Appendix F: The School of Arts & Sciences
Nov. 10, 2020
Plan for a Plan to Address Systemic Racism
The School of Arts and Sciences is committed to moving beyond rhetoric to creating and implementing a concrete action plan to address the legacies and current realities of systemic racism and anti-blackness in order to institute meaningful, enduring change.
The following plan for a plan is based on a series of informal small group discussions with interested faculty in August; review of an array of Task Force reports and other recommendations, including from the “Honoring Our Founding Values” subcommittee chaired by Chad Williams, The Black Action Plan created by a group of concerned Brandeis students, and the Ford Hall 2015 draft implementation plan. It provides an overview of what we have achieved, a deliberative process and timeline for widespread consultation and discussion in the fall term, and a menu of possible options, recommendations, and metrics to consider and revise as we think together about our way forward.
Admissions Actions to Date
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- Instituted measures to better support high need students, such as eliminating “gapping” by removing unsubsidized loans from financial aid packages; rolling the “new student fee” and other non-mandatory fees (other than senior fees) into the cost of attendance so that it can be covered by financial aid for those who need assistance; changing financial aid policy to cap home equity upfront for all families on financial aid; and removing the minimum student contribution of $1,500 for all families with an estimated family contribution of $10k or less
- Expanded outreach to and recruitment of diverse students by increasing visits to community-based organizations, partnering with the College Board to use the Landscape tool for additional context when reviewing applications, and increasing the number of prospective student names in database by about 50% (for a total of 78,000)
- Strengthened DEI training and commitment of undergraduate (UG) admissions personnel by adding diversity recruitment as part of all job descriptions, year-long diversity training, and training with UG Admissions team for the Admissions and Financial Aid office on best practices around implicit bias and equitable decision making
- Instituted measures to better assess and meet financial needs of master’s applicants using the FAFSA and CSS profile.
- Expanded outreach to and recruitment of diverse students building relationships with Posse Scholars, McNair Scholars, HBCU’s and HSI’s. Increased recruitment at large state universities. Increased presence at diversity-focused graduate admissions fairs.
- Created and funded the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Scholars program (DEIS) to fully fund and stipend master’s students to recruit students from historically underrepresented backgrounds and mentor them into PhD programs at Brandeis and other excellent universities. Entering its fifth year, the program only has funding for up to five students in non-science fields and up to three students in biotechnology.
- Started required anti-bias training of faculty in departments that nominate students for the DEIS program.
- Entering the second application round for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Gilliam Fellowship (graduate), which funds PI/URM PhD student/mentor pairs in the sciences. We are authorized to make four nominations per year. Gina Turrigiano and Andrea Guerrero were funded this year.
- Required all departments and programs to create a “living” governance document to clarify internal governance mechanisms to be transparent, equitable, and reflect the shared expectations of faculty.
- Increased recruitment and retention of Black and Hispanic/Latinx faculty to meet Ford Hall 2015 goal of doubling the number of full-time faculty of color. Tenure track or tenured faculty of color in A&S have increased from 5 in 2015 to 16 in 2019-2020.
- Implemented mandatory anti-bias training for all chairs and members of search committees
- Implemented Faculty Mentoring Program (FMP) for junior tenure-line faculty to strengthen faculty success and sense of belonging and inclusion at Brandeis
- The University became institutional members of the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) providing access to substantive resources for all Brandeis faculty, postdocs and graduate students
- Paid for interested faculty to participate in NCFDD’s online Faculty Success Program
- As part of new Brandeis Core implemented in fall 2019, there are now required courses in “Global Engagement” that cover the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion studies in the U.S. (DEIS-US); difference and justice in the world (DJW); and world languages and cultures (WLC). The global engagement requirement emphasizes the profound connections between local and global forms of understanding and social justice, encompassing global stewardship, world relationships, environmental justice and sustainability.
- Launched new minor and program in Asian American and Pacific-Islander Studies, effective fall semester 2020
- Successfully transitioned the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program into a Department as of July 1, 2020
- Expanded Latin American and Latino Studies Program with “mini cluster-hire” of two additional tenure-line faculty (in Sociology and Romance Studies)
- Strengthened Native American Studies with hiring of two new assistant professors (in History and Anthropology)
- Hired an Associate Director within A & S to better support and train academic administrators and respond to their concerns
Initiatives Underway
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- Collaborating with Mark Brimhall-Vargas to identify achievable goals and cost associated with them to shift class demographics
- Using advice and guidance from faculty experts, making changes to how personal characteristics of a file are assessed to reduce bias in the reading and evaluation process
- Required anti-bias training is being done this year for all admissions counselors who review applications
- Collaborating with Lauren Haynie to increase diversity and equity in athletic recruitment process
- Recalibrated how merit scholarships are awarded with the goal of creating greater equity across the pool of admitted students
- Working with programs to reduce and, eventually eliminate, use of the GRE in the application process.
- Hiring the first GSAS Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Diversity
- Consulted with Mark Brimhall-Vargas to structure data gathering about issues of inclusion within the graduate student academic and living experience at Brandeis.
- Devising a format and mechanism for information gathering from the community on the graduate student experience.
- Hosting a workshop for all chairs on October 1st, facilitated by Mark Brimhall-Vargas, to discuss systemic racism and to share approaches and ideas to help chairs facilitate discussion within their departments and programs to create action plans
- Each division council has also held at least one meeting to discuss and share ideas and ways to create anti-racist action-plans for department and programs
- Seeding pilot projects, such as Sociology Department’s proposal for a faculty “equity liaison” (with Office of DEI) to explore and evaluate effectiveness and impact of different approaches
- To create & institute mechanism for clear messaging of priorities and accountability will add DEI initiatives to annual department/program planning template and include review of department/program demographics (faculty, staff and students), climate (sense of belonging and inclusion), and student program satisfaction in annual planning process, as significant factor in distributing resources
- As part of Faculty Mentoring Program, launch of an annual workshop for faculty of color focused on issues of shared concern
- Per the recommendation of the Faculty Senate, work with Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to implement mandatory anti-bias training for all faculty by the end of the fall 2020 semester
- For 2020-2021, priority for applications to School of Arts and Sciences Co-Curricular Fund given to virtual events, performances, and speakers that can contribute to our understanding of structural racism and the development and implementation of anti-racist initiatives.
Actions Under Discussion
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- Consider the feasibility of eliminating loans for low income students (Pell or income level to qualify)
- Hold mandatory anti-bias training yearly in advance of travel and reading seasons
- Require anti-bias training for all new staff hires
- Explore participation in Mellon-Mays, McNair Scholars and other pipeline/support programs for BIPOC and first-generation students
- Review the wide range of departmental structures of graduate admissions to improve practices.
- Implement trainings for graduate committees – both admissions and dissertation
- Develop mechanisms to strengthen sense of community and belonging among – and more support for BIPOC graduate students
- Require mandatory anti-bias training for all Arts and Sciences staff and leadership
- Implement and monitor progress on 165 benchmarked metrics outlined by the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award.
- Consider hiring Director for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for the School of Arts and Sciences to coordinate initiatives, liaise with Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, oversee implementation and progress of 165 benchmarked HEED metrics (above)
- Hold mandatory workshops for all department and program chairs on such relevant topics as:
- Ensuring an inclusive and anti-racist climate
- Approaches to reviewing and “decolonizing” their curriculum and field
- Recognizing and overcoming implicit bias
- Micro-aggressions
- Center history of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) in new faculty orientation, new chair orientation, and new student orientation
- Prepare DEI plan and annual report on department/program demographics (faculty, staff and students), climate (sense of belonging and inclusion), and student program satisfaction as part of annual planning process
- Add contributions to DEI efforts to faculty activity report, as factor in determining salary increases
- Continue commitment to recruiting and retaining faculty of color, with attention to mid and senior ranks
- Perhaps a “Critical Race Studies” cluster hire?
- Fund additional Target of Opportunity hires
- Continue mandatory DEI training of search chairs and committees, expand to include members of all search committees, including OTS and part-time faculty
- Develop mechanisms to recognize and reward the invisible labor of BIPOC faculty to support and mentoring BIPOC students
- Perhaps create a suite of positions – like Faculty Diversity Liaison – with compensation that faculty can apply for, claim as title, and be rewarded for.
- Evaluate the pilot “Equity Liaison” project on Sociology for impact and possibility of scaling-up
- Expand representation of BIPOC in school and university leadership positions through a leadership training program
- Commit to increasing BIPOC in non-tenure line faculty positions, including per course hires
- Ask all departments and programs to consider ways to make their curriculum and teaching more inclusive
- Continue to strengthen race and ethnic studies programs, including African and African American Studies, Latinx studies, Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies
- Consider creation of a “Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diaspora Studies”
- Consider BAP request to institute a mandatory first year course about systemic racism
- Expand hiring of BIPOC in staff positions
- Require mandatory anti-bias training from the ODEI office for everyone involved in staff hires
- Offer training to staff on microaggressions and other anti-racist topics through academic administrator programming
- Create academic staff working group to increase anti-racist efforts at the staff level. This group would work in collaboration with faculty and other staff groups such as ODEI.
Fall Plan and Timeline
To ensure broad consultation and finalize the plan, the School of Arts and Sciences will rely on its current governance structure of departments, programs, and divisions.
By January 31, 2021, we commit to the following:
- Admissions will implement and train all counseling staff on newly established, more equitable protocols for assessing personal characteristics in applications and commit to further evaluating its selection process to identify ways that its systems could be limiting access
- A & S will hold workshops for all chairs to discuss structural racism, approaches to legacies of racism in their field, approaches to decolonizing the curriculum
- All A & S faculty will meet, by department and program, to discuss their ideas for an anti-racism plan, assess their current climate and curriculum and set anti-racist goals. Staff from the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will be available to facilitate and participate.
- As a result of these workshops and other engagements, every department and program will submit a DEI plan that identifies DEI priorities and sets goals for their demographics (faculty, staff, and students), curriculum, climate, and programming.
- A & S will revise its annual department/program planning template to include a section asking for the departments DEI plan and progress
- If the Faculty Activity Report cannot be revised in AY21, A & S will include a prompt in the discretionary section asking for faculty to report on their DEI-related activities, including student mentoring
- Discussion, review and decision about all of the above suggestions, including plans generated by departments, programs, and divisions, will be synthesized to create an Anti-Racist Action Plan for the School of Arts and Sciences.