| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.80 |
| Liaison | Kelly Wellman |
| Submission Date | Dec. 19, 2022 |
Texas A&M University
PA-6: Assessing Diversity and Equity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Jennifer
Reyes Director Vice President & Associate Provost for Diversity |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Has the institution engaged in a structured assessment process during the previous three years to improve diversity, equity and inclusion on campus?:
Yes
A brief description of the assessment process and the framework, scorecard(s) and/or tool(s) used:
The annual unit-level accountability reports, first submitted in 2010, and every year since, provide quantitative and qualitative measures of comparisons to peer institutions; institutional and unit-level campus climate findings; recruiting and retention efforts; and equity issues (salary, resources, training, etc.). The unit-level accountability reports are the primary source of data for assessing institutional progress on diversity-related goals. The accountability reports are reviewed by the President's Council on Climate and Diversity (PCCD), an advisory council that reports to the university president, and staff from the Office for Diversity (OFD).
In 2022, the OFD refined the scoring rubric for assessing annual diversity plan accountability reports. The rubric was developed using the values and standards described in the university’s strategic plans:
• Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Eligibility & Advancement
• 2021 Board of Regent Approved Actions
• Campus Climate Survey Results
• 2020-2025 Strategic Plan
The scoring rubric ranges from:
Needs Improvement (0-1 point)
Basic (2-4 points)
Advancing (5-7 points)
Exemplary (8-10 points)
Units are scored on how they select, align, or develop key performance indicators (KPIs), assessment results, and reflection.
In 2022, the OFD refined the scoring rubric for assessing annual diversity plan accountability reports. The rubric was developed using the values and standards described in the university’s strategic plans:
• Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Eligibility & Advancement
• 2021 Board of Regent Approved Actions
• Campus Climate Survey Results
• 2020-2025 Strategic Plan
The scoring rubric ranges from:
Needs Improvement (0-1 point)
Basic (2-4 points)
Advancing (5-7 points)
Exemplary (8-10 points)
Units are scored on how they select, align, or develop key performance indicators (KPIs), assessment results, and reflection.
Does the assessment process address campus climate by engaging stakeholders to assess the attitudes, perceptions and behaviors of employees and students, including the experiences of underrepresented groups?:
Yes
Does the assessment process address student outcomes related to diversity, equity and success?:
Yes
Does the assessment process address employee outcomes related to diversity and equity?:
Yes
A brief description of the most recent assessment findings and how the results are used in shaping policy, programs, and initiatives:
First, Texas A&M's diversity, equity, and inclusion assessment process has contributed to Texas A&M receiving the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from Insight Into Diversity for three consecutive years. In 2019, 2021, 2021, and 2022Texas A&M received the HEED Award with the prestigious distinction of Diversity Champion.
Second, on November 8, 2021, the 2021-2022 Diversity Plan Accountability reports were submitted to the Office for Diversity. So, the assessment findings discussed below are from the 2020-2021 reports.
Third, Texas A&M launched a 2021 faculty and staff campus climate survey. The survey was sent to 15,463 people and 3,217 participants completed the survey resulting in an overall response of 22% (25% for faculty and 21% for staff). Four major recommendations for action items emerged from the qualitative and quantitative data analyses of the faculty and staff survey results:
(1) Provide training that improves the skills and cultural competency of our campus community (e.g., bystander intervention, conflict mediation, intercultural discourse, mentoring and cross-cultural mentoring, hiring practices, etc.)
(2) Resolve conflicting beliefs about how important diversity is to advancing Texas A&M’s mission and Core Values.
(3) Improve administrative transparency specifically around responses to discrimination, hate, and racist behaviors.
(4) Hire and retain faculty and staff that reflect the race/ethnic diversity of Texas A&M’s student body and the State of Texas.
The university-level Diversity Operations Committee (DOC) and the diversity committees in the colleges, departments, student organizations, and administrative units across the university are the leaders who will coordinate how Texas A&M uses the findings from the 2021 Your Voice Matters surveys. Currently, the results and recommendation are being used primarily to inform the Quality Enhancement Plan and the 2022 University Diversity Plan.
Second, on November 8, 2021, the 2021-2022 Diversity Plan Accountability reports were submitted to the Office for Diversity. So, the assessment findings discussed below are from the 2020-2021 reports.
Third, Texas A&M launched a 2021 faculty and staff campus climate survey. The survey was sent to 15,463 people and 3,217 participants completed the survey resulting in an overall response of 22% (25% for faculty and 21% for staff). Four major recommendations for action items emerged from the qualitative and quantitative data analyses of the faculty and staff survey results:
(1) Provide training that improves the skills and cultural competency of our campus community (e.g., bystander intervention, conflict mediation, intercultural discourse, mentoring and cross-cultural mentoring, hiring practices, etc.)
(2) Resolve conflicting beliefs about how important diversity is to advancing Texas A&M’s mission and Core Values.
(3) Improve administrative transparency specifically around responses to discrimination, hate, and racist behaviors.
(4) Hire and retain faculty and staff that reflect the race/ethnic diversity of Texas A&M’s student body and the State of Texas.
The university-level Diversity Operations Committee (DOC) and the diversity committees in the colleges, departments, student organizations, and administrative units across the university are the leaders who will coordinate how Texas A&M uses the findings from the 2021 Your Voice Matters surveys. Currently, the results and recommendation are being used primarily to inform the Quality Enhancement Plan and the 2022 University Diversity Plan.
Are the results of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment shared with the campus community?:
Yes
A brief description of how the assessment results are shared with the campus community:
The Office for Diversity contributes to the reports for the Board of Regents every quarter. Summaries of the 2020 Diversity Plan Accountability reports are shared with the campus community on the Office for Diversity website. Results from the 2021 campus climate are posted on the Office for Diversity website (https://diversity.tamu.edu/Diversity/media/diversity/Overall-Summary-10-12-22.pdf).
Are the results (or a summary of the results) of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment publicly posted?:
Yes
The diversity and equity assessment report or summary (upload):
Website URL where the diversity and equity assessment report or summary is publicly posted:
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.