West Chester University of Pennsylvania
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Through collaborative efforts, the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) helps to foster an inclusive and civil community by monitoring a number of policies that promote diversity and inclusion, as well as work to eliminate discriminatory behaviors at West Chester University. Furthermore, the Office for Diversity Equity and Inclusion is responsible for the overall well-being of the campus community and its climate by monitoring a number of policies that work to keep our campus a civil and safe environment for all. https://www.wcupa.edu/_admin/diversityEquityInclusion/policies.aspx

Reports of discrimination can be filled out online and are forwarded to either the ODEI (for student issues) or human resources (for employee issues). If the manager in charge of the office determines an investigation is warranted, an investigator will be assigned to determine if there was a policy violation. For students who have experienced discrimination, a bias incident, or hate crime, the ODEI will meet with those impacted and connect those students with resources such as the counseling center, crime victims center, police, the multicultural center, or other appropriate resources. In certain instances, interim measure can be put in place such as no contact directives.

Now in Year Three (3), the West Chester University, Frederick Douglass Institute - Wells Fargo Bank Academy has proven to be a most effective model for promoting literacy among elementary school students and enhancing opportunities for high school students to transition successfully into College. The impact report from the successive years show high levels of achievements in all objectives of the program. The One Book Project among all 5th graders in Coatesville School District has reinforced a sense of community and stimulated creativity among the children. The 10th and 11th grade program has widened the path to College for several underrepresented and underserved minorities. Some of the participants of the West Chester University, Frederick Douglass Institute – Wells Fargo Bank Academy at Coatesville Area School District are currently studying at the University. The success of the program at Coatesville Area School District has led to the expansion of the program to Norristown School District.// -Dub-C Autism Program provides supports to degree-seeking West Chester University students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).The mission of D-CAP is to build an inclusive and accepting campus community to better support the experience and success of our degree-seeking students with ASD through indirect and direct supports. Prospective Student Inquiries are held the first Thursday of every Month. // - WCU's Office of Admissions coordinated a Multicultural Recruitment Ambassador (MRA) program and hosts multicultural events throughout the academic year for both prospective and admitted students (e.g., Check Us out Day, Discover WCU and Shadow Day for high school juniors). See https://www.wcupa.edu/_admissions/SCH_ADM/multiculturalAffairs.aspx for more information. // For faculty and staff positions, each search committee is required to complete a Diversity Recruitment and Marketing Plan to ensure the search committee is able to recruit a broad and diverse pool of candidates. // The Admissions Office and Human Resources work with the Office of Social Equity to ensure compliance with ADA, Affirmative Action, HIV/AIDS, and Sexual Harassment Policies.

-The Academic Development Program is a special admissions Program for students who do not meet current admissions criteria but who still show The potential to succeed in college. students admitted to The Program complete a five week summer session to assist them in developing Academic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. In addition, The Program provides Academic support through Academic advising, tutoring, mentoring and Academic monitoring, and counseling. students who successfully complete The summer session enter The fall semester with increased Academic confidence and familiarity with The campus culture and university procedures.
- The Learning Assistance and Resource Center (LARC) strives to provide quality Academic support services which help students become independent, active learners who achieve Academic success. The LARC aims to promote cognitive Development in a diversity of student populations through assessing and teaching The effective skills necessary for achieving Academic and personal Learning goals.
- The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities provides the following:
- Academic Coaching: Academic Coaches work with students on academic and life skills that affect their coursework and academic progress, like self-advocacy, time management, career planning, etc.
- Math and Writing Tutoring: Our Tutors help students succeed in their math and writing emphasis courses with one-on-one attention and personalized study strategies.
- Adaptive Technology: We offer many forms of Adaptive Technology, including: audio books, e-text, reading technology, dictation programs, notetaking technology, and alternative texts.
- Proctoring Center: Students who receive testing accommodations may be able to take their exams in the Proctoring Center, our distraction-free environment.
- Mindfulness: For our students with stress and anxiety, we offer guided meditations to help relieve tension and dispel negative thoughts.
- The Center for Trans and Queer Advocacy strives to be a catalyst in enhancing the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, queer, questioning, agender, asexual, aromantic, and intersex students, staff, and faculty at West Chester University and beyond. While we explicitly name specific identities, we support all people within LGBTQIA+ communities and in our efforts to move from allyship to advocacy, we invite all WCU community members to actively engage in exploration and education around the intersections of gender, sexuality, and other social identities. Through visibility, outreach, programming, education, and community building, we work collectively to create an environment where trans and queer people feel supported and validated. We celebrate trans and queer identities through our values of intersectionality, social justice, advocacy, and wholistic wellness, and we encourage all people to hold themselves accountable and actively work towards a more equitable society.
- The faculty and staff of West Chester University’s Counseling Center are fully committed to social justice. We define this as working toward a community that is empowering to all people, that supports equitable treatment across diverse identities, that allows fair access to resources, and that provides opportunities for all people to reach their full potential. The staff believe that no one should be discriminated against based on gender, sexuality, race, religion, age, ability, size, politics, class, socioeconomic status, or any other group membership; we believe that everyone should be treated with compassion, respect, and empathy. We recognize that experiences with marginalization can negatively impact emotional and psychological well-being and contribute to mental health problems. Therefore, we are committed to providing an environment that feels safe for all students. Ways in which we support these values include;
1. Acknowledgement of the impact of discrimination, oppression, and marginalization on individuals and their psychological well-being.
2. Dedication to maintaining and improving accessibility to our services through outreach, identifying and removing barriers to access, and building a strong multidisciplinary referral network across campus.
3. Support of diverse student groups across campus by maintaining working relationships, responding to individual and group needs, attending events, providing presentations, and fostering interdepartmental ties.
4. Development of multi-cultural counseling and supervision skills through increased awareness of the faculty and staff.
5. Accountability to growing individually and as an organization by increasing our awareness of our biases, improving our understanding of the dynamics of power and privilege, and engaging in open dialogues regarding treatment and diversity.
6. Attendance at events and trainings that promote ongoing learning regarding social justice.
7. Investigating best practices for serving students of underrepresented populations.
- The Dowdy Multicultural Center promotes the holistic success and development of Students of Color (SOC) at West Chester University. We implement collaborative co-curricular experiences that; promote multicultural awareness, creates a sense of belonging, affirms racial and cultural identity, and empowers all students to challenge systems of oppression.
- In collaboration with West Chester University students, faculty and staff, the Center for Women and Gender Equity actively promotes and advocates for a campus community that values the safety, equality, and intellectual advancement of women and other historically marginalized groups.
Our mission is accomplished by:
• Facilitating co-curricular initiatives that address a wide range of issues that affect the success and well-being of women.
• Offering opportunities to examine the ways in which gender-based oppression intersects with other forms of systemic oppression.
• Coordinating campus wide violence prevention initiatives designed to engage all members of the University community.
• Engaging allies through programming focused on exploring concepts of masculinities.
• Building partners-in-movement through programming that supports and engages with other historically marginalized groups.
• Providing referrals and support to campus and community partners on issues that disproportionately impact women.
• Advocating for systemic changes that support women and other historically marginalized groups.

- The Multicultural Faculty Commission (MFC) consists of faculty, administrators, and staff. Our hope is that our presence on the web will enable us to fulfill the recommendations made at annual retreats by multicultural and the transformations outlined in the Plan for Excellence and WCU Mission and Values Statements.
Active Charges of MFC:
• To produce tangible and measurable results that eradicate barriers that support structural inequalities based on race or ethnicity;
• To support and encourage existing and new forms of inclusion and representation;
• To establish a quantitative plan of action, replete with goals and outcomes for each academic year. With this charge, the MFC serves as an advisory board to the administration in issues concerning multicultural faculty;
• To scrutinize and detail concerns and issues that hinder the teacher-scholar model, a global perspective and the critical analytical skills among students, and the Plan of Excellence. With this charge, the MFC serves as a monitoring board for multicultural faculty to the administration.
• To work actively in nurturing an open, honest, and meaningful communication among the administration and the campus community; and
• To serve as an informal recruiting board and consultants on multicultural issues. In this capacity, the MFC will dutifully work to identify and familiarize the administration and fellow faculty members about the skill set of multicultural faculty, as well as alert multicultural faculty about the leadership opportunities available on campus.
- The Faculty Mentoring Program is open to all full-time academic and administrative faculty, as defined by the most recent CBA. Any faculty member can participate as a mentee, but only tenured faculty members may serve as a mentor. The mission of the Faculty Mentoring Program is to enhance lifelong professional development in teaching, scholarship, and service. The mentoring relationships will support collegiality, effective communication, self-evaluation, and cultural competence, all of which enhance a stimulating and supportive university environment.

Through the Frederick Douglass Institute, WCU offers the Summer Scholars Program: In keeping with the spirit of Douglass’ life of public service, the Frederick Douglass Teaching Scholars Summer Program is designed to provide graduate students teaching experiences and potential employment opportunities within university settings that are strongly committed to cultural diversity. (See https://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/fdouglass/summerscholarsprogram.aspx.)

Margaret (Meg) Hazel, Assistant Director, Equal Opportunity and Title IX Investigator, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion provided initial and updated responses. mhazel@wcupa.edu; 610-436-2838.