1. No Excuses: The Process of Operationalizing Climate And Inclusion

2. Today’s Topics
Background
Commitment to Climate, Diversity, Inclusion
Initial Steps
Move from College level to Department level
College Efforts for Student Education
Future Plans

3. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Land Grant Mission
Background
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Land Grant Mission
Four AgriLife Agencies
Fourteen Departments
Four clusters:
Agriculture
Biodiversity/Environment
Social Science/Business
Biomedical
Climate Efforts Headed by Executive Associate Dean

4. Demographics Fall 2016 Undergraduate Students Race/Ethnicity Gender
4495 White, 1232 Hispanic, 222 Black, 215 Asian, 155 Multi-racial excluding Black, 47 International, 26 American Indian, 9 Unknown, 5 Native American
Gender
3730 female, 2676 male
Graduate Students
656 White, 418 International, 141 Hispanic, 37 Asian, 32 Black, 19 Unknown, 16 Multi-racial excluding Black, 2 American Indian
661 male, 661 female
Faculty
238 White, 48 Asian or Pacific Islander, 18 Hispanic, 6 Black, 6 International, 3 Unknown, 1 American Indian
247 male, 73 female

5. TAMU Office of the Vice President for Diversity Established in 2003
Background
TAMU Office of the Vice President for Diversity
Established in 2003
Formed President’s Council on Climate and Inclusion and Diversity Operations Committee
Created annual unit Diversity Accountability Report
Required reporting on recruiting, retention, and equity
Biennial peer assessment
Biennial presentation to President’s Council on Climate and Inclusion
Authored University State of Diversity Reports in 2010, 2013, 2016

6. College webpage: aglifesciences.tamu.edu
Commitment
College webpage: aglifesciences.tamu.edu

7. Excellence through Diversity Statement
Commitment
Excellence through Diversity Statement
Within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, our work, learning, and scholarly environments are based on understanding and respecting different perspectives and capturing the values they bring to a discussion, situation, or a solution. Having respect for another’s perspective is not just professional, it adds dimension and allows us to grow from it. It also can add to the applicability of the solution or help avoid an unforeseen pitfall. Fostering the presence of a diverse environment assures these multiple perspectives will be present to enrich our thinking and impact. Understanding and respecting different ways of thinking, communicating, and learning will help us succeed in educating the broadest array of students and other stakeholders. Most complex problems and challenges will require solutions that draw from many viewpoints including those based on culture, subject matter, institutional hierarchical level, geographic location, ethnicity, gender, etc. Fostering a climate of respect and appreciation for differing perspectives will be a key part of our quest for excellence.

8. College Climate Council
Initial Steps
College Climate Council
Established in Spring 2015
Twelve representatives (department heads, faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students)
Increase the visibility, provide insight and opinion, help with the development of policies and initiatives
Dean Review of Applicant Pools
Strongly encourage participation in ADVANCE Center activities
9 STEM and 5 non-STEM departments
Required Bias Training for administration and search committees
Piloting Promotion and Tenure-focused Bias Training with ADVANCE Center

9. 2016 Sponsor of Climate Matters Conference
Initial Steps
2016 Sponsor of Climate Matters Conference
Faculty/Staff participation in Faculty and Staff Interaction Team (FASIT) Program
Sponsored staff participation in Green Dot (active bystander) and Aggie Allies (GLBTQ safe place) Training
Moved focused student recruiting efforts from more traditional rural areas to urban areas and all recruiting materials were redesigned.
Multiple learning communities and student support groups were created to target underrepresented populations.
Undergraduate and graduate student exit assessments created

10. Changes in Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty, by STEM College and Sex
Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty
New Hires
Since Fall 2010*
Departures from TAMU
Net Change in Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty
Percent Female Fall 2010
Percent Female Fall 2016
Number Males
Number Females
Percent Female
Agriculture and Life Sciences
18%
23% 21 16
43% 33 7
-12 9
Engineering
15%
13%
103 19
16% 77 26
25% -7
Geosciences
21% 14 6
30% 22 4 -8 2
Liberal Arts
35%
38% 29 18 36 17
32% 1
Science
14% 5
12% 49
11%
-13 -1
Individuals who are not on payroll for the five previous years are treated as new hires.
Individuals who change title and become tenured/tenure track are not considered new hires.
*Based on October payroll data. Does not include faculty who left or arrived after October 2016.

11. How do we ensure that the climate discussion moves out of the Dean’s Office to other parts of the College?

12. Departmental Climate Plans
Goal: Move discussion from college level to departmental level
Step One:
Climate & Diversity Workshop for faculty leaders
Climate & Diversity Workshop for staff leaders
Facilitated department discussions

13. Departmental Climate Plans
Goal: Move discussion from college level to departmental level
Step Two:
Annual Departmental Climate Plan Development
November 1 due date
Faculty, staff, post-doctoral research associates, and graduate students included
Dialogue about department climate, create feedback/assessment component, and develop participation/engagement activities from feedback

14. Departmental Climate Plans

15. Departmental Climate Plans
Step Two (continued):
Annual Departmental Climate Plan Feedback
Plans were reviewed by the College Climate Council, College administration, and Department Head Council
General and individual feedback provided
Year Two reports due November 1, 2017

16. Departmental Climate Plans
General comments for all departments: 
Each plan should have a statement defining climate for the unit that explains why it should be valued by the unit. A stated commitment to the climate plan is important to the plan itself.
Climate should include a broader definition than mere collegiality. It should also have respect, inclusion, and diversity components.
Survey results are of secondary importance to the dialogue and climate plan process – the generation of adequate dialogue about climate is the key piece.
Fully understanding the experiences and perspectives of disenfranchised stakeholders is important. These cannot be ignored. Being attentive to only the majority opinion misses the point of inclusion and respecting all.
Confidentiality is extremely important and must be maintained.
Thoughts for the future: 
Do not focus solely on job groupings (examples: faculty, staff, post docs). Think about social identities (examples: race, gender, class, ability, religion/spiritual orientation, age) as well.
Identify and implement the 4 Ps:
Program: a plan under which action may be taken towards a goal (ex: implementing a monthly pot-luck lunch within the department)
People: the human capital of a project (ex: the group invited to participate in the monthly pot-luck lunch)
Policy: high-level overall plan embracing the general goals and acceptable procedures (ex: written department rule related to time off for climate events)
Practice: an act or method followed with regularity, usually through choice (ex: allowing the monthly pot-luck lunch to be an event for which people can receive extra time away from work per department policy)
Emphasize transparency in climate plan process. Be clear about planned next steps and when these will happen. Engage everyone. Share assessment results and plans for action
Asking generalities about perception of climate does not get to the nuances of climate issues or give voice to the disenfranchised. The minority or disenfranchised concerns must somehow be identified and heard.

17. Departmental Climate Plans
Exemplary examples from 2016 Departmental Plans

18. Goal: Educate students in college on climate, diversity, and inclusion
Student Education
Goal: Educate students in college on climate, diversity, and inclusion
Step Three:
Create College-sponsored climate activities for students
Engaging student participation through College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (COALS) Council and other student groups
Created College Conversations Series, focused on racism in Spring 2017
Hosted Dinner and Discussion with Student Leaders
Support for student-led social media campaigns: #WeareAGLS and #AnAGleaderis…

19. Student Education

20. Student Education

21. Student Education

22. Student Education

23. #WeareAGLS

24. #AnAGLeaderis…

25. Future Plans
Immediate Next Steps
Continue College Conversations Series, focusing on gender for Fall 2017
Conduct student survey to generate best ways of reaching them
Conduct implicit bias and inclusion trainings for student organizations in the College
Present panel discussion at 2017 National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE)
Continue departmental discussion on annual Climate Plan process

26. Future Plans
Long Term Goals
Continue College Conversations Series, cycling back through topics every 4-5 semesters
Fine tune annual departmental Climate Plan process so that discussions of climate, diversity, and inclusion become common place within College
Continue generating scholarly output on College’s climate process to educate and assist peers
Create the workplace environment that is described in the College’s Statement on Diversity

27. Questions??