Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
Note: This webpage is a work in progress and will be updated with links to additional information and resources.
Last updated December 2022 — posted video.
Vision Statement
Hastings College is committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity on our campus, where all members of our community can reach their full potential. All humans deserve dignity and have inherent value. We work to foster an environment where all members are embraced, empowered, and engaged. We actively combat attitudes, behaviors, and systems that work against this goal. Through actions, policies, and culture designed to celebrate diversity and create inclusion, Hastings College is able to serve its past, present, and future students, employees, and other stakeholders.
Diversity Strategic Plan
Included here is the Vision of the Hastings College Diversity Strategic Plan. Additional information and resources will be made available as they are finalized or updated.
In the Summer of 2020, the Diversity Strategic Planning Committee (DSPC) was formed and tasked with creating Hastings College’s first Diversity Strategic Plan.
All committee decisions were data-driven and/or based on recommended industry standards. The following sources were utilized:
- Hastings College data trends over the past decade
- Current HC data points as compared to peers institutions
- Research on institutional benefits of diversity and inclusion initiatives
- Industry standards/recommendations on addressing specific problems
The work of the DSPC culminated in the creation of a targeted two-year plan, that will allow for tangible change and the timely evaluation of progress. Three primary outcomes are included in the strategic plan:
- Develop and sustain an Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and ADA with a budget for DEI training/activities
- Develop targeted onboarding for under-prepared students
- Continue to have representative and aspirational marketing materials
- Develop a process to make decisions about official statements from the college about current events related to diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Develop a policy review system to ensure all existing and new institutional policies meet diversity, equity, inclusion, and ADA compliance.
- Develop an emergency planning review system to ensure all existing and new emergency processes meet diversity, equity, inclusion, and ADA compliance.
- Develop a diversity, equity, and inclusion ADA compliance training/education plan for all campus members.
- Additional DEI training required for any employee who supervises employees or who oversees students in extracurricular/co-curricular activities
- Hire and work with DEI consultant
- Create a highly visible college webpage that includes the college’s DEI mission and vision, DEI definitions, grievance reporting procedures, the DEI Strategic Plan, and other relevant resources.
- Develop and publish a DEI newsletter each semester to communicate updates, progress, and areas of improvement to campus
- Require a diversity statement as a part of all employee job applications
- Develop a form to report experienced biases and develop a team to respond to those reports
- Provide regular, ongoing training for public safety officers, as well as for students, faculty, and staff, on identifying hate crimes, hate crime prevention, and how to report and respond to bias incidents and hate crimes
- Develop DEI, unconscious bias, and ADA compliance training plans for all students and employees
- Implement empirically driven prevention training and programming related to sexual violence and sexual harassment
- Create a DEI statement for inclusion in the syllabus of each course to set the stage for a welcoming environment in the classroom.
- Integrate DEI service requirements into employee performance expectations and position descriptions, when appropriate.
- Discuss and propose how each academic department will incorporate DEI into their degree programs. Evaluate existing DEI course content within degree programs.
- Discuss and propose how each administrative department/division will incorporate DEI into their areas.
- Evaluate existing DEI practices within areas.
- Continue to complete full DEI plan revision every three to five years based on reports, college climate assessments, internal focus groups, and external input.
- Procure quotes and estimates about all buildings accessibility
- Reduce incidents of harassment and assault
- Engage in practices to meet the need for gender-inclusive housing
- Include pronouns/name changes in information systems
- Increase faculty utilization of tools to create accessible course materials for all students (Canvas, documents, videos, websites)
- Further develop the practice of data-informed decision making specifically related to student engagement, well-being, and safety
- Ensure that the college’s food vendor provides food that reflects our students and employees’ identities and preferences
- Recruit, hire, and retain a team of bilingual and multicultural tour guides
- Develop and publish a Campus Diversity Statement
- Develop a written policy requiring at least one gender-inclusive restroom in all newly constructed or significantly renovated buildings
- Provide gender-inclusive restrooms in all residence halls and at least half of administrative and academic buildings
- Ensure free menstrual products are available in every gender-inclusive restroom on campus
- Allocate a meeting & lounge space on campus for affinity student groups (e.g., Black Student Alliance, HC Alliance, Multicultural Student Union, etc.). and students to access
- Ensure all offices and classrooms are in accessible locations on campus
- Increase student diversity
- Maintain gender balance
- Increase non-white student diversity in the first-year students
- Increase non-white student retention
- Increase international student diversity
- Evaluate employee diversity at the departmental and divisional levels
- Evaluate student diversity at the departmental and divisional levels
- Find and/or develop funds for diversity specific scholarships
- Increase employee diversity
- Maintain cabinet diversity
- Increase female faculty and staff
- Increase non-white faculty and staff
- Increase Board of Trustees diversity
- Increase age, profession, racial diversity
- Increase religious diversity
- Hire a community organizing chaplain and Director of Service Learning
- Collect and evaluate data regarding the religious and spiritual diversity of all students and employees
Included with each outcome, the plan outlines specific goals, the status of Hastings College currently, how the outcome will be achieved, and key individuals to lead the actions.
To provide context and clarification to the desired outcomes, the published plan also includes: current Hastings College data, a glossary of terminology, roles of all stakeholders, and a bibliography of resources used throughout.
Understanding that the two-year plan is limited in scope, the committee acknowledges that some goals were unable to be included. However, considerations for future efforts will be passed along to the next committee to include in future planning to sustain a process of continuous improvement.
These actions mark a formal commitment by all stakeholders to a more diverse and inclusive community reflecting the world we live in.
File A Report
To file a report related to DEIB issues, please complete our HC Cares reporting form.
DEIB Reports and Information
Fall 2022 Targets
- Complete an equity audit of the Hastings College Campus
- Hold a State of Diversity Day- MLK Day
- Develop a Public Statements Process (for topical events, including local, national, and international)
- Develop and Implement a Symbolic Expression Process
- Implement Discrimination, Harrassment, and Microaggressions Training for Employees
Fall 2022 Event
In fall 2022, Peter Ferguson ’96 engaged with the women’s volleyball and basketball teams as they examined and built their championship culture on and off the court through Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB).
Check out the video for highlights.
