporting Structure
         1. Students can submit a Care Report (via the Division of Student Affairs) to alert the university about a specific incident if they experience or witness a bias incident. Reporting an incident allows IU to address the issue and take steps to prevent future incidents. Visit https://indiana-advocate.symplicity.com/care_report/index.php/pid038221. Individuals can also contact the Director of Bias Response at (812) 855-8187 or email incident@indiana.edu. The Director of Bias Response will communicate to the Director of OSDI any detailed bias incidents that may involve School of Public Health-Bloomington personnel, students, etc.
         2. Faculty and staff can contact the Office of Institutional Equity if they experience or have previously experienced a bias incident. Visit Office of Institutional Equity.
      2. Internal School of Public Health-Bloomington Reporting Structure
         1. Any act of bias and hate involving a School of Public Health-Bloomington employee and/or occurring within a School of Public Health-Bloomington facility, lecture hall, lab, etc. can be reported via the Division of Student Affair bias-reporting portal as outlined above.
         2. Additionally, in an effort to specifically track bias incidents and improve School of Public Health-Bloomington climate, we ask that complainants alert School of Public Health-Bloomington leadership and the proper school channels on bias incidents and/or act of aggression based on an individual's identity.
         3. If a School of Public Health-Bloomington faculty member witnesses or observes a reportable bias incident within a lecture space, lab, etc. involving students, the instructor may contact the Director of OSDI to initiate assistance in filing a report to Division of Student Affairs. The director will also be available to meet with impacted students.
         4. Any School of Public Health-Bloomington employee initiating a complaint or claim of bias involving a fellow employee, colleague and/or supervisor should alert the School of Public Health-Bloomington Director of Human Resources.