Columns:: Reaching out: Strategic plan for campus diversity efforts drafted

since 12/15/98

Columns::January 22, 2002

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Reaching out
Strategic plan for campus diversity efforts drafted

By Sharron Hannon
shannon@uga.edu

A three-year strategic plan to guide institutional efforts to increase campus diversity has been drafted under the direction of Louis A. Castenell Jr., acting associate provost for institutional diversity.

Louis Castenell

Castenell, who assumed responsibility for leading UGA’s newly established Office of Institutional Diversity in June, convened a “design team” of students, faculty, staff and administrators to assist in shaping the plan. The group of more than 30 met for weekly discussion sessions throughout most of the fall semester.
“The design team provided excellent input in defining goals for the office and for the university,” says Castenell. “They put a lot of time and thought into this.”
The current draft of the plan, which is being shared with senior administrators for their review and input, focuses on five goals:
• Establishing the Office of Institutional Diversity as the central administrative unit responsible for monitoring and supporting diversity efforts throughout the university;
• Working with appropriate campus units to improve recruitment and retention of historically underrepresented student populations, with an emphasis on African Americans, the state’s largest minority group;
• Working with appropriate campus units to improve recruitment, promotion and retention of historically underrepresented faculty and staff, with an emphasis on African Americans;
• Coordinating institutional efforts to promote a climate where inclusiveness and diversity are respected as core values; and
• Encouraging and supporting research and public service activities related to diversity and equity issues.
“This is an ambitious agenda, but there are already initiatives under way in each of these areas,” says Castenell. “What this office will do is provide more visibility and coordination. We also will routinely review models that appear to be successful and thus keep UGA on the cutting edge of excellence.”
The design team also worked on a list of objectives for each of the five goals. “The list provides a strong starting point, but is likely to change and develop as we proceed,” says Castenell. “When you are setting up a new office, you want a good set of working guidelines, but also flexibility.”
Castenell says the next step in setting up the Office of Institutional Diversity is to establish an advisory council that will meet periodically with UGA senior administrators. Advisory council membership will include individuals directly involved in working on the strategic plan goals, as well as others from across campus.
In addition, Castenell plans to publish a newsletter and establish a Web site to disseminate information on UGA’s diversity efforts to audiences on and off campus. The Office of Institutional Diversity is located on the recently remodeled ground floor of the Holmes-Hunter Academic Building. An open house will be held later this semester.

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