President's Taskforce on Equity, Inclusion and Diversity

As the stewards of a proudly public university, we at Western must recognize the history and culture we are embedded in and embrace our responsibility to increase access for those who have been historically and structurally excluded from our society’s opportunities, resources, and rewards. The job of the President’s Task Force on Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity is to rigorously review campus climate, recruitment and retention practices, curriculum, and community outreach efforts in order to develop a comprehensive strategic plan and to recommend initiatives, policies, and procedures that will increase equity and inclusion and allow Western to embrace and reflect a truly diverse society.

Announcements

"Creating Inclusive Learning Environments for Transgender Students" Discussion for Faculty & Teaching Assistants on April 9

How can faculty and teaching assistants make their classrooms more inclusive for transgender students, and support students' use of preferred names and pronouns? Learn more during this discussion on Tuesday, April 9 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. in Wilson Library Rm 270.

Staff Engagement and Diversity Climate Survey Results Available

In order to facilitate continual improvement of Western's campus climate and enhance the University's commitment to diversity, a survey of classified and professional staff regarding these important issues was conducted during Fall 2012. As Western has recently conducted similar studies for faculty and students, it was critical that the views and opinions of classified and professional staff also be gathered to identify areas in need of improvement and to gauge progress. Please see the Fall 2012 Staff Engagement and Diversity Climate Survey Reportfor details.

Temporary Procedure Implemented for Preferred First Name on Western Cards

The Registrar's Office, Western Card Office and Equal Opportunity Office have together implemented a temporary procedure for students and employees to obtain a Western Card indicating preferred first name. As the Temporary Procedure for First Name Changes on Western ID Cards states, enrolled students and employees wishing to use a preferred first name instead of a legal name on their Western Card may make such a request through any of these offices. The temporary procedure will be in place until a permanent process has been established across university systems.

President Shepard Approves Initial Taskforce Recommendations

President Shepard has approved the Taskforce's first set of recommendations:

The University should reimburse employees in same sex couples for the federal taxation on same sex partners’ health and wellness benefits. The process, termed a “gross-up benefit,” increases salaries by the amount taxed by the federal government plus the amount taxes would increase due to the increased income, effectively eliminating the penalty incurred by same sex couples.
The University should add the following statement to the Dual Career Assistance policy: “These policies apply to same sex couples.” Further, the University should add the same sentence to any form or policy that references “spouse/partner.”
The University should take steps to facilitate the ability for faculty, staff, and students to change their gender marker and preferred name without going through the time and expense of legally changing their name and/or gender with other governing bodies.

Additional recommendations from the Taskforce will be forthcoming. More details on the rationale and implementation schedule for these initial recommendations are available in President Shepard's letter to the Taskforce.

Taskforce Charge

Read the charge for the President's Taskforce on Equity, Inclusion and Diversity

Taskforce Members

Rich Brown, Associate Professor, Department of Theatre and Dance

Karen Dade, Associate Dean of Woodring College of Education

Raine Dozier, Assistant Professor, Department of Human Services and Rehabilitation

John Deng Duot, Associated Students Vice President for Diversity

Marie Eaton, Professor of Humanities and Education, Fairhaven College

Joseph Garcia, Bowman Distinguished Professor of Leadership Studies, College of Business and Economics

Ethan Glemaker, Associated Students President

Jason Kanov, Associate Professor, Department of Management

Kathleen Kitto, Acting Vice Provost for Research; Dean of the Graduate School; Special Assistant to the Provost for Strategic Initiatives

Laura Langley, Equal Opportunity/Equal Employment Diversity Associate, Equal Opportunity Office

Kevin Leonard, Professor, Department of History

Bill Lyne, Taskforce Coordinator; Faculty Associate to the President

Rebecca Marrall, Diversity Services Librarian

Kunle Ojikutu, Assistant Vice President for Student Services and Special Assistant to the President for Diversity

Shar Sarte Prince, Program Manager, Compass to Campus, Woodring College of Education

Francisco Rios, Dean of Woodring College of Education

Nick Sanchez, Senior Human Resource Associate

Glenn Tsunokai, Professor, Department of Sociology

Joan Ullin, Assistant Director, Student Outreach Services

Assessing Diversity and Climate at Western: Results of Faculty Surveys

2010 - 2011 Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) Faculty Survey: DIVERSITY CLIMATE REPORT