DEI Strategic Plan, Goal #2

Task: Develop Rossin College strategies for retention in collaboration with the corresponding university offices, and encourage faculty, staff, and students to participate in retention activities already present at the university level

Metric: Perform annual analysis of retention for faculty, staff, and students

Baseline 2021: No college-specific retention strategies in place. However, ADVANCE has a lot of retention strategies already developed.

One-Year Target: Build database on existing efforts and activities in this space. Combine it with college-specific efforts, developed if necessary, and achieve 90% engagement among faculty, students, and staff.

Initiative Leader(s): Rossin College Associate Dean for Faculty Development, Dean’s Student Council, Rossin College Director of Administration, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, ADVANCE Program Directors

Task: Organize and implement a Rossin College specific annual DEI workshop for deans, department chairs, and program directors

Metric: Keep track of attendance for workshops

Baseline 2021: No regularly organized workshops by the Rossin College. University workshops exist, but do not necessarily address college-specific needs.

One-Year Target: College-specific workshop held annually with 100% participation. Evaluate methods to increase attendance for university-organized workshops within three months.

Initiative Leader(s): Rossin College Associate Dean for Faculty Development, ADVANCE Program Directors

Task: Implement an online diversity education course for faculty and staff

Metric: Keep track of attendance for diversity courses

Baseline 2021: No specific online diversity online education course in place. However, a lot of other related resources are available through the university.

One-Year Target: Identify available diversity courses to be offered online; enroll and ensure 100% participation by 2023

Initiative Leader(s): Rossin College Associate Dean for Faculty Development, ADVANCE Program Directors

Task: Support recruiting and retention process of minority students in Greer Scholars program

Metric: Perform annual analysis of recruitment and retention of Greer Scholars. Specifically, look at the number of Greer Scholars who stay at Lehigh, as well as those who remain in the Rossin College for the duration of their studies.

Baseline 2021: Department representatives and Associate Deans of Faculty Development and Academic Affairs attend monthly Greer Scholar meetings

One-Year Target: Investigate possibilities to engage more faculty in this process. Implement proposed ideas and evaluate their effectiveness in improving Greer Scholars recruitment and retention.

Initiative Leader(s): Rossin College Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Dean’s Student Council, Rossin College Associate Dean for Faculty Development

Task: Support recruiting and retention process of GEM Fellows

Metric: Perform annual analysis of GEM program results (recruiting and retention) in Rossin College

Baseline 2021: Enrolled in the GEM consortium in 2018-19 school year. In 2019-20 school year, Rossin College had 10 applicants; five students received offers in our doctoral programs, and two students accepted the offers.

One-Year Target: Working with university-level GEM program, develop recruiting and retention procedure, processes, and best practices. Implement and annually evaluate their effectiveness. Target 3x improvement in recruitment and retention of GEM Fellows.

Initiative Leader(s): Deputy Vice President for Equity and Community and Associate Provost for Academic Diversity, Rossin College Representatives in Graduate Student Senate, Rossin College Associate Dean for Faculty Development

Task: Seek and secure private and federal funding that includes commitments to the academic and professional advancement of underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students and faculty

Metric: Perform annual analysis of the results (both applications and awarded grants)

Baseline 2021: Isolated efforts

One-Year Target: Develop and implement college- and department- level efforts focused in this direction. Annually provide list of funding opportunities to department chairs. Analyze the number of applications in the past two years and target 3x improvement in the next five years.

Initiative Leader(s): Rossin College Dean, Rossin College Department Chairs, Rossin College Associate Deans

Task: Implement a faculty/staff/student exit survey and use the results to identify issues and opportunities for continuous improvement

Metric: Surveys administered at college level for faculty and staff. Departments to apply DEI questions as a part of their senior exit interview process.

Baseline 2021: Rudimentary faculty exit rubric in place. Individual departments run undergraduate senior student exit surveys. DEI questions not asked of students in a systematic way.

One-Year Target: Develop faculty/ staff/student exit survey; share anonymized results with the DEI Council and department chairs; and implement changes. Candidates will be informed beforehand how the survey will be utilized.

Initiative Leader(s): Rossin College Associate Deans, Rossin College Director of Administration, Dean’s Student Council

Task: Provide support for academic clubs, teams, and organizations that develop and/or conduct activities addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion

Metric: Provide annual report on the overall funding level

Baseline 2021: Some support provided on case-by-case basis

One-Year Target: Systematically support clubs, teams, and organizations with this platform; regular reports from supported groups addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion will be required

Initiative Leader(s): Rossin College Dean

Task: Provide support for URM-focused summer research undergraduate programs

Metric: Provide annual report on the overall funding level

Baseline 2021: Some support provided on case-by-case basis

One-Year Target: Systematically support selected summer undergraduate programs with this platform

Initiative Leader(s): Rossin College Dean

Task: Provide handicapped access in engineering buildings that do not have it yet, whenever possible

Metric: Provide annual report on the engineering buildings’ accessibility

Baseline 2021: Access available in some buildings, but not others

One-Year Target: Enable the access wherever possible within two years

Initiative Leader(s): Rossin College Dean, Rossin College Facility Manager

Task: Request from all engineering faculty diversity and inclusion statements that highlight steps taken/to be taken to improve/ensure an inclusive and equitable environment for research and learning

Metric: Conduct annual survey among students and faculty to evaluate satisfaction with the learning and research environment in the college

Baseline 2021: No diversity statements in existence

One-Year Target: Use the execution of this individual plan as part of the annual performance evaluation of the faculty. Verify with the chairs that statements are put into practice.

Initiative Leader(s): Rossin College Dean, Rossin College Department Chairs