Enhanced professional development for all

The conversations yielded a resounding call for additional, ongoing, and impactful professional development related to inclusion for all faculty, staff, and students. Clearly the need for professional development must extend to all campus members and include topics such as diversifying the curriculum within courses currently offered and in the development of new courses, what it means to be an ally, and how to be an anti-racist institution. There were requests for for ongoing training for campus security to ensure they understand the concerns students have about policing in general and how we can be supported by, and provide support to, our security officers. Likewise, we were asked to ensure continued opportunities for our athletic staff and our student leadership teams to engage in diversity training so that our students receive holistic support across the campus.

The conversations varied about how to effectively increase the numbers of those who participate in inclusion professional development. Still, there was a consensus that the institution needs to get broader participation in these conversations and that such events should be an explicit part of our culture.

We will implement a robust portfolio of professional development beginning with this year's faculty retreat, Educational Equity in the Era of #BlackLivesMatter. Conversation and learning related to inclusion will be a critical part of upcoming institutional addresses and communications as well.

We are also planning a day-long Equity and Justice Day for October 23, 2020. This day will involve a series of speakers and professional development opportunities for all faculty, staff, and students. We are working with Academic Affairs at Hollins and have reached out to the Association of American Colleges and Universities to plan this day of community learning. We will also create a calendar of lunch-and-learns for the community, to include faculty, staff, and students.

On September 22, 2020, we will have a campus-wide conversation with Michelle Alexander. Leading up to her talk, we will host book groups and feedback sessions to ensure the conversations speak to the needs of the Hollins community.

Each month, I will lead a conversation related to inclusion. These conversations will focus on either a text or a process we need to engage in to further our goals at Hollins.

University Leadership and the Board of Trustees

Several conversation participants indicated the importance of ensuring that all levels of the institution are engaged in professional development. To that end, the October meeting of the Hollins University Board of Trustees will include professional development provided by Angela Vallot. Each agenda of upcoming board meetings will also have a learning segment related to inclusion.

The cabinet and I must also have a visible learning agenda related to inclusion. We will create this agenda by October 1, 2020. Likewise, one of my annual goals, against which I will be assessed, is explicitly related to inclusion.

Providing Leadership in the Office of Inclusivity and Diversity (OID)

The need for a senior-level leadership position related to inclusion, equity, and diversity was frequently referenced. There was a mandate to fill the open position in the Office of Inclusivity and Diversity (OID) quickly. Several participants also commented on how essential it is to resource this role and the OID appropriately. Likewise, there was a call to ensure the work of inclusion is not left to only one or two people on campus. I commit to filling the open position now, exempting it from the hiring freeze, and to providing the resources needed to do the work. There is also clear evidence that the community needs to better understand the work the Office of Cultural and Community Engagement has done and continues to do as well as other offices addressing inclusion.

In early September, I will host two open sessions to invite feedback about the priorities, scope, and structure of the OID position. I am asking that those who attend the session to review articles we will provide that inform how we can optimize the role and effectiveness of the position. I will also welcome input regarding the OID’s current structure and our overall structure for our inclusion work. Feedback can also be sent to inclusion@hollins.edu.

A search committee will be appointed, and a draft of the position description will be shared with the community by mid-September. Once finalized, the position will be posted, and a national search will take place.

Structures to provide support and redress

Grievance and harassment board

Throughout each conversation, participants raised concerns about – at best the lack of clarity, at worse the absence of – structures to which they can turn for support and redress when they experience a hostile environment. It is clear that we need greater clarity about existing structures and that, perhaps, new structures are needed. This fall, we will review our harassment and grievance board's current structure to determine what barriers currently exist to using this structure successfully. We will also work together to determine how the structure of our inclusion work and the offices related to inclusion can be improved.

Human Resources (HR)

Throughout the conversations, it was evident that there is a need to view human resources (HR) as a partner in our work around inclusion. Specifically, conversation participants wanted to ensure that our HR team has access to diversity training and that they are fully prepared and resourced to support those who need assistance. There was also a call for increased transparency about inclusion from HR, especially in position searches.

We will move forward with gathering voluntary demographic data from job position applicants and review the data to ensure we have diverse pools applying for positions. We will also provide HR with a robust program of professional development to support their growth. These opportunities will be available beginning in Fall 2020.

Creating an inclusive community and culture

Much of the feedback received can readily be addressed through the assessment and refinement of existing structures or by aggressively implementing new policies and practices. However, long term, systemic, and cultural change are essential to ensure that the immediate tactics are embraced and become a valued part of the Hollins campus. This longer-term work has to begin now, but cannot be measured in days, weeks, or months. Instead, this is the work that will frame who we become and who we are in the long term. This work, currently less tangible and less easily defined, is essential.

Defining terms

Critical to having an inclusive culture on campus is shared agreement about terms and their meaning. Hollins currently has a series of defined terms. The terms may be found here. In the fall of 2020, we will explore these terms and whether and how we want to adopt them across the university.

Inclusion strategic plan and vision

It is also clear that Hollins needs an institutional vision and plan as it relates to inclusion. The absence of this plan leads to confusion about our goals, uneven resource allocations, and conflicting priorities related to inclusion. Beginning with the Equity and Justice Day, we will develop a shared vision statement related to inclusion. Once the vision statement is articulated, over the course of the 2020-21 academic year, we will develop a long-range strategic plan, including metrics and an assessment plan. While we have much work to do, we will celebrate the steps we are taking and support our entire community in this work.