Minnesota State University, Mankato will develop a comprehensive institution-wide diversity plan. The plan will identify and implement strategies for searching, hiring and retaining a diverse faculty and staff and for recruiting and retaining students of diverse backgrounds. In developing a diversity plan, the task force will review and assess existing plans for diversity at MSU. Unit directors and administrators providing diversity-related services and programs may be asked to present draft plans to the task force for discussion and recommendation. As part of their charge, the task force may make recommendations to accept an existing plan, modify the plan, request and/or develop and adopt an entirely new plan.
Promote diversity across all levels of the University community.
Develop and approve a comprehensive plan for diversity at MSU.
Incorporate measurable outcomes and related assessments in the University Diversity Plan.
Increase effectiveness in recruiting, hiring and retaining diverse faculty and staff at all levels of the University.
Assess current efforts to recruit and hire diverse faculty and staff, and design and implement an institutional recruitment plan based on the results of that assessment, and taking into consideration the differences among collective bargaining unit needs and requirements: IFO, MUSAAF/Excluded, Classified/MAPE.
Research and develop a plan for implementing known approaches to increase hiring and retention; e.g., cluster hiring, pre-doctoral fellowships.
Implement and assess effectiveness of the plan for implementing known approaches to increase hiring and retention.
Assess and improve the campus climate for diverse faculty and staff, including orientation and on-going development for all faculty and staff in the area of diversity.
Assess and facilitate improvement of community support for diverse faculty and staff.
Strengthen recruitment and retention of a diverse student population.
Assess annual plans for recruitment of diverse students, design, implement and assess plans for more effective recruitment as needed.
Review effectiveness of recruitment efforts in Region 9 and 11 K-12 schools and community colleges with significant populations of minority students and other students of diverse background.
Review existing plans for connections with area community groups and agencies serving minority populations.
Review marketing materials to ensure inclusivity, revise materials based on results of review.
Review outcome-based plans of those units providing services and programs directed toward retention of diverse student populations; establish clear and measurable service outcomes and assessment plans congruent with Higher Learning Commission (NCA) and Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) guidelines.
Submit annual assessment reports for services and programs supporting retention of diverse student populations; begin continuous program improvement based on assessment results.
Review and recommend plan for support of assessment activities.
Communicate the plan and goals to the campus community.
Prepare and submit a resource need analysis and funding plan for all recommendations and goals.
The services, programs and initiatives that comprise the University's priority in promoting diversity should be reviewed by a representative University group, at the same time acknowledging that administrators across the institution have been assigned responsibility for implementation of diversity initiatives. Recommendation for a diversity task force includes: three Faculty Association representatives, three ASF representatives, two classified representatives, two student representatives and two administrative representatives who will serve as co-chairs of the task force. This task force will work with a broad-based University constituency in developing an institutional diversity plan. Administrators with responsibility for diversity services and programs across the University would work with the task force when plans affecting their units are reviewed.
