Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 50.85
Liaison Sarah Williams
Submission Date Feb. 8, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Whitman College
PA-6: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.50 / 3.00 Brandon Bishop
Campus Sustainability Coordinator
Physical Plant
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Non-Discrimination Statement 

Does the institution have a publicly posted non-discrimination statement? :
Yes

The non-discrimination statement, including the website URL where the policy is publicly accessible:
Whitman College has a strong commitment to the principle of non-discrimination. In its admission and employment practices, administration of educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs, Whitman College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, gender, religion, age, marital status, national origin, the presence of any physical disability, veteran's status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local laws.

Bias Response Team 

Does the institution have a discrimination response protocol or committee (sometimes called a bias response team) to respond to and support those who have experienced or witnessed a bias incident, act of discrimination or hate crime?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s discrimination response protocol or team (including examples of actions taken during the previous three years):
The Grievance Policy is an umbrella policy that covers all members of the Whitman College community and provides a way for community members to bring forward problems, complaints, or grievances. The Grievance Policy will be used to address issues of harassment, discrimination, or violence including sex- or gender-based incidents. https://www.whitman.edu/Documents/Policies/Grievance-Policy.pdf

Recruitment Programs 

Does the institution have programs specifically designed to recruit students from underrepresented groups?:
Yes

Does the institution have programs specifically designed to recruit staff from underrepresented groups?:
Yes

Does the institution have programs specifically designed to recruit faculty from underrepresented groups?:
Yes

If yes to any of the above, provide:

A brief description of the institution’s programs to recruit students, staff and/or faculty from underrepresented groups:
Students: The institution has allocated resources within our budget to increasing the diversity of student population. This includes access to scholarships for first-generation students and other non-traditional students. As part of this program we actively recruit international students and specifically target recruitment from underrepresented populations. We recently eliminated standardized testing requirements in order to eliminate some socioeconomic bias from our admissions process. Additionally we have peer to peer programs that promote recruitment across underrepresented groups. The campus actively sends campus leadership to institutions around the world to recruit underrepresented groups. Currently the campus is evaluating ways to enhance our efforts. This are being headed up by our newly hired Student Affairs VP and our institutions VP of Diversity. Faculty and Staff Positions: Training is provided for search committees on getting a diverse pool of candidates. This includes requirements related to publishing advertisements in diversity associations, personalized outreach of the hiring chair. This includes recruitment from Ph.D. programs with underrepresented populations. Committees are required to receive training on bias. All search committees are recommended to have the presence of diversity advocates on search committees.

Mentoring, Counseling and Support Programs 

Does the institution have mentoring, counseling, peer support, academic support, or other programs to support students from underrepresented groups on campus?:
Yes

Does the institution have mentoring, counseling, peer support or other programs to support staff from underrepresented groups on campus?:
No

Does the institution have mentoring, counseling, peer support or other programs to support faculty from underrepresented groups on campus?:
No

A brief description of the institution’s programs to support students, staff and/or faculty from underrepresented groups:
Our counseling center provides peer listening program for all students. Additionally our campus diversity center encompasses a wide range of programs and support for underrepresented groups. This includes the Multi-Ethnic Center for Cultural Affairs House this is a residential house that allows for the promotion of diversity and inclusion on campus.

Support for Future Faculty 

Does the institution have training and development programs, teaching fellowships and/or other programs that specifically aim to support and prepare students from underrepresented groups for careers as faculty members?:
No

A brief description of the institution’s programs to support and prepare students from underrepresented groups for careers as faculty members:
While no faculty pipeline currently exists it has been discussed at the institutional level and efforts are being made to address this issue.

Optional Fields 

Does the institution produce a publicly accessible inventory of gender-neutral bathrooms on campus?:
Yes

Does the institution offer housing options to accommodate the special needs of transgender and transitioning students?:
Yes

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Gender Neutral bathrooms: http://whitmancoalition.weebly.com/resources.html There are currently efforts to increase gender neutral bathrooms in all campus buildings.

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.