The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (ODEI) is responsible for managing and coordinating the reporting and evaluation process. Overall progress will be assessed at the conclusion of Year Five, and a subsequent plan—DEI 2.0—will be developed utilizing effective strategies based on progress as measured.
Reporting occurs on multiple levels throughout the university infrastructure, as follows:
- The president and chief diversity officer report to the Board of Regents annually on DEI plan progress.
- Deans and administrative leaders report on plan progress during the annual budget process.
- Leaders, faculty and staff report on DEI activity as part of their regular job evaluations.
- DEI commitment and proficiency have been incorporated into the search criteria for university leadership positions.
- DEI plans and annual progress updates will be made public for all units.
The fourth iteration of metrics reports was distributed in June 2021, earlier than in the past, to align with the unit reporting process.
In addition, we are working with a faculty advisory group to identify the final set of metrics to be assessed as part of the five-year strategic plan evaluation. This will occur during the 2021–22 year as part of our transition to DEI 2.0, a process that will result in a new DEI strategic plan for the campus.
A Year-Over-Year Assessment Process
With regard to annual campus reporting on DEI plans, we continue to gather campuswide information that can be connected to institutional and other data. In this way, we are able to create a dynamic information resource that streamlines the reporting process and achieves rich implementation evaluation results.
Data is aggregated with an electronic, prefilled reporting form developed in Year One through input and beta testing from a reporting tool advisory group, which includes a subgroup of DEI Leads. The form has been refined each year, based on input from the group. This online reporting tool solicits each unit’s assessment of progress against its DEI plan.
This reporting process provides an opportunity for all units to reflect on their successes, challenges and areas for growth. Resulting insights are used to inform revisions in coming-year plans, thus allowing units to tailor their efforts in ways that leverage progress toward both their own and campuswide goals.
This year-over-year assessment workflow, which represents best practice for evaluation of complex organizational change, has been an essential part of implementing the five-year plan as it moves toward a university-wide progress report.
Year Five Update
To assure accountability and transparency, the Five-Year DEI Strategic Plan calls for systems that track key metrics and engage the campus in annual reporting on progress against stated goals. The qualitative and quantitative data yielded by these systems year over year has been used as a basis for decisions on programming and resource allocation to achieve and sustain desired outcomes.
In Year Five, the systems built and tested during previous years were continued and refined. The first set of metrics reports was delivered to schools, colleges and units in Fall 2018, with a second set of metrics distributed in late Summer 2019 and a third in late Summer 2020. The fourth iteration of metrics reports was distributed in June 2021, earlier than in the past, to align with the unit reporting process. In addition, we are working with a faculty advisory group to identify the final set of metrics to be assessed as part of the five-year strategic plan evaluation. This will occur during the 2021-22 year as part of our transition to DEI 2.0, a process that will result in a new DEI strategic plan for the campus.
Tracking and reporting occur at university, school, college and unit levels. Currently, we are tracking our progress on plan-related action steps such as implementation and participation in programs, utilization of services, increased awareness and other indicators. Longer-term measures include trends in the demographic composition of our campus over time, shifts in climate and indicators of equity across populations.
While additional metrics may be identified over time, we will—at minimum—track the categories listed here and use them as the basis for reporting on plan progress and program effectiveness. Some of these metrics represent data that we have tracked historically, thereby allowing us to compare trends over time. Other metrics are relatively new and have required the creation of fresh methods and processes to ensure reliable data capture each year.
Year Five Infographics
During Year Five, we continued assembling key data and determining a path forward for assessing outcomes. Featured in this report are a set of infographics to provide insight and updates on significant progress indicators.
2016–2021 Assessment Timeline
October 2016
Plan Launch
July – September, 2017
Assess and Report on Progress in Year One, Refine Plan for FY 2018
Begin Year Two implementation
July – September, 2018
Assess and Report on Progress, Refine Plan for FY 2019
Begin Year Three implementation
July – September, 2019
Assess and Report on Progress, Refine Plan for FY 2020
Begin Year Four implementation
July – September, 2020
Assess and Report on Progress, Refine Plan for FY 2021
Begin Year Five implementation
July – September, 2021
Assess and Report on Progress
Prepare For Evaluation of Five-Year Plan for FY22
The end of the five-year strategic planning implementation does not mark the end of our DEI work. Rather, it represents an intensive investment in these efforts, which will move us forward as we seek to advance institutional change that produces a continuous and lasting impact on the university community.