Diversity Strategic Plan

Longwood University

Diversity Strategic Plan, 2021-2026

Final Draft

Submitted to the Longwood University Board of Visitors

December 3, 2021

 A draft of the Diversity Strategic Plan with the strategies for 2021-2023 was submitted to the Commonwealth of Virginia Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on July 1, 2021.

Letter from Longwood University President W. Taylor Reveley IV

Dear Longwood Community,

Our Diversity Strategic Plan for the University, presented here after thorough and thoughtful development, places at the very heart of our institution a commitment to principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. Just as importantly, it provides a road map and guidance we will follow for the next five years – including action plans, timelines, assessment and goals – to make sure these principles are vibrant in the residential liberal arts experience we provide.

The Diversity Strategic Plan builds on other recent efforts underway here on campus. These include Longwood’s 2019-2025 Strategic Plan, the Bicentennial Initiative, the Equity Action Task Force, the new Title VI office, and the University’s partnership with the Moton Museum, including our work to connect all Longwood students with the Moton story during their time on campus.

Here at Longwood, it is especially important we underscore such efforts as central components of our educational mission. Especially at this polarized moment for the nation, these principles should be important at any institution of higher education. But they especially matter here. We are called to them by the deeply consequential civil rights history of our home community of Prince Edward and Farmville. As a public institution, we have a particular responsibility to reflect the growing diversity of the Commonwealth and nation. And finally, we here are especially called by our commitment to the liberal arts and our Civitae Core Curriculum, in which exposure to a range of ideas and perspectives, civil and respectful debate and a capacity to work with others are foundational principles.

In all of these regards, the work outlined in this Plan powerfully advances our citizen-leadership mission. Now that the dedicated effort of articulating values and priorities has been accomplished, we must continue the momentum with continuing action. We have built Civitae to teach Longwood students to turn ideals and values into real practice and change, and we must ask the same of ourselves. I encourage all members of our campus community to read this Plan and engage in the work of advancing its goals.

The Plan is the fruit of tremendous effort by many across campus, most especially Director of Multicultural Affairs and Title VI Coordinator Jonathan Page and Professor of Communication Studies Naomi Johnson, as Co-Chairs of the University Diversity Council. I commend them, and all who assisted, in this work, and look forward to continuing this important journey.

All my best,

President Reveley

 

 

Letter from the University Diversity Council Co-Chairs

Dear colleagues, students, supporters, and friends of Longwood University,

As we have seen, the composition of students, faculty, and staff continues to diversify, in both apparent ways and in more subtle ones that may not be as noticeable. Institutions of higher learning must reflect the Commonwealth’s broader diversity to ensure rich, full, and effective learning and opportunities for growth. Given the historical inequities that exist within our nation and within higher education, the Commonwealth’s changing demographics require us to focus on enhancing our individual, programmatic and systemic support systems to assure the success of every member of our Longwood community.

As we begin the work of implementing the Longwood Diversity Strategic Plan (2021 – 2026), it is important that we have a clear and concise understanding of how we are defining Inclusive Excellence, which requires affirmation and respect for cultural, social, racial, religious, gender, viewpoint and ability differences among all of our stakeholders. This plan aligns both with University values and its mission.

The following plan provides a blueprint of how Longwood will strive to meet the goals between 2021 and 2026. Each goal is accompanied by specific strategies and assessments, so that we may chart our successes, monitor where work remains, and identify how we may need to adapt our approaches. The plan was developed from the input and support of a cross-section of students, staff, and faculty using extensive formal and informal discussions, surveys, focus-groups, and identifying best practices from experts in the field.

The goals listed within this plan are ambitious, but obtainable. To be successful, the plan requires collective effort, collaboration, and partnership — this is the responsibility of all of us. We are committed to transparently communicating our process and progress throughout the life of the plan, which will then be used to inform the next five-year plan cycle.

We are excited to embark on this plan and eager to see Longwood’s growth as an increasingly thriving and inclusive campus community.

In Blue and White Spirit,

Jonathan Page                                                                         

Director of Multicultural Affairs & Title VI Coordinator

Co-Chair of the University Diversity Council

Naomi Johnson, PhD

Professor of Communication Studies

Co-Chair of the University Diversity Council, 2015-2021

JoEllen Pederson, PhD

Associate Professor of Sociology

Co-Chair of the University Diversity Council, July 2021 to present

Acknowledgments

The University Diversity Council would like to thank the numerous individuals, offices, committees and groups that directly or indirectly contributed to this plan. To prioritize diversity throughout the institution, all members of the campus community had the opportunity to participate in shaping the plan.

Introduction

Longwood is committed to ensuring that the leadership, faculty, staff, and student body “reflect a range of cultures, religions, races, ethnicities, and valuable differences that are defined by gender, age, sexual orientation, ability, geographic location, origin, and education, among others.” 

Diversity in leadership, faculty, staff and student bodies is essential to a richer educational environment and personal growth experiences for students, while also improving overall effectiveness and productivity by fostering creative thinking and problem-solving. Additionally, recruiting and retaining diverse talent in Longwood’s leadership, faculty, and staff is critical to attracting and best serving students from the Commonwealth and beyond, which helps to achieve our mission of developing citizen leaders working towards the common good of society. Therefore, a deliberate focus on diversity at all levels of the University is essential to our academic mission, purpose, and viability as an institution. 

This plan recognizes that Longwood’s history and campus climate provide key opportunities to address equity disparities and work towards creating a campus that is grounded in the principles of diversity, equity, access, and inclusion. Significantly, our plan recognizes that a meaningful focus on diversity is essential to and aligned with the University Strategic Priorities (2019-2025). Specifically, 1) recognizing that at a time of uncertainty and division within American democracy and higher education, Longwood can accelerate and thrive; 2) “preparing citizen leaders committed to the common good in our pluralistic democracy” with an academic enterprise at the heart; 3) transforming lives by “connecting students with people and experiences that broaden their minds, challenge them, [and] … provide a campus that fosters well-being”; 4) attracting and retaining campus members with “a diversity of backgrounds, identities, and intellectual perspectives” that reflect the diversity of America.

This plan also recognizes that collective effort, collaboration, and partnership cannot thrive without open, candid dialogue. Civil, reasoned and respectful discussion, even when views differ, is vital to the success of this plan. Longwood University is committed to free speech and the 1st Amendment.

There is tremendous power in harnessing the varied values, perspectives, and ways of thinking of members from across the institution to provide rich opportunities to grow our viewpoints and broaden our mindsets. This plan provides tangible ways to enhance the diversity, equity, access, and inclusion efforts of campus. In this manner, as a fellow institution has described, a diversity strategic plan serves as both a mirror and a compass. The mirror requires Longwood to examine ourselves honestly and recognize how much we must do to become the university we aspire to be. The compass allows us to navigate through the challenges ahead, mark our progress, and identify deviations from our goals. This plan may be adapted as Longwood moves forward to address new, unanticipated developments. 

While the work will certainly be challenging, it is critical to our success and sustainability. With this five-year strategic plan, we commit ourselves to the discipline, focus, and hard work necessary to create an institution that is diverse, inclusive, excellent, and just. 

Executive Summary

The Longwood Diversity Strategic Plan (2021 – 2026) arises from a rich and complex history of Longwood University and the Farmville and Prince Edward communities. Longwood has set as a priority to enhance the diversity of campus and bolster its inclusive practices. Our complicated history combined with the roots of activism born from the Moton student strike and the period of Massive Resistance have inspired us to seek change in order to create a more just, equitable, inclusive, accessible, and diverse environment for all.

Planning Process and Stakeholder Engagement

The plan consists of phased, measurable initiatives that will help the University identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement.  Our goal is to ensure all members of our institution and the local community have opportunities to fully participate within and benefit from all that the University has to offer. 

President W. Taylor Reveley IV established the University Diversity Council (UDC) in fall 2017 as part of the University Planning Council (UPC). The UDC’s mission is to develop and suggest initiatives, policies, and procedures that facilitate Longwood increasing its diversity and becoming a more inclusive and socially just community. The UDC has committee and subcommittee members composed of faculty, staff, administrators, and students from across the institution. From its inception, the council understood that in order to be successful, this plan could not and should not be the exclusive work of its members. The focus on diversity as a priority throughout the routine rhythms and practices of university life required that all members of the campus community had the opportunity to participate in developing the plan. 

The plan was developed drawing from an extensive series of focus groups and town hall meetings with campus stakeholders, formal and informal discussions across campus, a campus climate survey, state guidance and reviews of best practices,. Over the course of its development, the plan has been vetted with a wide range of University constituencies.

Two key frameworks that guided the development of the plan goals were the Inclusive Excellence and Full Participation models. The Inclusive Excellence framework provides principles to help higher education institutions integrate diversity, equity, and educational quality efforts into their missions and institutional operations. At a fundamental level, the Full Participation model states that in order for diverse members of a campus community to achieve full participation, they must be able to engage fully within and benefit from all areas of an institution at numbers proportionate to their representation within that institution.  Ultimately, these models focus our efforts to enhance inclusiveness for all members of the Longwood community and to ensure equitable access of services, facilities, programs, and employment opportunities.

Diversity Strategic Plan (2021 – 2026) Focus Areas

The plan addresses five key themes:

  1. Access and Success: Access refers to the activities colleges and universities use to recruit students and hire faculty and staff from a broad range of human experience and ability. Success refers to the activities colleges and universities use to improve outcomes for students, faculty and staff.
  2. Climate and Intergroup Relations: To nurture the diversity of perspectives and experiences that lead to inclusive excellence, schools must create an environment that is culturally affirming, and which integrates differing viewpoints and lived experiences.
  3. Education and Training: Education, scholarship, and professional development enable students, faculty, and staff to develop the skills to collaborate, develop knowledge, create, and innovate.
  4. Infrastructure and Accountability: Colleges and universities on the journey to Inclusive Excellence develop an infrastructure that supports and fully integrates its goals. This includes centering planning processes, policies, and practices on Inclusive Excellence.
  5. Community Engagement: Colleges and universities deepen Inclusive Excellence when they engage their communities as anchors of equity.

Objectives for each of these focus areas will be assessed and results published annually.

Diversity Strategic Plan Objectives

Goal 1. Access and Success

Achieve and maintain a more diverse and inclusive undergraduate and graduate/professional student body, faculty, and staff.

Longwood Objectives:

  1. Develop an institutional structure that supports recruitment and retention of underrepresented faculty and staff.
  2. Enhance recruitment processes to reach underrepresented populations in higher education and to ensure new hires will reflect the diversity of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
  3. Enhance and support efforts to recruit a student population that reflects the diversity of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
  4. Enhance and support efforts to retain a student population that reflects the diversity of the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

Goal 2. Climate and Intergroup Relations

Create and sustain an organizational environment that affirms and respects diversity and employs inclusive practices throughout its daily operations.

Longwood Objectives:

  • Updating and establishing Student Diversity and Inclusion statements, values, and guiding principles in foundational university documents. 
  • Create a welcoming climate that allows students of diverse and/or underrepresented backgrounds to feel secure and supported by the university.
  • Strengthen existing Multicultural Student Advisory Committee (MSAC) composed of leaders of campus multicultural organizations and underrepresented student populations.
  • Increase opportunities for students to learn from faculty of diverse backgrounds.
  • Create a university-wide process for sharing appropriate feedback from student experiences to facilitate faculty and staff growth in multicultural competencies.

Goal 3. Education and Scholarship

Engage students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the community in learning the varied perspectives of domestic and international diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.

Longwood Objectives:

  1. Promote free speech, multicultural competence, inclusion, and civility by providing professional and educational development opportunities for faculty, staff, and administrators.
  2. Expand curricular and co-curricular diversity education offerings to foster a more culturally competent student body.
  3. Enhance and support the coordination and marketing of DEI-related programs, training, and events sponsored both by student groups and Longwood.
  4. Enhance student research opportunities related to DEI issues.

Goal 4. Infrastructure and Accountability

Create and sustain an institutional infrastructure that effectively supports progress and accountability in achieving DEI goals.

Longwood Objectives:

  1. Enhance transparency related to threat/risk assessment for DEI issues through establishment of communication protocol. 
  2. Enhance communication timeliness related to crises or incidents associated with DEI issues and identify trends existing over time.
  3. Encourage Universal Design and ADA compliance into all aspects of campus-wide communication.
  4. Encourage inclusive university-wide communications. 
  5. Enhance transparency about Title VI and bias incident reports and address potential campus flash points.
  6. Enhance campus communication related to DEI.
  7. Enhance learning technology access and support is equitable and accessible for all students.
  8. Revise annual A/P and classified performance evaluations, as well as faculty promotion and tenure evaluations, to encourage recognition of professional development and engagement with DEI practices.
  9. Improve the collection, analysis, and reporting of institutional and assessment data to better understand patterns of behavior known to enhance the success of historically underrepresented student groups.

Goal 5. Community Engagement

Leverage institutional philanthropy and community partnerships to improve outcomes in local and regional communities.

Longwood Objectives:

  • Promote idea-sharing and collaborative problem-solving between Longwood and local and regional community stakeholders to strengthen the relationship between Longwood and the community to address issues faced by both.
  • Reconnect diverse alumni with students for university DEI- related efforts.


Terms and Definitions

People have different understandings of what the word “diversity” and other key terms related to it mean. A shared knowledge of this vocabulary is important to focus our work consistently and effectively. Below is a short list of abbreviations and common terms used throughout this document, along with their meanings. 

Acronyms 

  • BIPOC—Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
  • DEI—Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • UDC— University Diversity Council

Definitions*

  • Access—A freedom or ability to obtain or make use of something.

  • Affinity Group–A body of people who are members of a particular social group or share a certain social identity. This group can be formed around a shared identity, trait, ideology, interest or common goal, to which individuals formally or informally belong.

  • Civility—Treating one another with basic human dignity regardless of disagreement or conflict.
  • Diversity*— Diversity is defined broadly as all of the characteristics that make individuals unique. It is used to describe the various combinations of group/social differences (e.g., race/ethnicity, class, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, country of origin, viewpoint and ability, as well as cultural, political, religious and other affiliations) and human differences (e.g., personality, learning style, and life experiences).
  • Equity*— Equity refers to the creation of opportunities for historically underrepresented populations to have equal access and equitable opportunity. It is also the process of maximizing the potential of all students, faculty, staff, and administrators in higher education by identifying and eliminating barriers such as historical discrimination and existing imbalances that prevent opportunities and success. Therefore, equity requires an institutional commitment that all students, faculty, staff, and administrators will be provided access to opportunities, resources, and the ability to fully contribute to the institution’s mission and goals.
  • Inclusion*—The term inclusion is used to describe the active, intentional, and ongoing engagement with diverse people, practices, and communities (e.g., intellectual, social, cultural, geographical) in ways that increase one’s cultural affirmation and respect, content knowledge, cognitive sophistication, and empathetic understanding of the complex ways individuals interact with and within systems, organizations, and institutions. More importantly, genuine and full inclusion fosters a sense of belonging and respect for the differences and uniqueness that all individuals bring to the learning environment, without the impact of inequities.
  • Inclusive Excellence Framework* —Principles that focus on how to establish a welcoming and productive community that engages all of its diversity in the service to an organization, for both internal and external stakeholders. It requires affirmation and respect for cultural, social, racial, religious, gender, viewpoint and ability differences among the organization’s stakeholders. It includes organizational improvements in access/success, climate/culture, education/training, infrastructure/accountability, and community engagement. The Inclusive Excellence Framework is intended to be flexible enough to be “localized” within every state-supported institution, yet robust enough to retain the basic principles to foster collective impact.
  • Multicultural Competence—The awareness, knowledge, skills, and personal attributes needed to live and work in a diverse world.

  • Social Justice— Social Justice is both a process and a goal. The goal of social justice is full and equal participation of all groups in a society that is mutually shaped to meet their needs. Social justice includes a vision of society in which the distribution of resources is equitable and all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure.

  • Underrepresented*—Populations that are disproportionately lower in number relative to their number in the national/state population. These groups may include but are not limited to: race/ethnicity, adult learners, veterans, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, socio-economic status, and different religious groups.

Diversity Strategic Plan (2021 – 2026)

Goals, Objectives, Strategies, Partners, and Assessment

The Longwood Diversity Strategic Plan (2021 – 2026) is grounded with five overarching goals. Each of the goals are listed below with details of how Longwood will work to fulfill them. 

Goal 1: Access and Success

Achieve and maintain a more diverse and inclusive undergraduate and graduate/professional student body, faculty, and staff.

Longwood Objective 1: Develop an institutional structure that supports recruitment and retention of underrepresented faculty and staff.

Strategy 1.1: Establish employee resource groups for prospective new hires. Interviewing applicants can speak to Longwood University faculty and staff volunteers outside of the search process about community and cultural questions. Potential hires will contact HR to request contact with an employee resource group volunteer.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

Academic Affairs

Center for Global Engagement

Student Affairs

Administration & Finance

Aramark

University Diversity Council 

  • Responsible area for completion: Human Resources
  • Timeline: 0-12months
  • Measure: 3 or more employee resource groups established.

Strategy 1.2: Enhance prospective employee webpage on www.longwood.edu to include a focus on resources for applicants from diverse backgrounds.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

Human Resources

Academic Affairs

Student Affairs 

Administration & Finance

Local and Community Relations

  • Responsible area for completion: Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 0-12months
  • Measure: Establishment of webpage and review of analytics of usage.

Strategy 1.3: Create Search Committee Training on best practices on how to recruit and retain underrepresented faculty and staff.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE) 

External subject matter experts and trainers

Academic Affairs

Human Resources

University Counsel

  • Responsible area for completion: Human Resources, Academic Affairs
  • Timeline: 12-24months
  • Measure: Training established and implemented. 

Strategy 1.4:  Encourage employees to establish affinity groups (e.g., race, ethnicity, first generation, international, LGTBQ+, veterans) focusing on the interests of underrepresented faculty and staff. 

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

Academic Affairs

Student Affairs

Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE) 

Center for Global Engagement

Administration & Finance

Aramark

UDC

Greenwood Library

  • Responsible area for completion: Human Resources
  • Timeline: 12-24months, and ongoing
  • Measure: Establishment of affinity groups.

Strategy 1.5: Create a mentorship program for minority and underrepresented faculty, staff, and administrators. 

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE)

Affinity Groups

  • Responsible area for completion: 

Academic Affairs

Students Affairs

Administration & Finance

Strategic Operations

Human Resources

  • Timeline: 12-36months
  • Measures: 

Establishment of the program.

Establishment of mentor training.

Mentors’ service recognized in evaluations.

Survey of mentors and mentees about relationship satisfaction and outcomes.

Strategy 1.6: Create a Provost’s Advisory Committee to identify and report issues, challenges, concerns, and areas of opportunity related to faculty from underrepresented backgrounds.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

BIPOC Faculty

  • Responsible area for completion: Academic Affairs
  • Timeline: 12-24months
  • Measure: Advisory Committee created and meets regularly with Provost.

Strategy 1.7: Enhance the faculty and staff exit survey to assess perceptions of climate, diversity, and inclusion at Longwood.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

Academic Affairs

Vice Presidents

  • Responsible area for completion: Human Resources
  • Timeline: 0-12months
  • Measures:

All faculty and staff receive exit surveys as part of their separation process.

Exit survey tracking system established and implemented.

Annual report distributed to stakeholders.

Longwood Objective 2: Enhance recruitment processes to reach underrepresented populations in higher education and to ensure new hires will reflect the diversity of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Strategy 2.1: Develop College-level, department-level, and VP-area plans to increase diversity of faculty and staff applicant pools.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

Department Chairs

Area Directors

Deans

Human Resources

  • Responsible area for completion: Provostand other Vice Presidents
  • Timeline: 12-18months
  • Measures: Plans established for each area.

Strategy 2.2: Advertise on employment sites and networks that focus on underrepresented populations to reach those that the institution has not traditionally engaged.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE)

Affinity Groups

Academic Affairs

Student Affairs 

Administration & Finance

  • Responsible area for completion: Human Resources
  • Timeline: 18-24months
  • Measure: Increase in number of diverse applicants.

Strategy 2.3: Provide best practices including having a diversity advocate on each search committee for faculty, staff, and administrative searches.

  • Responsible area for completion: 

Human Resources

  • Timeline: 12-24months
  • Measure: Increase in number of qualified diverse hires.

Longwood Objective 3: Enhance and support efforts to recruit a student population that reflects the diversity of the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

Strategy 3.1: Identify and implement language resources to increase access to university information for prospective students/families (e.g., Spanish, Chinese, ASL).

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Center for Global Engagement

Hispanic Latinx Association

Modern Language faculty

Office of Disability Resources

Communication Sciences & Disorders Faculty

  • Responsible area for completion: Admissionsand Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 0-24 months
  • Measure: Resources created and accessible to prospective students and their families.

Strategy 3.2: Evaluate campus tour structures and resources to ensure they are diverse and inclusive.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Longwood Ambassadors

CHANGE Multicultural Leadership Council

Multicultural Student Advisory Committee (MSAC)

Peer Mentors

Center for Global Engagement

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Office of Disability Resources

  • Responsible area for completion: Admissions
  • Timeline: 0-12 months
  • Measure: Report on evaluation results and any recommendations for change.

Strategy 3.3: Require annual training for enrollment management staff involved in the recruitment process about best practices to recruit and retain students from diverse populations.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Human Resources

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Office of Disability Resources

  • Responsible area for completion: Admissions, Enrollment Management, Office of Student Success
  • Timeline: 0-12 months, and ongoing
  • Measure: Annual training completed with assessment measures.

Strategy 3.4: Establish a process by which underrepresented students are connected to the appropriate student support services during the recruitment process through enrollment at Longwood.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Peer Mentors

Center for Global Engagement

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Office of Disability Resources

Dean of Students

Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)

Collaborating with Lancers for Academic Success Program (CLASP)

  • Responsible area for completion: Admissions, Office of Student Success
  • Timeline: 0-12 months
  • Measure: Referral process established.

Strategy 3.5: Develop a Comprehensive Strategic Diversity Recruitment and Retention Plan.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

            Admissions

Athletics

Center for Global Engagement

Longwood Ambassadors

CHANGE Multicultural Leadership Council

Multicultural Student Advisory Committee (MSAC)

Peer Mentors

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Office of Disability Resources

Office for Student Success

Academic Affairs

Collaborating with Lancers for Academic Success Program (CLASP)

  • Responsible area for completion: Enrollment Management
  • Timeline: 24-36 months
  • Measure: Plan created and implemented.

Longwood Objective 4: Enhance and support efforts to retain a student population that reflects the diversity of the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

Strategy 4.1: Establish a University Retention Committee to develop a comprehensive strategic Diversity Retention Plan. Identify institutional structures that support student retention and graduation initiatives.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

            Student Affairs

Financial Aid

University Analytics

UPC Assessment Committee

Office of the Registrar

Athletics

Center for Global Engagement

Office of Student Success

  • Responsible area for completion: Enrollment Management, Academic Affairs
  • Timeline: 0-12 Months: Committee established; 12-36 months: Plan Developed
  • Measure: Creation and sustainability of the committee; Plan created.

Strategy 4.2: Enhance faculty and staff development programs to understand the needs of diverse student populations and address barriers to their success and retention.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

            Student Affairs

Financial Aid

Office of the Registrar

Center for Academic Success

Academic Affairs

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Office of Disability Resources

Center for Global Engagement 

Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)

  • Responsible area for completion: Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE), Human Resources 
  • Timeline: 0-12 months, ongoing
  • Measures: Programs and training created.

Strategy 4.3: Enhance training and resources for Student Success Coaches and Academic Advisors on best practices regarding assisting underrepresented students.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

            Office of Multicultural Affairs

Office of Disability Resources

Center for Global Engagement

Student Affairs

Academic Affairs

  • Responsible area for completion: Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE), Office of Student Success
  • Timeline: 0-12 months, ongoing
  • Measures: Programs and training created; assessment of program quality and resource utilization.

Strategy 4.4: Enhance new student transition programs for diverse students (e.g., academic success, finances, campus jobs, career exploration, and connecting to co-curricular opportunities)

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Academic Affairs

Greenwood Library

Writing Center, Quantitative Reasoning Center, Tutoring Centers

Office of Disability Resources

Financial Aid

Office of Student Employment

Office of Alumni & Career Services

Student Engagement

Campus Recreation

Collaborating with Lancers for Academic Success Program (CLASP)

  • Responsible area for completion: Office of Student Success, Office of Multicultural Affairs
  • Timeline:
  • 0-12 months: implementation of new programs; enhancement and support of existing programs
  • 12-24 months: ongoing assessment and program development
  • Measures: Programs created. Evaluation of students participating, student satisfaction, and other success metrics (e.g., GPA, retention, graduation rate).

Strategy 4.5: Enhance peer mentoring opportunities for underrepresented students.   

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Office of Student Success

Student Affairs

Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)

Collaborating with Lancers for Academic Success Program (CLASP)

Longwood Black Alumni Association

Peer Mentors

  • Responsible area for completion: Office of Multicultural Affairs
  • Timeline:
    •  0-12 months: enhancement of existing programs
    • 12-24 months: new program development
  • Measures: Programs created.Evaluation of students participating, student satisfaction, and other success metrics (e.g., GPA, retention, graduation rate).

Strategy 4.6: Enhance “early alert” systems that identify underrepresented students in order to provide assistance with academic and personal needs.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Enrollment Management

Greenwood Library

Academic Affairs

Office of Disability Resources

Center for Global Engagement

Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE)

  • Responsible area for completion: Dean of Studentsand Office of Student Success
  • Timeline: 12-24 months, with ongoing assessment and development
  • Measures: Decrease in students who are on probation or suspended; increase in students able to be accepted into majors with GPA requirements.

Strategy 4.7: Identify areas of opportunity to increase resources and staff in support of underrepresented students.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Student Affairs    

  • Responsible area for completion: Vice President of Student Affairsand Vice President of Administration & Finance
  • Timeline: 0-12 months, ongoing
  •  Measures: Report on areas of opportunity and financial resources necessary to fund these opportunities created. Increase in staff support and growth where opportunity is demonstrated.

Strategy 4.8: Develop a FERPA-compliant method of communicating with families of underrepresented students who face barriers to retention.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Academic Affairs

Student Affairs

Dean of Students

Office of Multicultural Affairs

University Counsel    

  • Responsible area for completion: Office of the Registrar and Office of Student Success
  • Timeline: 12-24 months
  • Measures: Method of communication developed and publicized to students and families.

Goal 2: Climate and Intergroup Relations

Create and sustain an organizational environment that affirms and respects diversity and employs inclusive practices throughout its daily operations.

Longwood Objective 5: Updating and establishing Student Diversity and Inclusion statements, values, and guiding principles in foundational university documents. 

Strategy 5.1: Update current Student Diversity Statement and create core values and guiding principles for DEI in the Honor Code. 

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders: 

CHANGE Multicultural Leadership Council

Multicultural Student Advisory Committee (MSAC)

Office of the President

Academic Affairs

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Student Activities

Office of Student Conduct and Integrity

  • Responsible area for completion: Student Government Association (SGA)
  • Timeline:
  • 0-12 months: Student Diversity Statement
  • 12-24 months:DEI Core Values/Principles in Honor Code
  • Measures: Completed Student Diversity Statement and DEI Core Values/Principles incorporated into Honor Code within the following areas: www.longwood.edu and internal Solomon website, Student Handbook, Honor Code Information, Syllabi

Longwood Objective 6:  Create a welcoming climate that allows students of diverse and/or underrepresented backgrounds to feel secure and supported by the university.

Strategy 6.1: Enhance current summer orientation and New Lancer Days programs to increase focus on DEI principles and practices.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders: 

CHANGE Multicultural Leadership Council

Multicultural Student Advisory Committee (MSAC)

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Academic Affairs

Student Activities

Center for Global Engagement

  • Responsible area for completion: First Year Experience / Office of Student Success
  • Timeline: 12-24 months
  • Measure: DEI programs developed.

Strategy 6.2: Annually collect feedback and accounts of university experiences from historically underrepresented, underserved, and marginalized students to report, assess, and develop action plans to meet ongoing needs.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders: 

CHANGE Multicultural Leadership Council

Multicultural Student Advisory Committee (MSAC)

Academic Affairs

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Student Activities

Center for Global Engagement

  • Responsible area for completion: Office of Student Success, Office of Multicultural Affairs, UPC Assessment Committee
  • Timeline: 12-24 months, and ongoing annually
  • Measures: Data collected and report summarizing data created.

Strategy 6.3: Develop and coordinate a Summer Bridge and early arrival program for underrepresented student populations.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

Office of the President

Greenwood Library

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Collaborating with Lancers for Academic Success Program (CLASP)

Center for Global Engagement

  • Responsible area for completion:

Academic Affairs

Student Affairs

  • Timeline: 48-60 months
  • Measure: Program developed.

Longwood Objective 7: Strengthen existing Multicultural Student Advisory Committee (MSAC) composed of leaders of campus multicultural organizations and underrepresented student populations.

Strategy 7.1: Establish monthly meetings between MSAC and senior administration representatives including the President, Vice Presidents, and Academic Deans, in addition to  leadership from Campus Police. 

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders: 

Academic Affairs

Student Affairs

Greenwood Library

Administration & Finance

Campus Police

Center for Global Engagement

  • Responsible area for completion: CHANGE Multicultural Leadership Council, Multicultural Student Advisory Committee (MSAC), Office of Multicultural Affairs
  • Timeline: 0-12 months, and ongoing monthly.
  • Measures: Minutes from monthly meetings are shared with leadership from all groups participating within meetings and other relevant stakeholders.

Strategy 7.2: Provide updates to SGA about current campus climate to address needs and concerns of current students and assist in creative problem-solving. 

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders: 

Student Affairs

  • Responsible area for completion: 

CHANGE Multicultural Leadership Council

Multicultural Student Advisory Committee (MSAC)

Student Government Association (SGA)

Office of Multicultural Affairs

  • Timeline: 0-12 months, and ongoing monthly
  • Measures: Regular reports created and provided to the SGA.

Strategy 7.3: Provide updates to Marketing and Communications about current campus climate for distribution to the campus community.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders: 

Student Affairs

  • Responsible area for completion: 

CHANGE Multicultural Leadership Council

Multicultural Student Advisory Committee (MSAC)

Office of Multicultural Affairs

  • Timeline: 0-12 months, and ongoing monthly
  • Measure: Monthly minutes from the MSAC and SGA meetings are shared with the Office of the President, Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Marketing and Communication, and other stakeholders.

Longwood Objective 8: Increase opportunities for students to learn from faculty of diverse backgrounds.

Strategy 8.1: Establish diversity teaching fellowships, faculty in residence, or visiting professorships. (Positions could include a reduced teaching load either to allow for training or mentoring, funding for at least one domestic conference each year, CAFE teaching resources)

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE)

Affinity Groups

Center for Global Engagement

  • Responsible area for completion: Academic Affairs
  • Timeline: 12-36months
  • Measure: Creation of 2 or more positions.

Longwood Objective 9: Create a university-wide process for sharing appropriate feedback from student experiences to facilitate faculty and staff growth in multicultural competencies.

Strategy 9.1: Conduct research on best practices in the field and current practices at Longwood. Identify how other institutions conduct information gathering efforts related to student incidents, concerns, and complaints.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Office of Multicultural Affairs / Title VI 

Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE)

University Counsel 

  • Responsible area for completion: Academic Affairsand Human Resources
  • Timeline: 0-24 months
  • Measure: Report of best practices from peer institutions and Longwood practices

Strategy 9.2:Evaluate the best practices to promote and advocate for their implementation.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Office of Multicultural Affairs / Title VI office

Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE)

University Counsel

  • Responsible area for completion: Academic Affairs, Human Resources
  • Timeline: 24-48 months
  • Measure: Implementation of plan, partnerships among various offices for post-complaint professional development and conflict resolution established.

Goal 3: Education and Scholarship

Engage students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the community in learning the varied perspectives of domestic and international diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.

Longwood Objective 10: Promote free speech, multicultural competence, inclusion, and civility by providing professional and educational development opportunities for faculty, staff, and administrators.

Strategy 10.1: Identify best practices related to free speech, multicultural competence, inclusion, and civility for implementation by campus partners. 

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

Student Affairs

Office of Student Success

Office of Multicultural Affairs

University Counsel

Center for Global Engagement

Greenwood Library

  • Responsible area for completion: Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE)and Human Resources
  • Timeline: 0-24months
  • Measure: Best practices identified and compiled; report developed and distributed to stakeholders.

Strategy 10.2: Create Diversity & Inclusion Certification program for faculty (charge from the Equity Action Taskforce).

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE) consultants

Center for Global Engagement

  • Responsible area for completion: Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE), Academic Affairs
  • Timeline: 24-48months
  • Measures: Establishment of certification program, Number of completed certifications.

Strategy 10.3: Examine and make recommendations regarding classroom climate and design improvement efforts for inclusive pedagogical practices.

  •  Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE) / Consultants

Office of Disability Resources

College of Education and Human Services Faculty

Center for Global Engagement

UDC

  • Responsible area for completion: Academic Affairs
  • Timeline: 48-60months
  • Measures: Evaluation completed;Report developed and distributed to stakeholders.

Longwood Objective 11: Expand curricular and co-curricular diversity education offerings to foster a more culturally competent student body.

Strategy 11.1: Designate in the course catalog, a DEI attribute for all Civitae core classes that meet criteria for the designation. 

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Academic Affairs

Educational Policy Committee

  • Responsible area for completion: Civitae Core Curriculum Committee and Office of the Registrar
  • Timeline: 12-24 months
  • Measures: Courses designated in catalog, ongoing as new courses added.

Strategy 11.2: Implement an online educational module (e.g. Everfi, Vector Solutions) to increase students’ awareness of DEI skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for cultural competency.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Office of Multicultural Affairs 

Digital Education Collaborative (DEC)

  • Responsible area for completion: Office of Student Success 
  • Timeline: 12-24 months
  • Measure: Online education modules established for all first year and transfer students, ongoing annually.

Strategy 11.3: Create educational DEI content to be used with all forms of student staff training and supervision. 

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Office of Student Employment Office

Office of Student Success

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Center for Global Engagement

  • Responsible area for completion: 

Supervisors of individual and group student staff such as Aramark, Campus Recreation, Residence & Community Life, Office of First-Year Experience, Instructional Technology, Tutoring, and Digital Education Collaboration.

  • Timeline: 12-24 months
  • Measures: Education modules established for all hires, with ongoing new and advanced training annually.

Strategy 11.4: Develop new courses with DEI content based on interdisciplinary perspectives that will augment the current CTZN 410 offerings.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Academic Affairs

Educational Policy Committee

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Center for Global Engagement  

  • Responsible area for completion: Civitae Core Curriculum Committee, Office of the Registrar
  • Timeline: 24-36 months
  • Measures: Expanded DEI course offerings.

Strategy 11.5:  Review all Civitae courses to identify areas of opportunity to enhance DEI curricular content.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Academic Affairs   

  • Responsible area for completion: Civitae Core Curriculum Committee
  • Timeline: 24-36 months
  • Measure: Report created identifying areas of strength and opportunity.

Strategy 11.6: Explore opportunities for creation of a Civitae coursework DEI track that would be noted on transcripts.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Academic Affairs

Educational Policy Committee

Office of the Registrar

Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE) 

  • Responsible area for completion: Civitae Core Curriculum Committee, Office of the Registrar
  • Timeline: 36-48 months
  • Measure:  Strategic plan created for possible implementation of a Civitae DEI track.

Strategy 11.7:  Create a co-curricular Diversity Certification program for students (including  public recognition for completion progress).

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Office of Student Success

Digital Education Collaborative (DEC)

Moton Museum

Office of Disability Resources

Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE)

Center for Global Engagement

Faculty who teach content related to DEI   

  • Responsible area for completion: Office of Multicultural Affairs, Student Affairs
  • Timeline: 36-48 months
  • Measures:
  • 0-12 months: Creation of DEI Student Certification working group.
  • 12-24 months: Identification of program components, create the curriculum, and identify resources to develop the program.
  • 36-48 months:Implementation of program.

Strategy 11.8: Develop an International Summer School at Longwood Program with a civil rights focus.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Greenwood Library

Student Affairs

Moton Museum

Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE)

Faculty who teach content related to Intercultural Communication   

  • Responsible area for completion: Center for Global Engagement
  • Timeline: 36-48 months
  • Measures:
  • 0-12 months: Creation of International Summer School development working group.
  • 12-24 months: Identification of program components, create the curriculum, and identify resources to develop program.
  • 36-48 months:Implementation of program.

Longwood Objective 12:  Enhance and support the coordination and marketing of DEI-related programs, training, and events sponsored both by student groups and Longwood.

Strategy 12.1:  Create a DEI tracking system for student events, training, and programming to enhance intentional collaboration across university co-curricular departments and units.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Moton Museum 

Office of Disability Resources

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Center for Global Engagement

Information Technology

University Events & Ceremonies

Academic Affairs

Marketing & Communications

University Center

Student Activities

  • Responsible area for completion: Student Affairs
  • Timeline: 12-24 months: Create tracking system
  • Measures: Tracking system and training created; annual assessment reports, ongoing.

Strategy 12.2:  Designate DEI programs on campus calendar and enhance marketing of DEI programs (e.g., feature programming in a designated area on the internal Solomon Longwood website, send monthly calendar of events to The Rotunda, WMLU, and other student media).

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Information Technology

The Rotunda

WMLU student radio station

Student Government Association (SGA)

Student Engagement

  • Responsible area for completion: Marketing & Communicationsand University Events & Ceremonies
  • Timeline: 0-12 months
  • Measures:
  • DEI designation created for university calendar.
  • Training created for DEI designation use.
  • Monthly summary of upcoming DEI programming sent to student media outlets

Strategy 12.3:  Encourage student organizations to consider using the Inclusive Excellence framework and Universal Design when planning events to increase access.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Student Engagement

Student Affairs   

  • Responsible area for completion: Office of Disability Resourcesand Student Government Association
  • Timeline: 0-12 months
  • Measures:
  • Creation and offering of training on Inclusive Excellence framework and Universal Design related to programming.
  • Enhanced Universal Design checklist available to all student organizations.
  • Number of programs that meet Inclusive Excellence and Universal Design criteria.

Longwood Objective 13: Enhance student research opportunities related to DEI issues.

Strategy 13.1:  Explore opportunities for grant development to support student research related to DEI topics and issues.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Academic Affairs

  • Responsible area for completion: Office of Student Research
  • Timeline: 0-12 months
  • Measure: Opportunities for research grants identified.

Strategy 13.2: Facilitate an annual Inclusive Excellence Research Symposium for undergraduate students to present research related to DEI.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Academic Affairs

Greenwood Library

  • Responsible area for completion: Office of Student Research
  • Timeline:
  • 0-12 months: Inclusive Excellence Research Symposium working group is created.
  • 12-24 months: Working group identifies research symposium models and develops criteria, expectations, and resources for symposium at Longwood.
  • 36-48 months: Incorporation of Inclusive Excellence Research Symposium as part of Student Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry Days
  • Measures:
  • Working group created and report on the proposed Longwood symposium developed.
  • Students present research as part of an Excellence Research Symposium incorporated into Student Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry days.

Goal 4: Infrastructure and Accountability

Create and sustain an institutional infrastructure that effectively supports progress and accountability in achieving DEI goals.

Longwood Objective 14: Enhance transparency related to threat/risk assessment for DEI issues through establishment of communication protocol.  

Strategy 14.1:  Form a committee to research and develop the communication protocol for threat/risk assessment related to DEI issues.

  • Prospective collaborating partners/stakeholders: 

President’s Office

Student Affairs

Academic Affairs

UDC

University Counsel

  • Responsible area for completion: Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 6-24 months
  • Measures: Communication protocol committee formed and plan development completed.

Strategy 14.2: Publish and distribute communication protocol for threat/risk assessment related to DEI issues.

  • Prospective collaborating partners/stakeholders:  

Communication protocol committee

UDC

University Counsel

  • Responsible area for completion: Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 24-48 months
  • Measures: See below.

Strategy 14.3: Implement communication protocol for threat/risk assessment related to DEI issues.

  • Prospective collaborating partners/stakeholders:

Communication protocol committee

UDC

Campus stakeholders who will communicate threat/risk assessment information

University Counsel

  • Responsible area for completion: Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 48-60 months
  • Measures for strategies 14.1-3:
  • Communication protocol committee formed and plan development completed.
  • Plan distributed to campus stakeholders who will communicate threat/risk assessment information.
  • Completion of surveys and focus groups of campus members to determine views on transparency and access to information related to DEI issues.

Longwood Objective 15:Enhance communication timeliness related to crises or incidents associated with DEI issues and identify trends existing over time.

Strategy 15.1: Research and catalog previous university communication associated with DEI crises or incidents to create an archive.

  • Prospective collaborating partners/stakeholders: 

Title VI office

Longwood Police Department

University Counsel

  • Responsible area for completion: Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 6-12 months
  • Measures: Catalog of previous university communication associated with DEI crises or incidents created.

Strategy 15.2: When developing a response to new DEI incidents, offices that communicate this information consult the archive of previous responses. 

  • Prospective Collaborating Partners/Stakeholders: 

Title VI office

Longwood Police Department

Office of the President

University Counsel

  • Responsible area for completion: Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 12-24 months and ongoing, once archive is completed
  • Measures: Marketing & Communications, Title VI office, Longwood Police Department, Office of the President surveyed on the usage of the archive. 

Strategy 15.3: Review communicated DEI incident communication responses annually to identify trends.

  • Prospective collaborating partners/stakeholders:

Title VI office

Longwood Police Department

Office of Multicultural Affairs

University Counsel

  • Responsible area for completion: Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 36-48 months
  • Measures: Annual review report distributed to offices that communicate information about DEI crises or incidents.

Longwood Objective 16:Encourage Universal Design and ADA compliance in campus communication. 

Strategy 16.1: Review and update the Longwood website to better address accessibility.

  •  Responsible area for completion: Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 12-24 months
  • Measures: All website A and AA level errors and warnings from the WCAG are addressed and resolved. Regular scans of the university website and reports on WCAG conformance levels are run and distributed to stakeholders for evaluation. Achieve or exceed the industry benchmark score for WCAG conformance.

Strategy 16.2: Research tools for accessible digital communication (e.g., website, social media, text) and produce a guide and training for campus.

  • Prospective collaborating partners/stakeholders:

Office of Disability Resources

Administration & Finance

  • Responsible area for completion: Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 24-48 months
  • Measures: Training created and implemented for campus partners on creating accessible digital and print communications. Survey faculty and staff trained to use the produced guide for feedback on how easy it was implementing measures and examples of usage.

Strategy 16.3: Research best practices and tools for accessible print communication (e.g., Longwood Magazine, Admissions brochures) and produce a guide and training for campus.

  • Prospective Collaborating Partners/Stakeholders:

Office of Disability Resources

Administration & Finance

  • Responsible area for completion: Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 48-60 months
  • Measures: Training created and implemented for campus partners on creating accessible digital and print communications. Survey faculty and staff trained to use the produced guide for feedback on how easy it was implementing measures and examples of usage.

Longwood Objective 17: Encourage inclusive university-wide communications.

Strategy 17.1: Create Spanish translations for key student resource areas (e.g., website, written communication, financial aid, and admission documents/forms). Establish a process for ongoing updates and determination if other translations should be offered.

  • Prospective collaborating partners/stakeholders: 

Admissions

Center for Global Engagement

English & Modern Languages

  • Responsible area for completion: Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 
    • 12-24 months:Determine key sections to be presented in Spanish, the best mechanism to deliver the content, and how to develop the translations.
    • 24-28 months: Create Spanish translations
    • 48-60 months: Establish ongoing updates of key resource areas and need assessments for other translations.

Strategy 17.2: Develop a resource database accessible to all faculty and staff on the internal Solomon website with a photo gallery and words and phrases list to aid in inclusive language and imagery across University communications.  

  • Prospective collaborating partners/stakeholders: 

Office of Multicultural Affairs

UDC

University Counsel

  • Responsible area for completion: Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 
    • 12 -24 months:Development of photo and inclusive language resources to assist with university-wide inclusive communications.
    • 24-48 months: Obtain feedback on usage of photo and inclusive language resources and determine success and whether changes or additional resources are need. Communicate to campus how to access the resources, why they are important, and how to use them.

Strategy 17.3: Develop a UDC webpage on the www.longwood.edu site and enhance the internal Solomon website to launch the strategic plan and provide updates/resources.

  • Prospective collaborating partners/stakeholders: 

UDC

  • Responsible area for completion: Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 12 -24 months:Develop public-facing website for UDC on www.longwood.edu website. Consult with UDC leadership about updates and expansion of the internal Solomon website.

Strategy 17.4: Conduct a review of official publications to ensure a commitment to and communication of diversity with a special emphasis on admissions materials.

  • Prospective collaborating partners/stakeholders: 

Strategic Operations

Office of Multicultural Affairs

UDC

  • Responsible area for completion: Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 
    • 12-24 months:Establish a review committee for university publications and perform an initial audit and review. Provide initial feedback to stakeholders and establish a process to provide an annual review.
    • 24-48 months: Establish an annual review process and update demographics on

Longwood’s website each year.

Strategy 17.5: Publish Longwood University’s population demographics related to diversity on the www.longwood.edu website.

  • Prospective collaborating partners/stakeholders: 

University Analytics

  • Responsible area for completion: Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 
    • 12-24 months:Obtain and publish demographics on the www.longwood.edu website.
    • 24-48 months: Establish an annual review process to update demographics on www.longwood.edu website.

Strategy 17.6: Creation of a web page on www.longwood.edu and Internal Solomon website with important policies and information related to diversity (e.g., grievance policy, Title IX, Title VI & bias) to enable comprehensive resources to be listed under a single URL in university materials.

  • Prospective collaborating partners/stakeholders: 

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Office of the President

University Counsel

Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE)

UDC

  • Responsible area for completion: Human Resources, Academic Affairs, Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 
  • 12-24 months:Establish a committee to determine policies related to DEI to be included on web pages and determine if additional policies need to be developed.
  • 24-48 months: Present any new DEI policies to the Board of Visitors for approval and add to website once approved.

Measures for Objective 17 Strategies: Each Objective 17 strategy includes deliverables and the completion of them will provide measurement of completion. Surveys of stakeholders and review of implementation including examples will provide measurement of success for the deliverables.

Longwood Objective 18: Enhance transparency about Title VI and bias incident reports and address potential campus flash points.

Strategy 18.1: Create an advisory board to develop guidelines for social listening, reporting, and disseminating information about bias incidents and potential campus flash points. 

  • Prospective collaborating partners/stakeholders: 

Title VI Advisory Board

UDC

University Counsel

Human Resources

Academic Affairs

Office of Multicultural Affairs

  • Responsible area for completion: Title VI Office and Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 
    • 12-24 months:Advisory Board members identified and invited to join; Advisory Board starts meeting
    • 24-48 months: Advisory Board develops guidelines for social listening, reporting, and disseminating information.
  • Measures:
  • Advisory Board established.
  • Guidelines for social listening, reporting, and disseminating information about bias incidents and potential campus flash points established. 

Strategy 18.2: Advisory Board meets regularly and reviews gathered data to produce an annual report. Board monitors data and establishes additional goals as needed.

  • Prospective collaborating partners/stakeholders:

Title VI Advisory Board

UDC

Human Resources

University Counsel

Academic Affairs

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Marketing & Communications

  • Responsible area for completion: Advisory Board, Title VI office
  • Timeline: 48-60 months
  • Measures:
    • Annual report produced with data about incidents and a review of effectiveness.
    • Completion of surveys and focus groups of campus members to determine views on transparency and access to information related to Title VI and bias incident reports and potential flash points.

Longwood Objective 19: Enhance campus communication related to DEI.

Strategy 19.1: Create and publish definitions related to DEI on www.longwood.edu and internal Solomon websites. Create and publish University DEI Statement on www.longwood.edu and internal Solomon websites.

  • Prospective Collaborating Partners/Stakeholders: 

Academic Affairs

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Office of the President

Human Resources

University Counsel

  • Responsible area for completion: UDC and Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 0-12 months
  • Measure: Content published on internal and external Longwood websites.

Strategy 19.2: Share stories on the Longwood website and other venues related to DEI (e.g., highlight diversity on campus by publishing stories on the website and in Longwood Magazine about activities and accomplishments of faculty, staff, and students from diverse backgrounds)

  • Prospective Collaborating Partners/Stakeholders: 

Academic Affairs

Student Affairs

Office of Student Success

Administration & Finance

Longwood Foundation Office

Office of Alumni Relations & Career Services

Center for Global Engagement

UDC

  • Responsible area for completion: Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline: 0-24 months, and ongoing
  • Measures: Content published on internal and external Longwood websites and publications.

Strategy 19.3: Creation of a new communication platform for BIPOC and other underrepresented alumni, current students, and prospective students, and other stakeholders.

  • Prospective Collaborating Partners/Stakeholders: 

Academic Affairs

Student Affairs

Office of Student Success

Administration & Finance

Longwood Foundation Office

Office of Alumni Relations & Career Services

Center for Global Engagement

UDC

  • Responsible area for completion: Marketing & Communications
  • Timeline:
    • 0-24 months: Establish a working group from collaborating partners to determine the platform for BIPOC and underrepresented alumni, current students, and prospective students. Hold meetings every quarter to discuss needs and research.
    • 24-48 months: Working group will write a plan to move forward in establishing a communication platform for BIPOC communities
    • 48-60 months: Communication platform established for BIPOC and underrepresented alumni, current students, and prospective students.
  • Measures: 
    • Working group established and meets regularly.
    • Communication platform plan developed.
    • Communication platform available.
    • Survey users of the new platform for BIPOC and underrepresented alumni, current students, and prospective students annually.

Longwood Objective 20:  Enhance learning technology access and support is equitable and accessible for all students.

Strategy 20.1: Review lessons learned at Longwood and at other institutions from COVID-19 related adaptations in distance learning and remote work with students and report best practices.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Academic Affairs

Greenwood Library

Office of Disability Resources

Center for Global Engagement

Sociology faculty researchers focusing in this area

Student Affairs

Office of Student Success

  • Responsible area for completion: Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE) and Digital Education Collaborative (DEC)
  • Timeline: 0-24months
  • Measure: Report of best practices distributed to Longwood faculty, Student Affairs staff, and other stakeholders.

Strategy 20.2: Identify professional development opportunities for learning technology access and support based upon lessons learned and best practices report.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Center for Global Engagement

Greenwood Library

Disability Resources

Student Affairs

Academic Affairs

  • Responsible area for completion: Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE),Digital Education Collaborative (DEC)
  • Timeline: 24-36 months
  • Measure: Compilation of professional development opportunities distributed to faculty, Student Affairs staff, and other stakeholders.

Strategy 20.3: Implement course and program design professional development training plan related to use of technology to enhance equity and accessibility for all learners.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Office of Disability Resources

Greenwood Library

Center for Global Engagement

Student Affairs departments

  • Responsible area for completion:

Student Affairs

Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE)

Digital Education Collaborative (DEC)

  • Timeline: 36-48 months
  • Measure: Implementation of training plan.

Longwood Objective 21: Revise annual A/P and classified performance evaluations, as well as faculty promotion and tenure evaluations, to encourage recognition of professional development and engagement with DEI practices.

Strategy 21.1: Conduct research on best practices in the field and current practices at Longwood. Identify how other institutions incorporate DEI in evaluations.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Student Affairs

Administration & Finance

Strategic Operations

UDC

Faculty Senate – Promotion & Tenure Policies and Procedures Committee

Human Resources 

  • Responsible area for completion: Academic Affairs, Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE), andHuman Resources
  • Timeline:  0-24 months
  • Measure: Report on research compiled.

Strategy 21.2: Consider the Equity Action Task Force recommendations and University mission and strategic plan to ensure CAFE tactics are aligned where appropriate.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

UDC

Office of Multicultural Affairs / Title VI

Appropriate Vice-Presidents

  • Responsible area for completion: Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE)
  • Timeline: 0-12 months
  • Measure: Review of CAFE tactics completed.

Strategy 21.3: Identify resources for faculty development that prioritize effective, inclusive practice (e.g., advising, teaching, professional development, and curriculum development).

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE)

Human Resources

UDC

University Counsel

  • Responsible area for completion: Academic Affairs
  • Timeline:  24-48 months
  • Measure: Identified resources and accountability and reward structures information is compiled and distributed to faculty and other stakeholders.

Strategy 21.4: Evaluate the best practices for effective, inclusive faculty practice to advocate for their implementation.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE)

Human Resources

University Counsel

Faculty Senate

UDC

  • Responsible area for completion: Academic Affairs
  • Timeline: 48-60 months
  • Measure: Advocacy plan created and implemented.

Longwood Objective 22: Improve the collection, analysis, and reporting of institutional and assessment data to better understand patterns of behavior known to enhance the success of historically underrepresented student groups.

Strategy 22.1:  Request annual retention and success information for underrepresented students to distribute to relevant stakeholders to identify areas of strength and opportunity.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Academic Affairs

UPC Assessment Committee

Office of Assessment & Institutional Research

  • Responsible area for completion: Office of Student Success and University Analytics
  • Timeline: 0-12 months, ongoing annually
  • Measures: 
  • Data generated and reports distributed to stakeholders annually.
  • Stakeholders meet regularly to determine plans to address needs and build upon strengths.

Strategy 22.2:  Evaluate multi-year National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) items related to DEI to distribute to relevant stakeholders to identify areas of strength and opportunity.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Academic Affairs

Office of Assessment & Institutional Research

Office of Multicultural Affairs

  • Responsible area for completion: Student Affairsand UPC Assessment Committee
  • Timeline: 0-12 months, ongoing tri-annually
  • Measures:
  • Data related to DEI items compiled for 2014, 2017, and 2020 reports and distributed to stakeholders.
  • Stakeholders meet to determine plans to address needs and build upon strengths.
  • Recommendations distributed to relevant stakeholders and published through Student Affairs Assessment website and UDC annual assessment report.

Goal 5: Community Engagement

Leverage institutional philanthropy and community partnerships to improve outcomes in local and regional communities.

Longwood Objective 23: Promote idea-sharing and collaborative problem-solving between Longwood and local and regional community stakeholders to strengthen the relationship between Longwood and the community to address issues faced by both. This includes continuing to enhance the community relationships that have developed through the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts and Longwood’s partnership with the Robert Russa Moton Museum.

Strategy 23.1: Creation of community advisory board consists of faculty, staff, students and community members to assist LUPD and/or Farmville PD.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders: 

Local & Community Relations

Student Government Association (SGA)

Student Affairs

Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE)

Institutional Advancement Office

Office of Alumni & Career Services

Moton Museum

Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

Center for Global Engagement

  • Responsible area for completion: Longwood Police Department (LUPD)and UDC – Community Engagement Sub-committee
  • Timeline: 0-12 months
  • Measures: Creation of the board and regularly scheduled board meetings

Strategy 23.2: Conduct needs assessment with community stakeholders to determine key issues and ways in which Longwood may partner.

  • Prospective collaborating partners/stakeholders:

Farmville Chamber of Commerce

Interfaith Groups

Farmville Area Community Emergency Services (FACES)

Regional schools (e.g., Prince Edward, Cumberland, Buckingham)

Community Colleges (e.g., Southside, Danville, Patrick Henry)

Environmental Organizations (e.g., Clean Virginia Waterways, Margaret Watson Bird Club, Friends of Appomattox)

Southside Training, Employment, & Placement Services Inc. (STEPS)

The Piedmont Area Habitat for Humanity

State Parks (e.g., High Bridge Trail, Holiday Lake, Twin Lakes, Bear Creek Lake)

Moton Museum

Standing Together Farmville

Farmville PRIDE

Piedmont Senior Resources (PSR)

Waterworks Community Theater

Longwood Center for the Visual Arts (LCVA

  • Responsible area for completion: 

Local & Community Relations

Community Advisory Board

Community Stakeholder Group Leadership

  • Timeline: 12-24 months
  • Measures: 
  • Regularly scheduled meetings
  • Number of organizations represented 
  • Number of attendees 
  • Development of partnership goals and initiatives

Strategy 23.3: Conduct audit of existing external community and campus collaborative partnerships, including the R.R. Moton Museum and the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts (e.g. courses with service-learning projects, service and volunteer opportunities), and communicate with relevant stakeholders.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

Community Stakeholder Group Leadership

Regional schools (e.g., Prince Edward, Cumberland, Buckingham)

Community Colleges (e.g., Southside, Danville, Patrick Henry)

Local non-profit agencies

Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

Academic Affairs

Student Affairs

Longwood student organizations

Admissions

Civitae Symposium Committee Leadership

Moton Museum

Center for Community Music

Speech Hearing & Learning Services (SHLS)

Nursing department

Center for Business Development

  • Responsible area for completion: 

Academic Affairs

Student Affairs

Local & Community Relations

Community Advisory Board

  • Timeline: 0-12 months: Create working group to develop audit
  • Measures: Completion of audit.

Strategy 23.4: Designate courses in catalog with community engagement and service learning requirements or components.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders

Educational Policy Committee

  • Responsible area for completion: Academic Affairsand Office of the Registrar
  • Timeline: 12-24 months, and ongoing as new courses added.
  • Measure: Community engagement / service learning designation appears in catalog.

Strategy 23.5: Create the Longwood Center for Community and Civic Engagement (CCCE) to coordinate opportunities and oversee assessments.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

Local & Community Relations

  • Responsible area for completion: Academic Affairs, Student Affairs
  • Timeline: 48-60 months
  • Measure: CCCE isfounded and staffed.

Strategy 23.6: Enhance town-gown relationships to provide programming, support, and initiative development for underrepresented campus and community populations.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

Admissions

Office of Alumni & Career Services

Marketing & Communication

Local & Community Relations

Farmville Chamber of Commerce

Student organizations (e.g. Fresh Boys Club, Beyond the Numbers)

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Waterworks Community Theater

Longwood Center for the Visual Arts (LCVA)

Moton Museum

Standing Together Farmville

Farmville PRIDE

  • Responsible area for completion:

Community Advisory Board

CCCE 

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Small Business Development Office

  • Timeline: 48-60 months
  • Measures: Number of programs offered, Number of people attend the programs.

Longwood Objective 24: Reconnect diverse alumni with students for university DEI- related efforts.

Strategy 24.1: Develop professional, networking, and mentorship opportunities between current students and alumni from underrepresented populations.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

Institutional Advancement Office

Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life

Athletics

Longwood Black Alumni Association 

CHANGE Multicultural Leadership Council

Center for Global Engagement

  • Responsible area for completion: Office of Alumni & Career Servicesand Office of Multicultural Affairs
  • Timeline: 0-12 months
  • Measure: 
  • Number of alumni-student events and attendance
  • Survey of mentor-mentee relationship satisfaction and outcomes

Strategy 24.2: Increase the number of alumni affinity groups composed of underrepresented populations, and create a Minority Alumni Coalition group. 

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

Institutional Advancement Office

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Athletics

Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life

Longwood Black Alumni Association  

  • Responsible area for completion: Office of Alumni & Career Services
  • Timeline: 12-24 months
  • Measures:
  • Create Minority Alumni Coalition
  • Number of affinity groups 

Strategy 24.3: Fundraise during Love Your Longwood Day to engage multicultural alumni to create and support DEI initiatives and projects.

  • Prospective collaborating partners / stakeholders:

Office of Alumni & Career Services

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Longwood Black Alumni Association 

Academic Affairs

Student Affairs

Center for Global Engagement

  • Responsible area for completion: Institutional Advancement Office
  • Timeline: 24-36 months
  • Measures: Number of proposals related to DEI; Number of donors and first time donors;Amount of money raised.