University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
PAE-7: Measuring Campus Diversity Culture

Efforts made by UW Oshkosh in measuring campus diversity culture include the Climate Assessment Project (www.uwosh.edu/affirm-act/resources.php) and the Equity Scorecard (www.uwosh.edu/2008/documents/35CompleteEquityScoreCardFinalReport.pdf). The Climate Assessment Project invited all members of the campus community (e.g., students, faculty, academic staff, and classified staff) to participate in a survey designed for respondents to provide information about their personal experiences with regard to climate issues, their perceptions of the campus climate, employees’ work-life issues, and their perceptions of institutional actions, including administrative policies and academic initiatives regarding climate issues and concerns on campus. The Equity Scorecard is a UW System project to identify ways to address inequities that exist in educational outcomes among students of color.

The university has produced an Inclusive Excellence Plan (http://www.uwosh.edu/home/strategicplan/key-operational-plans/inclusive-excellence-plan) is based on the Campus Climate Survey results. The Inclusive Excellence Plan is part of the campus-wide Plan 2008 “Educational Quality…Through Racial and Ethnic Diversity 1998-2008”. Inclusive Excellence is a planning process intended to help the institution establish a comprehensive and well-coordinated set of systemic actions that focus specifically on fostering greater diversity. The central premise of Inclusive Excellence holds that UW System colleges and universities need to intentionally integrate their diversity efforts into the core aspects of their institutions – such as their academic priorities, leadership, quality improvement initiatives, decision-making, day-to-day operations, and organizational cultures – in order to maximize their success. The ultimate goal is to make inclusiveness a habit practiced by everyone at the university. The goal of the Equity Scorecard is to close the achievement gap by bringing retention and graduation rates for students of color in line with those of the student body as a whole.