Connecticut College
PA-7: 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.
https://www.conncoll.edu/employment/nondiscrimination-policy/

The College's Harassment and Nondiscrimination Policy, including Sexual Harassment and Nondiscrimination Under Title IX prohibits discrimination and outlines how it will be stopped, prevented, and remedied. Additionally, for matters of bias, the Bias Incident Review Team is a committee chaired by the Associate Dean of Equity and Compliance Programs and is made up of faculty and staff and meets when there is a bias incident report. Their work includes preemptive action through education, effective, thoughtful response to egregious incidents and timely and developmental response to behaviors through education and facilitated conversations. When a student experiences or witnesses a bias incident they can work with a staff liaison who will help support them through the bias reporting protocol. To the extent possible, those handling complaints will maintain the privacy of all parties involved. The following types of support are offered as reasonably available to students who have experienced a bias incident: contact limitation orders, help with gaining accommodations for coursework (deadline extensions, etc.), education about the legal processes for bias, harassment and hate crimes, and relocation to a new residence hall.

Students are recruited through the programs Explore Weekend, Spring Preview, and the Posse Program. Explore Weekend and Spring Connections are programs hosted each for high school seniors who are BIPOC, first-generation college students, or have a commitment to social justice and diversity. Explore offers prospective students 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 Connections is offered to admitted students from these groups. https://www.conncoll.edu/admission/visits-virtuals-and-events/fly-in-programs//

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. We host two Posse cohorts - one from Chicago and one from New York City. https://www.conncoll.edu/academics/dean-of-the-college/posse/program-mission-and-goals/

Any prospective student with an interest in social justice is able to participate in Social Justice Days held regularly by Admission since Fall 2020.
https://www.conncoll.edu/admission/visits-virtuals-and-events/diversity-and-social-justice-days/

The Dean of the Faculty and the Division of 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.

Genesis is a year-long program to support first generation and/or first year students of color through an orientation program and a peer mentoring program (https://www.conncoll.edu/campus-life/race-and-ethnicity-programs-at-unity-house/programs-and-services/genesis/). Race and Ethnicity Programs staff also offer advising and support for students of color, community building events and heritage month programming (https://www.conncoll.edu/campus-life/race-and-ethnicity-programs-at-unity-house/programs-and-services/). The Queer Peer mentoring program matches LGBTQIA first years with upper class students (https://www.conncoll.edu/gsp/lgbtqia-center/programs/). Finally, the Posse Program pairs students in each Posse cohort with faculty mentors (https://www.conncoll.edu/academics/dean-of-the-college/posse/conn-posse-staff-/current-posse-mentors/).

New Faculty from underrepresented groups attend an orientation program where they are matched mentors from the senior faculty.

A support network for staff of color meets monthly to discuss relevant topics pertaining to their work within the campus community.

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.
https://www.conncoll.edu/equity-inclusion/mellon-mays-undergraduate-fellowship-program/

Data was provided by the Dean of Equity and Inclusion and the Associate Dean for Equity and Compliance Programs.