UM’s commitment to diversity including guiding statements, campus resources, and the UM Diversity Plan are featured at diversity.olemiss.edu. The University has created institutional programs to enhance diversity and diversity training among faculty, staff and students, to support all dimensions of diversity, and to assess and respond to campus climate concerns.
The University of Mississippi Diversity Plan, “Diversity Matters,” is a comprehensive, holistic diversity plan that aligns with the Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) Diversity Plan and the UM Strategic Planning Council. The plan contains all of the IHL diversity goals and metrics (2013).
UM established the Center for Inclusion & Cross Cultural Engagement and hired a director after a national search. The center teaches skills to combat racism, homophobia, sexism and other forms of discrimination, and it has developed cultural competency training for faculty, staff and students to create a diverse learning and living environment on campus (fall 2014).
To incorporate an emphasis on racial climate and diversity into all aspects of university planning and assessment, the Strategic Planning Council and Office of the Provost include diversity and inclusion as a planning principle across all “Priorities of Excellence” in the UM 2020 Strategic Plan.
Efforts focused on minority student recruitment and retention include:
- The Mississippi Outreach to Scholastic Talent Mentoring Program hosts the MOST Conference for rising African-American high school seniors in Mississippi (and their parents). Held in summer 2015, the multiday summit focused on leadership development, ACT preparation and financial aid guidance. The goals are to prepare students to apply for, transition to and succeed in college. With a goal of attracting 120 rising seniors, the University of Mississippi welcomed and hosted more than 400 African-American high school students on campus in 2015. Each participant was paired with a peer mentor to guide him or her through the college transition process. The university held a MOST reunion on campus in November 2015. The 2016 MOST Conference will be held July 17-19.
- Ole Miss Opportunity (OMO) scholarship recipients now receive priority admission into FASTrack, a learning community with an eight-year record of success. This additional support has led to improved retention and success rates. From 2010 to 2013, 232 OMO recipients received FASTrack support. Their first-year, fall-to-fall retention rate was 87.9 percent. For those OMO recipients who did not receive FASTrack support, the retention rate during the same period was 78.7 percent. Based on such results, OMO recipients and other Pell-eligible students are being actively recruited into FASTrack.
- The Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement implemented the African American Males: Enrolling, Retaining & Graduating (AAMERG) initiative to unite University of Mississippi faculty, staff and students through community outreach, mentoring, personal and professional development, and servant leadership. The goal of AAMERG is to strengthen recruiting, educating, retaining and graduating African-American males at the university.
- Each UM recruitment plan since 2013-14 includes goals to increase diversity among incoming freshmen and transfer students.
- UM admissions counselors have increased visits to high schools with high minority populations, providing financial aid materials that address concerns about the cost of higher education.
- The associate dean for the medical school admissions and representatives from the Division of Multicultural Affairs routinely recruit on the state’s historically black campuses.
- The Division of Multicultural Affairs at the Medical Center provides a pool of tutors year-round at no charge to assist any student who finds the professional learning environment challenging.
- The Medical Center’s Office of Academic Counseling works with students on an individual (or group) basis to help them maximize their academic potential through programs designed to meet the student’s special learning needs.
- The Medical Center’s chapter of the Minority Student Health Professional Association sponsors social and educational enrichment activities for minority students throughout the academic session to give members the opportunity to interact with role models.
- The Medical Center School of Nursing mentorship program provides students from different racial and ethnic backgrounds the opportunity to interact with and be mentored by practicing nurses with similar backgrounds. Participants gain invaluable insight into the nursing profession; receive the guidance and support of a seasoned RN; build the foundation for a lasting professional network; and gain a clearer understanding of academic and career plans.
The university has significantly improved diversity within the faculty and UM is now among the top three flagship universities in the nation in percentage of African American faculty members. UM supports faculty development efforts by offering workshops related to diversity and inclusion:
- The William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation provided a “lunch and learn” discussion for faculty members on teaching race and civility (fall 2014).
- Title IX and Violence Prevention Office staff led a Title IX workshop for faculty members (fall 2014).
- The Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement led a workshop for faculty titled “Resources and Best Practices for Inclusion” (summer 2015).
The university has also focused on staff development and diversity training:
- UM Police Department (UPD) has employed additional diversity training within the department (100 percent compliance). UPD requires a “Hate vs. Bias Training” for all new officers and is developing new training with the Department of Justice related to transgender students.
- The Division of Student Affairs professional development committee hosted a workshop for staff members and graduate students titled “History of University Creeds in Higher Education and Incorporating the University of Mississippi Creed into Daily Practice.” This workshop provided the opportunity for professionals to think more deeply about how to further enhance our existing efforts on this front (December 2015).
- The Division of Student Affairs partnered with the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation and the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement to expand diversity training. Staff development training on cultural competency began with a focus on equity, diversity and inclusion based on professional competency subject matter established by the American College Personnel Association and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. It is the goal of the Division of Student Affairs to train every employee and graduate assistant every two to three years (fall 2013).
- The Department of Human Resources partnered with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, and University Communications to develop a new employee onboarding program titled “Welcome Home.” The Welcome Home program includes a one-hour presentation on the history of the university, including its commitment to racial reconciliation (summer 2013).
UM continues to make progress in creating a culture of research excellence related to race. A faculty group focused on UM’s history with slavery, the UM Slavery Group, was established in 2015 and the Office of the Provost has provided support for seed projects and research. The Office of the Provost and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Sponsored Programs continue to support the work of the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation and the Critical Race Studies Group.
The University also continues to make great strides supporting other dimensions of diversity:
- The Sensitivity and Respect Committee serves as an immediate point of contact for any member of our University community who is subjected to actions or words that are in conflict with EEO anti-discrimination policy. The Committee receives and reviews any such complaints as well as considers proactive measures to encourage community harmony and emphasize the high value placed on respect for the dignity of individuals.
- The University established the LGBTQ Affairs Committee that provides counsel and makes recommendations to the Chancellor and Provost on University policies, programs, practices, and facilities as they impact or pertain to students, faculty, and staff who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer/questioning.
- The inaugural Pride Camp was held to provide networking opportunities and exposure to campus resources for students who are members of the LGBTQ community. The Sarah Isom Center for Women & Gender Studies, Department of Student Housing and Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement partnered to host the event (summer 2015).
- The University established a new tradition by holding Lavender Graduation, a cultural celebration that recognizes LGBTQ students and acknowledges their achievements and contributions to the university as students who successfully navigated the college experience (spring 2016).
- UM student groups including UM Pride Network, in conjunction with the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies organized the inaugural LOU Pride Weekend. LOU Pride Weekend is designed to create inclusive, welcoming spaces for The University of Mississippi’s LGBTQ student body and for Lafayette County and Oxford’s queer community (May 2016).
- The University of Mississippi Alumni Association Executive Committee formed the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Questioning Alumni and Friends Council in 2014. At the time of its formation, there were only three of its kind in the Southeastern Conference. The purpose is to welcome LGBTQ alumni and their allies, to provide opportunities for fellowship, and to create a safe space at the university for those who stay or return.
- The Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Women consists of approximately 20 faculty, staff, and student members appointed by the Chancellor and charged with the duty of studying the status of women faculty, staff, and students.
UM has increased efforts to assess and respond to campus climate including
- In summer of 2013, UM created the Bias Incident Response Team to record and track all notifications of bias and determine whether an area needs additional attention because of observable patterns or repeated student or staff issues.
- The University of Mississippi invited all sophomores and juniors to participate in the Diverse Learning Environment Survey (DLES) and all freshmen and seniors to participate in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) in spring 2014. Both the DLES and NSSE are planned to be given every three years (Diversity Matters, p. 89-96).
- The Division of Student Affairs solicits frequent data reports and monitors for trends that may indicate bias, drawing on monthly and semester reports from the University Police Department, Office of Conflict Resolution and Student Conduct and Office of the Dean of Students (Fraternity and Sorority Life).
- An in-depth analysis of all university publications and electronic content was completed to determine the degree to which communication demonstrated diversity and a welcoming environment. Of the 72 printed publications studied, 66 percent met criteria, 31 percent were identified as needing minor improvement and 2 percent showed a need for major improvement, reflecting little or no diversity in selected photography.