Updates on Activities

After convening for the first time at a meeting on March 26, 2008, the CEC began by identifying an effective and efficient organizational structure for the group and assessing and prioritizing areas of greatest need. Since then, we have been actively engaged in addressing a variety of policy, curricular, recruitment, and camps/work life issues on campus. What follows, below, is a summary of those activities.

Policies/Organizational Structure/Communication

Completed:
	Worked with the four colleges to ensure that the University’s existing diversity statement is printed on all their recruitment and application materials.
	Proposed the creation of a Vice President for Equity and Community position and office.
	Set up separate funding for diversity programming that entities on campus can request to support events and activities that advance the CEC's mission.
	Created centralized “Achieving Equity and Community at Lehigh” website for disseminating information about current status and action plan for improvement.
	Held a series of "Town Hall" meetings in the fall semester to get a better sense of the campus wide equity and community needs.
	In support of the CEC's recommendation that the University form a full-time, cabinet-level position aimed at improving equity and community on campus, the CEC presented a comprehensive benchmarking report on "best practices" for the administrative structure of Lehigh's peer institutions and targeted industry leaders in this area. The project included an "inventory" of all multicultural and diversity curricula, offices, services, and other programming available at Lehigh.
	Created a list of diversity, multiculturalism, social justice courses offered at Lehigh for the CEC Website.
	Worked with the University General Counsel's Office to improve the content of Campus Safety Bulletins that are broadcast in the event of a crime.
	Worked with University Relations on consolidating web-based communications about equity and community initiatives into one location (specifically, the "Building a Community of Respect" and harrassment information posted online).
In process: Fall 2009
	Working with the "shepherds" of the Strategic Planning Impliementation Group (SPIG) to explore ways in which the CEC might “insert” discussions of equity and community into strategic planning throughout the process as it rolls out to all the various units/departments across campus.
	Working with University Relations on reviewing the criteria used for what campus stories are "newsworthy."
	Working with Institutional Research on improving access to data on specific indicators relevant to diversity and multiculturalism (recruitment, retention, and the like). Will also begin benchmarking these data against our “peer institutions.”
	Partnering with appropriate decision makers to create plan for campus-wide training on issues of diversity and multiculturalism. Exploring the feasibility of using the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) model, which would begin by training CEC and higher administrators, then “train trainers” to provide on-going workshops and crisis interventions both on and off campus.
To begin: Fall 2009
	Will review and consider supporting Chaplain's proposal for a title change in that area to something that is more inclusive of all religious traditions (like "Dean of Religious Life" or something similar).
	Will draft improved language that we should be using campus wide to discuss issues of multiculturalism and diversity.
	Will explore the creation of a “Foundations of Equity and Community” statement that the entire campus can agree to and “sign off” on.
	Will review potential for improved wording and implementation of the Student Code of Conduct regarding diversity issues.

Curriculum/Scholarship

Completed:
	Implemented the first “Social Justice Leadership and Service Learning” faculty development seminar in Spring 2009.
	Drafted and presented to the faculty a syllabus statement that began the discussion about the value we put on fostering a supportive and welcoming learning environment that respects myriad viewpoints.
In process: Fall 2009
	Working with the directors of the academic programs in related fields (Africana Studies, Latin American Studies, Asian Studies, and Women’s Studies) and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences on finalizing the CEC's short- and long-term recommendations for further strengthening their respective curricular areas through additional faculty lines, endowed chairs, help with infrastructure issues, and the like.
	Supporting the First-year Experience Office in their efforts to build on and enhance diversity training during the Evolution seminar for AY09-10.
To begin: Fall 2009
	Will follow-up with appropriate decision makers on the progress of the new Islamic Studies program.
	Will begin exploring the pros/cons of creating a required course for all students on diversity and multiculturalism.
	Will begin exploring innovative ways to bring together academics and service (service learning).
	Will begin planning for the creation of social justice (SJ) designated courses with potential distribution requirements for all students.

Recruitment

Completed:
	Worked in partnership with Admissions to draft a question and accompanying evlautaion rubric for the AY09-10 undergraduate admission application that will help identify those students who hold the values we are interested in fostering on campus.
	Worked in partnership with Admissions on improving the training of the tour guides and the messages they convey to prospective students.
To begin: Fall 2009
	Will begin exploring how each unit can set and meet goals for recruiting diverse staff and faculty as part of strategic planning process.
	Will work with Admissions to understand the admissions process better ourselves so that we might make additional recommendations about ways in which Lehigh can more effectively communicate to diverse prospective students that the community will be supportive and that this will be a welcoming campus climate.
	Will being exploring how each unit can set and meet goals for recruiting diverse staff and faculty as part of strategic planning process.

Campus Life/Work Life

Completed:
	Worked in partnership with University Leadership to better understand the impact of the economic crisis on Lehigh from the perspective of the CEC’s mission, to help improve communication about our plans for addressing the situation, and to help maximize equitable and community-building outcomes --particularly for staff.
In process: Fall 2009
	Working with Human Resources and others on the lack of representation that non-exempt (hourly) staff have in major university committees and initiatives. We will be adding 2 non-exempt seats on the CEC and plan to meet later in the semester wtih ERAC to see how the CEC can facilitate staff having a stronger voice across campus.
	Working with the Fraternity and Sorority Affairs office to discuss the fraternity/sorority accreditation process and the leadership role that the Greeks can play in enhancing equity and community on campus. Exploring ways to formally connect the new Facutly Committee on Studnet Life with Greek life, adding a CEC representative on teh accreditation committee, and establishing some sort of an award for the fraternity/sorority that exhibiits exemplary effort toward enhancing equity and community on campus that year.
To begin: Fall 2009
	Will explore student concerns about on- and off-campus safety.
	Will research religious life issues on campus and explore ways that students from non-Judeo-Christian traditions are more included.
	Will begin exploring ways in which the CEC might extend its reach and begin the process of "engaging the entire campus in dialog" as reqeusted by President Gast in the September 17, 2009 campus-wide Town Hall Meeting. Considering the possibility of creating "topical subgroups" that would meet to discuss issues around specific diversity categories such as religion, race/ethnicity, gender/sexual orientation, disability, socio-economic status, faculty/staff relations, and others.
	Will work with Senior Leadership to explore ways students might have improved access to the President and upper administration to voice concerns and raise issues.