Arizona State University
PA-5: Assessing Diversity and Equity

The Office of Academic Excellence and Inclusion has recently launched an initiative engaging all campus units to develop initiatives and programs to promote diversity on campus. Over 30 proposals/feedback from all across the university were received and considered, and 11 were selected for funding.

Arizona State University’s Office of Institutional Analysis conducts an assessment of the enrollment, diversity, graduation and retention rates of the student body (both continuing and graduating) at least once every semester, as part of a census on the 21st day of each semester, down to the individual programs, colleges, schools and departments. The results are published through their website at http://uoia.asu.edu/, the ASU Fact Book, and published to the Common Data Set (CDS) for use by the higher education community and publishers such as College Board, Peterson's, and U.S. News & World Report. Aggregate diversity figures (university-wide) are publicly available, but diversity profiles by individual colleges and other units are available internally. The results of these assessments are used to guide the development and funding of various programs, initiatives and outreach efforts to support ad promote diversity on campus.

An assessment of the ASU employee workforce occurs annually in the Affirmative Action Plan (Office of Human Resources). This comprehensive assessment looks at not only current employees, but also the diversity of the job applicants, and compares them to both the US workforce and the local/state-wide community. The results of this assessment are used to develop the Affirmative Action Plan each year, which identifies positions that need increased outreach/recruitment efforts to underrepresented groups. Additional university programs that focus on diverse representation and inclusiveness include but are not limited to the following: Campus Environment Team (promotes civility, justice, diversity, respect, freedom of expression, and pursuit of individual goals); Intergroup Relations Center (advances education, research and advocacy that enhances understanding and practice of effective relations among members of different groups); Commission on the Status of Women (monitors the advancement of women in the areas of equity, career development, and climate); The University Senate (represents faculty and academic programs, policies, and concerns); the University Staff Council (represents staff programs, policies, and concerns); the Committee on Campus Inclusion; and the Office of Academic Excellence and Inclusion.