Connecticut College
PA-6: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Connecticut College is committed to the goal of achieving equal opportunity for all and, accordingly, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, expression and characteristics, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, visible or invisible disability, or status as a disabled veteran of the Vietnam era. The College complies with federal and state legislation and regulations regarding nondiscrimination. This policy applies to faculty and staff, applicants for faculty and staff positions, students and applicants for educational programs and activities. Inquiries concerning this policy should be addressed to the Affirmative Action Officer, Fanning Hall, Connecticut College, 270 Mohegan Avenue, New London, Connecticut, 06320-4196. https://www.conncoll.edu/employment/nondiscrimination-policy/

The Bias Incident Review Team is a committee chaired by the Associate Dean of Institutional Equity and Inclusion and is made up of students, faculty and staff and meets weekly. Their work includes: preemptive action through education, effective and thoughtful response to egregious incidents, and timely and developmental response to behaviors through education and mediation. If an incident is found to have risen to the threshold of bias there is written notification from Associate Dean that B.I.R.T. has determined the case will move to a preliminary inquiry and meetings with complainant(s), respondent(s), witnesses if applicable, and an inquiry into relevant external factors (ex: social media dialogue). Final action can include a finding that the incident did not rise to the level of bias, a finding that the incident can be handled through education or mediation, or a finding that the incident should be reported to HR, student life, or the Dean of the Faculty for further action.

Underrepresented students are recruited through the programs Explore Weekend, Spring Preview, and the Posse Program. Explore Weekend is a program hosted each fall for high school seniors of underrepresented backgrounds, as well as those committed to diversity and social justice. Explore offers an introduction to the liberal arts environment of Connecticut College and a chance to learn about campus resources for students of color. Explore participants experience life on campus through the lens of our multicultural community. Spring Preview is a similar event targeted towards admitted students. Connecticut College is a partner college of the Posse Program, which provides supportive, multicultural teams and four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships to public high school students. The Dean of the Faculty and the Division of Institutional Equity and Inclusion work together to follow a written protocol for establishing diverse applicant pools for faculty positions. The process includes meeting with search committees to train them on implicit bias and identifying resources in their specific fields to help diversify the applicant pool.

The Genesis orientation program supports first generation students of color through an orientation program and a peer mentoring program. The Women of Color Collective (WOCC) and the Men of Color Alliance (MOCA) are mentoring programs with students paired with faculty or staff mentors. The Queer Peer mentoring program matches LGQBTQIA first years with upper class students. Finally, the Posse Program pairs students with faculty members. New Faculty from underrepresented groups attend an orientation program where they are matched mentors from the senior faculty.

The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) Program aims to increase the number of underrepresented/minority students in faculty positions at colleges and universities. The Andrew Mellon Foundation in New York City sponsors the program through some 40+ participating colleges, of which Connecticut College is one. Each year, faculty members select up to five rising juniors who seek to pursue a Ph.D. in core fields in the arts and sciences. The program provides these fellows with faculty mentorship and research training, as well as a yearly stipend, summer research support, funding for research-related travel and the opportunity to attend conferences with other Mellon fellows. Mellon fellows who, in preparation for professorial careers, enroll in Ph.D. programs after graduation are then eligible for repayment of their undergraduate loans up to a maximum of $10,000.

Data was provided by the Dean of Institutional Equity and the Director of Race and Ethnicity Programs