Action Plan for Inclusive Excellence

Our Process

During the summer of each year, the Dean invites offices to participate in the development of our annual action plan, using our Inclusive Excellence Toolkit (PDF) as a resource to identify unit-specific strategies. In collaboration with Elliott's Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI),  Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council (DEIC), and the school's leadership, these strategies are reviewed and synthesized to identify any gaps. A draft plan is then shared with our community for feedback with the goal of publishing our action plan in the month of September of each year.  

2022-2023 Goals

Increase the recruitment of historically underrepresented undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff, and provide expanded opportunities for success.
  • Develop programming to enhance recruitment and development opportunities for Public Service Weekend cohort
  • Establish baseline demographic data of students, faculty, staff, alumni, speakers and events
  • Evaluate metrics categories for future data analysis (for example, who is attending/participating in GSS programs and services); identify any gaps
  • Develop relationships with employers that prioritize DEI and sustainability
  • Co-sponsor professional development component of Cultural Heritage Celebrations
  • Create content that helps the application process become more transparent, equitable, and inclusive
  • Establish relationships with Minority Serving Institutions in the US
  • Expand our understanding of data related to international students and expand engagement with international institutions
  • Build relationships and feature student organizations in communications and events
  • Review and update guidelines for inclusive classrooms
  • Student Services Equity Minded Working Group
  • Continue to make progress on all use bathroom
  • Establish separate ODEI departmental budget

 

Improve the overall climate of inclusion and retention for undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff.
 
  • Develop mechanism to promote Elliott School community achievements as it relates to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts
  • Establish baseline demographic data of students, faculty, staff, alumni, speakers and events
  • Amplify student voices and broaden student engagement with diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts
  • Evaluate metrics categories for future data analysis (for example, who is attending/participating in GSS programs and services); identify any gaps
  • Identify and enhance existing resources for international student support
  • Develop relationships with employers that prioritize DEI and sustainability
  • Co-sponsor professional development component of Cultural Heritage Celebrations
  • Create content that helps the application process become more transparent, equitable, and inclusive
  • Review and update guidelines for inclusive classrooms
  • Student Services Equity Minded Working Group
  • Establish separate ODEI departmental budget

 

Expand diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in the curriculum and provide learning opportunities to deepen cultural competence.
 
  • Pilot a DEI leadership and learning program for faculty and staff
  • Host collaborative co-curricular events on issues at the intersection of diversity, equity, and inclusion and international affairs
  • Identify course offerings that address diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • Develop central repository for diversity, equity, and inclusion resources
  • Develop relationships with employers that prioritize DEI and sustainability
  • Review and update guidelines for inclusive classrooms
  • Student Services Equity Minded Working Group
  • Establish separate ODEI departmental budget

 

Develop and sustain an organizational infrastructure that actively supports diversity, equity, inclusion, and accountability.
  • Develop mechanism to promote Elliott School community achievements as it relates to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts
  • Develop hiring guidelines for student employees
  • Establish baseline demographic data of students, faculty, staff, alumni, speakers and events
  • Maintain consistent communication via newsletter, website, communications
  • Evaluate metrics categories for future data analysis (for example, who is attending/participating in GSS programs and services); identify any gaps
  • Identify and enhance existing resources for international student support
  • Review and update guidelines for inclusive classrooms
  • Student Services Equity Minded Working Group
  • Establish separate ODEI departmental budget

 

Archive

2021-2022

Goal 1. Increase the recruitment of historically underrepresented undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff, and provide expanded opportunities for success.

  • Develop programming to enhance recruitment and development opportunities for Public Service Weekend cohort
  • Develop hiring guidelines for student employees
  • Establish baseline demographic data of students, faculty, staff, alumni, speakers and events
  • Establish Elliott Equity Fund to provide financial support to historically underrepresented students
  • Identify demographic composition of current donors, alumni, and board members
  • Increase funding for diversity fellowships
  • Develop strategic enrollment plan for graduate admissions
  • Establish new and maintain existing partnerships with Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs)
  • Implement test blind graduate admissions for select programs
  • Develop relationships with employers that prioritize DEI and sustainability
  • Identify a tool to capture demographic information about students utilizing advising
  • Focus research support and promotion efforts on junior faculty and new hires
  • Develop an outreach strategy to increase participation of underrepresented students in research activities
  • Utilize research office portfolio (external funding, research promotion) to expand pipeline into foreign policy careers for underrepresented student groups
  • Support efforts to get more underrepresented communities involved in science and technology policy studies, to include support for ESIA outreach to HBCUs, HSIs, and community colleges as well as more targeted science and technology outreach where appropriate.
Goal 2. Improve the overall climate of inclusion and retention for undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff.
  • Develop mechanism to promote Elliott School community achievements as it relates to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts
  • Create and distribute three biennial climate surveys for students, faculty, and staff
  • Amplify student voices and broaden student engagement with diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts
  • Host collaborative co-curricular events on issues at the intersection of diversity, equity, and inclusion and international affairs
  • Identify opportunities to discuss climate, morale, and trust
  • Host alumni events focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion and international affairs
  • Increase representation of historically underrepresented alumni in events and communications
  • Make progress on allocating resources to implement an all gender bathroom in 1957 E Street
  • Evaluate metrics categories for future data analysis: ex. who is attending/participating in GSS programs and services; identify any gaps.
  • Identify and enhance existing resources for international student support
  • Strengthen DEI focus on new student experiences including readings and student programming.
  • Implement monthly Inclusive Excellence in Staff Hiring workshops
  • Develop school-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion social media strategy
  • Create a more engaging, welcoming, and inclusive physical space by showcasing student art and other forms of expression that highlight the diversity of the Elliott student body and diversity of their experiences.
  • Create a post-appointment survey that taps, among other items, sensitivity to identity issues
Goal 3. Expand diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in the curriculum and provide learning opportunities to deepen cultural competence.
  • Pilot a DEI leadership and learning program for faculty and staff
  • Identify course offerings that address diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • Develop central repository for diversity, equity, and inclusion resources
  • Partner with Faculty Development (Libraries & Academic Innovation) to create a professional development series for part-time and full-time faculty on inclusive teaching and course development strategies
  • Highlight anti-colonial, anti-racist research being conducted by inviting faculty with projects related to racism, ethnocentrism, etc. to present work publicly
  • Initiate a new lecture series collaboratively designed, sponsored, and implemented by Suite 503 that explores issues related to diversity such as the role of women and minority movements in Asia and the transnational and diasporic connections between the United States, Asia, and racial minorities in both regions. The series should include at least 3-4 lectures per year.
Goal 4. Develop and sustain an organizational infrastructure that actively supports diversity, equity, inclusion, and accountability.
  • Maintain consistent communication via newsletter, website, communications
  • Codify the Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the school’s bylaws
  • Update guidance and resources on faculty searches
  • Review and benchmark tenure and promotion policies, integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion in connection with teaching, research, and service
  • Track and analyze demographic data on staff hiring
  • Update event guidance and offering training on inclusive event practices
  • Identify resources to support diversifying speakers, panelists, and moderators
  • Establish part-time faculty pool and hiring guidelines
  • Identify external funding strategy to support DEI initiatives
2020 - 2021

Goal 1. Increase recruitment of historically underrepresented undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff, providing expanded opportunities for success.

  • Establish baseline demographic data of students, faculty, and staff
  • Implement staff recruitment and selection guidelines
    • Develop communication plan
    • Offer training for hiring managers and search committees
  • Identify opportunities to strengthen undergraduate outreach and recruitment activities in partnership with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions  
    • Conduct focus group with BIPOC undergraduate students 
    • Increase participation in prospective and admitted student programming
  • Develop strategic enrollment plan for graduate admissions
    • Identify targeted recruitment strategies for underrepresented students 
    • Examine America 2050 Award 
    • Conduct focus group with BIPOC
  • Establish partnerships with Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) 
    • Develop HBCU IA Contact Directory  
    • Host MSI Graduate Student Day 
    • Host Advisor Workshop
  • Host virtual Public Service Weekend Conference
  • Establish pool of part-time faculty
Goal 2. Improve the Elliott School's overall climate of inclusion and retention for undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff.
  • Increase campus-wide partnerships for DEI initiatives with the Elliott School
    • #GW in Solidarity
    • Form and participate in Collaborative on Inclusive Excellence meetings
    • Participate in Diversity Summit 
    • Well-Being for the People Book Club
  • Implement Diverse Perspectives in International Affairs Series
  • Implement Forum on Inclusive Excellence (modified: virtual week long program: Inclusive Excellence Week at Elliott)
  • Implement a diversity and inclusion recognition initiative
  • Host anti-racism program series
  • Increase Elliott school program partnerships
  • Develop student leadership community focused on DEI
  • Expand affinity spaces for students, faculty and staff
Goal 3. Expand diversity, equity, and inclusion in the curriculum and provide learning opportunities to deepen cultural competence and academic excellence.
  • Create and distribute ESIA Inclusive Teaching Statement
  • Host Inclusive Teaching Workshops (Spring Semester)
  • Launch an ESIA First-Year Common Reading Program focused on DEI (Undergraduate reading: Tell Me Who You Are)
  • Review DEI course evaluation question
  • Prepare Program Diversity Policy Memo competition
  • Host Diversity Policy Memo Competition Panel Conversation
  • Prepare Diversity and Inclusion Learning Outcomes for Curricula
  • Expand Inclusive Teaching Resource Online Library
    • Create and expand Race in International Affairs Online Resource, 
    • Expand Gender Analysis Toolkit and Gender in International Affairs Resources
Goal 4. Develop and sustain an infrastructure, resources and policies that actively support diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • Establish ESIA Office of Diversity and Inclusion (Including creation of mission, vision, goals)
  • Development of 2020-2021 ESIA Diversity Action Plan
  • Enhance ESIA Diversity and Inclusion website (Student Resources, Inclusive Teaching, Events and Recordings)
  • Implement and distribute monthly newsletter to the Elliott School during academic year 2020-2021
  • Update Council Bylaws and add Council on Diversity and Inclusion into Elliott School Bylaws - submit to Dean’s Council
  • Maintain Elliott School-wide DEI Working Groups (Curriculum and Development, Events and Programs, Student Recruitment and Retention) 
2019 - 2020

Goal 1. Build a Supportive Culture and Community

  • Restructure Council on Diversity and Inclusion to include more student representation. 
  • Identify student leadership opportunities.  
  • Establish funding and criteria to support diversity-related programming and research activities for faculty, student organizations, departments, research centers, and institutes.
  • Continue to implement and monitor events policy. 
  • Conduct focus groups with staff to better understand concerns derived from the climate survey. 
  • Implement a diversity and inclusion recognition initiative.    
  • Respond to focus group findings and climate survey results by developing educational programs and initiatives focused on diversity and inclusion for students, faculty, and staff. 
    • Implement an annual school-wide diversity symposium.
    • Establish a Diverse Perspectives in International Affairs Series.
  • Collect and review data from course evaluations. 
Goal 2. Diversify Our Demographics
  • Engage in community outreach to ethnically and socioeconomically diverse K-12 schools. 
  • Continue partnership with the Public Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA) and host Public Service Weekend (PSW) and International Affairs Summer Immersion Program for underrepresented undergraduate students. 
    • Establish fellowships for participants completing these programs and enrolling at the Elliott School. 
  • Explore opportunities for partnership with the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs and Thomas R. Pickering Fellowship Programs.
  • Establish partnerships with Minority Serving Institutions including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). 
  • Enhance the faculty and staff search process. 
    • Provide training to assist hiring managers and search committee chairs in the recruitment and selection process.     
    • Develop guidance to integrate diversity and inclusion into position descriptions and the interview process. 
Goal 3. Expand Our Resource Base to Support Our Diversity and Inclusion Plan
  • Identify resources needed to support and actualize the short and long term diversity planning efforts of the school.
  • Identify and leverage existing resources at the University. 
  • Hire Diversity Program Manager.
Goal 4. Develop a Communications Plan to Reflect the Elliott School's Ongoing Diversity and Inclusion Efforts
  • Enhance the school’s diversity website.
  • Establish a newsletter that highlights accomplishments and members of our diverse community.