Diversity Action Plan

2020 - 2021

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

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

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

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)

View progress Tracker (Google Doc) 

Archive

Goal 1 | Build a Supportive Culture and Community

Strategies

  • 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

Strategies 

  • 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

Strategies

  • 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

Strategies

  • Enhance the school’s diversity website.
  • Establish a newsletter that highlights accomplishments and members of our diverse community.

Contact the Diversity and Inclusion Team

Diversity Officer: Jonathan M. Walker

Diversity Program Manager: Kylie Stamm

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (202) 994-2258