October 4, 2004 -- The final report of the University of Virginia’s presidential Commission on Diversity and Equity contains an integrated set of more than 20 recommendations, which were reviewed and discussed by President John T. Casteen III and members of U.Va.’s Board of Visitors Special Committee on Diversity at an early morning meeting Oct. 2.

In introducing the final report to the board, Casteen called it “smart and pragmatic,” noting that the report recognizes the University cannot simply declare that changes will be made. Rather, for meaningful institutional and cultural change to occur in the areas of diversity and equity, all members of the University community — administration, faculty, staff, and students — must embrace the goal and be willing to “take action to ensure that this is a welcoming environment in which all persons thrive,” he said.

The Commission on Diversity and Equity was appointed by Casteen 12 months ago to assess, among other things, the quality of the student experience within the University, with special attention to experiences unique or generally germane to women and minority students. Thirty faculty, staff, administrators, students, alumni and community members served on the commission, which was co-chaired by Angela M. Davis, associate dean of students, and Michael J. Smith, director of the Political and Social Thought program. After its formation, the commission divided into four subcommittees that respectively investigated diversity and equity issues related to four areas:

• student life, climate, recruitment, and retention;

• curriculum;

• faculty and staff recruitment and retention; and,

• business and community relations.

The members of the subcommittees put in “countless hours,” Casteen said, “to better understand the needs of the University community, to understand best practices and to identify ways U.Va. can address diversity and equity in lasting ways — with constructive and sustainable policies.”

The more than 20 recommendations collectively proffered by the subcommittees were described in the commission’s final report as “an integrated package — a roadmap … to change the culture and to create a community that embraces the principles of mutual respect, civility and understanding.”

The commission’s recommendations intend not only to address immediate issues, but also to continue progress and enable U.Va. to become an academic leader in preparing students “for the global challenges of the 21st century,” the report said.
Many of the recommendations build on and leverage existing best practices in diversity and equity already taking place at the University.

“While there is good work in these areas going on all over the University, much of it does not reach its potential because of a lack of coordination, communication and transparency, and some of the problems go unnoticed because of a lack of clear criteria of assessment and clear lines of accountability,” the report said.

Sampling of Recommendations

Topping the list of recommendations is the overarching goal of hiring a Chief Officer of Diversity and Equity. The commission co-chairpersons gave a preliminary report to the U.Va. Board of Visitors in June, where they first announced the idea of establishing the Chief Officer of Diversity and Equity post, to the board’s enthusiastic support. At that time, Casteen announced that funds had been set aside in the 2004-05 budget to move forward on the creation of this position.

A particularly innovative recommendation involves the creation of an undergraduate “Community Engagement” academic program, which would meaningfully engage students in “real experiences” in diversity to better prepare them for their lives ahead. As currently conceived, through optional enrollment in the Community Engagement program, undergraduates would get extensive exposure to issues of equity and diversity by participating in a varied number of events, courses and volunteer organizations, all the while earning community engagement points. Students would be required to design a rigorous final project that, along with the total points, would translate into academic credit.

Another recommendation is to expand first-year residential programming to include a Sustained Dialogue program. The idea builds on the success of the student-launched and -run Sustained Dialogue program that began at U.Va. in spring 2002. Originally created by U.S. diplomat Harold H. Saunders, Sustained Dialogue brings together students in small groups that meet regularly to discuss issues of race and culture, thereby improving relations as the members get to know each other.
Other recommendations include:

• Developing a clear system for “incident reporting” that allows community members to report cases of inappropriate and/or disrespectful behavior and provides a way to address such cases.

• Restructuring graduate student funding so that University programs can compete successfully for the best graduate students in the country.

• Building on U.Va.’s success in undergraduate minority recruitment by enhancing the activities of the existing Outreach Office in the Office of Admission, and for retention, the Office of African-American Affairs.

• Expanding financial aid for study abroad programs.

• Developing workshops for hiring officials and search committees.

• Creating faculty and student exchange programs between U.Va. and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), such as Hampton or Howard.

• Splitting the current "non-Western Perspectives" requirement in the College of Arts & Sciences into two parts: Global Diversity and U.S. Diversity.

• Providing University employment data to clearly show race and gender by employment rank or category and department or business unit, and making University policies easily accessible on a central Web site.

• Promoting mentoring efforts, both for potential job candidates and for local youth, in activities such as the “A Day in the Life” program.

Funding the Recommendations

Funding for the various recommendations will come from a variety of sources, including central reserves, state appropriations, and fund-raising.

Four recommendations — including the hiring of the Chief Office for Diversity and Equity — already are funded with $462,000 from central resources in the 2004-2005 budget approved by the Board of Visitors.

One recommendation — to restructure graduate student financing — is expected to be funded with $3,375,000 per year for four years from State General Funds that the University has requested.

Five recommendations — among them, the expansion of first-year residential programming and the establishment of the Community Engagement program — will be initiated with $353,500, which would be allocated immediately from central reserves.

Three recommendations — including the development of new University employment data reports — do not require funding.

Eight recommendations — such as the creation of an exchange program with Historically Black Colleges and Universities and splitting the non-Western perspectives requirement within the College of Arts & Sciences — will potentially require $614,000 in new central funding and will be implemented as funds are available and after review by the vice president charged with determining the appropriate action.

Three recommendations — such as a review of University policy on general faculty — are being referred to appropriate administrators for additional study.

According to Casteen, the University can fund many of the recommendations through tuition and fees — potentially amounting to some $40 per full-time-enrolled student.

In their final report, Davis and Smith and the commission members stressed that “success in the areas of diversity and equity requires constant and genuine commitment, as well as real resources, both financial and structural.”

In conclusion, the report continued, “We end our formal life as a commission as we began it: with a challenge to the entire University community—from the Board of Visitors to the newest first-year student, from president and provost, to the newest assistant professor, from the vice president for finance to the newest employee in Facilities Management. Let us, together, recommit ourselves to a vision of an open community—inclusive and respectful of our differences, united in our determination to pursue excellence with integrity and determination. Our year of work has left us convinced that, with the will and the resources, collectively we are up to the task.”

NOTE: The full report of the University of Virginia’s presidential Commission on Diversity and Equity, “Embracing Diversity in Pursuit of Excellence,” can be accessed online at: www.virginia.edu/uvadiversity.