Overview and History

The University’s diversity strategic plan, A Framework to Foster Diversity at Penn State: 2004-09, has developed from planning activities that began in 1994. During that year, each Penn State strategic planning unit (academic colleges, academic support units, and University Libraries) was asked to prepare a diversity strategic plan to promote greater equity for its faculty, staff, and students. Analysis of the plans by the University Planning Council (UPC) led to the conclusion that in order to attain its diversity goals Penn State needed to adopt a more systematic and systemic approach. The UPC recommended a comprehensive, University-wide diversity plan to guide institutional and unit-specific efforts to help bring about multicultural transformation at Penn State. This recommendation resulted in the development of A Framework to Foster Diversity at Penn State: 1998-2003, the University’s first diversity strategic plan. The 1998-2003 Framework outlined seven Challenges that needed to be met in order to promote diversity as an essential component of Penn State’s quest for greater excellence:

1. Developing a Shared and Inclusive Understanding of Diversity
2. Creating a Welcoming Campus Climate
3. Recruiting and Retaining a Diverse Student Body
4. Recruiting and Retaining a Diverse Workforce
5. Developing a Curriculum that Supports the Goals of our New General Education Plan
6. Diversifying University Leadership and Management
7. Coordinating Organizational Change to Support out Diversity Goals

In order to gauge Penn State’s progress toward implementing the 1998-2003 Framework, an assessment project was initiated. In 2001, at the mid-point of the diversity strategic planning cycle, each strategic planning unit was asked to submit an update report on their progress toward each Challenge. To guide the assessment process and provide some consistency among update reports, units were asked a series of questions, which were tied to the seven Challenges, about their diversity endeavors since 1998. Four Review Teams were formed to evaluate each update and provide feedback reports to each strategic planning unit. Rodney Erickson, executive vice president and provost, and W. Terrell Jones, vice provost for Educational Equity, met with each budget executive (academic deans and budget executives of academic support units) to discuss their respective update report, the Review Team’s feedback report, and overall progress. The budget executives were given the opportunity to supplement their feedback report with responses to points raised by the Review Team and to revise their update based on the observations and recommendations made by the Team and their discussion with the provost and vice provost. The final versions of the update reports and Review Team feedback reports with responses from budget executives were posted to the Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity Web site and are available for review at http://www.equity.psu.edu/framework/archive.htm.

A similar review process was initiated at the end of the 1998-2003 Framework planning period. (This process was conducted simultaneously with the evaluation of 2004-09 diversity strategic plans, as discussed below.) Strategic planning units submitted their final 1998-2003 Framework reports, which again were evaluated by Review Teams and followed up by discussions with each budget executive, Provost Erickson, and Vice Provost Jones. Strategic planning units could respond to points raised in their feedback report but were not given the opportunity to revise their final 1998-2003 report. The final 1998-2003 reports and Review Team feedback reports with responses from strategic planning units were posted to the Educational Equity Web site.

In 2003, A Framework to Foster Diversity at Penn State: 2004-09, Penn State’s current diversity strategic plan, was developed, which builds upon the foundation of the first Framework. The 2004-09 Framework retains the seven Challenges as a concrete roadmap for achieving Penn State’s diversity goals, positioning them within the context of four dimensions of diversity that current scholarship suggests must be addressed in higher education.

Campus Climate and Intergroup Relations

1. Developing a Shared and Inclusive Understanding of Diversity
2. Creating a Welcoming Campus Climate

Representation (Access and Success)

3. Recruiting and Retaining a Diverse Student Body
4. Recruiting and Retaining a Diverse Workforce

Education and Scholarship

5. Developing a Curriculum That Fosters Intercultural and International Competencies

Institutional Viability and Vitality

6. Diversifying University Leadership and Management
7. Coordinating Organizational Change to Support Our Diversity Goals

The 2004-09 Framework summarizes progress made during the 1998-2003 Framework planning period and identifies targeted areas for improvement under each Challenge. Challenge Five was expanded to address curricular integration at all levels while emphasizing the general education requirement of intercultural and international competencies. Also, a timeline and questions for the mid-point and final assessment of progress were included in the plan. A Framework to Foster Diversity at Penn State: 2004-09 was presented to the University community in December 2003.

Preliminary copies of the 2004-09 Frameworkwere provided to budget executives at presentations to the Academic Leadership Council and President’s Council in September 2003, and strategic planning units were asked to submit their 2004-09 diversity strategic plans in accordance with the 2004-09 Framework. These plans were evaluated in a simultaneous process with the assessment of the 1998-2003 Framework final reports (as discussed above) including the development of feedback reports by Review Teams and the meetings with each budget executive, the provost, and vice provost. Each strategic planning unit was given the opportunity to respond to the feedback report on their 2004-09 plan and to make revisions to their plan. The final 2004-09 diversity strategic plans and Review Team feedback reports with responses from strategic planning units were posted to the Educational Equity Web site.

Any questions or comments about the materials posted for a given strategic planning unit should be directed to that unit.

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