UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 11
November 14, 1996
Summary of the Annual Report of the Commission

     The Commission to Promote Racial and Cultural Diversity is
committed to ensuring that the campus climate is welcoming and
supportive for the diverse groups that comprise the University of
Delaware. Appointed by the University president, commission
members are drawn from the faculty, staff and student body.
     Monthly commission meetings, as well as meetings of
individual caucuses, are designed to further the appreciation of
diversity in the workforce and in the student body, monitor the
University's affirmative action program and, where indicated,
recommend strategies to increase the representation of minorities
and women and provide support for major commission initiatives.
     Organizationally, the commission has two task forces-the
Diversity Indicators and Diversity Education task forces, which
have been established to assess the campus climate and provide
educational programming to help make the campus more inclusive
for diverse groups.
     In addition, there are individual caucuses that reflect the
interests and needs of particular constituent groups. Their
membership is broader than that of the commission and embraces
students, staff and faculty who share common interests. These
caucuses serve the needs of African heritage faculty and
professional staff, as well as members of the Jewish community,
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Latino/Latina groups, the
lesbian, gay and bisexual community and the campus religious
leadership.
     During the 1995-96 year, a portion of every monthly
commission meeting was devoted to learning about the special
needs and concerns of each caucus. Members not only described
their ongoing activities but also suggested ways in which the
campus climate could be enhanced for the group.
     These recommendations were presented in report form. At the
June meeting of the commission, members reviewed the
recommendations and identified those that would be supported for
inclusion in the annual report.
     In addition, under the aegis of the Diversity Indicators
Task Force and the Office of Institutional Research and Planning,
the commission developed a Campus Diversity Survey to assess the
climate on our campus as it relates to ethnic, gender, sexual
orientation, religious and disability issues.
     The commission also continued to monitor the progress of
increasing the number of minorities enrolled and employed at the
University.

Campus Diversity Survey

     The Diversity Survey is a modification of one used by the
University of Minnesota to look at the climate for students at
their university. UD received permission from Minnesota to modify
their instrument to better fit the UD campus culture and program
offerings. The survey also was expanded to include employees.
     The survey was administered in late spring to a stratified
random sample of 2,319 students and 1,739 faculty and staff. Of
that group, 1,147 students returned the survey (a response rate
of 49.5 percent); and 1,129 employees returned the survey (a
response rate of 64.9 percent).
     The demographic characteristics of responding students and
employees mirrored the racial, gender and cultural diversity of
the UD campus community. Following is a preliminary review of
data from the respondents.

Employees

     From an employee perspective, the campus community reflects
attitudes and behaviors that support a commitment to diversity.
     More than 50 percent of employee respondents agreed that "we
are all playing on the same team," and almost 70 percent reported
that they have experienced no harassment or discrimination.
     Despite these affirming results, the preliminary data show
areas for improvement.
     The majority of those respondents who indicated that they
had encountered discrimination or harassment on campus reported
that their mistreatment was based upon their gender or race.
     Verbal comments and "being ignored" were described as the
most frequent forms of discrimination encountered by employees.

Students

     Student responses parallel those of the employee respondents
in many ways. Almost 70 percent of the students reported that
they have experienced no discrimination or harassment on campus.
     Moreover, the majority of those students who have
experienced such difficulty state that it has occurred in
locations other than the classroom. Student peers were cited most
frequently as the source of this discrimination.
     Students also indicated that, like counterpart employees
participating in the survey, verbal comments and "being ignored"
were the major forms of discrimination they experienced and that
their mistreatment centered on their gender or race.
     Once the data for employees and students is fully analyzed,
the results will be distributed to the commission, and
recommendations will be presented to the campus community in an
effort to change behaviors and attitudes toward specific groups.
     A major activity for the commission in 1996-97 will be to
identify and develop such programs.
     Of special concern will be defining, through the use of
focus groups, what "being ignored" means to students and
employees and then developing strategies that address this form
of discrimination.
     Also important will be the sharing of our data with the
University of Minnesota, another land-grant university, to
explore commonalities and differences in the receptivity of our
respective campuses to the needs of diverse groups.

1996-97 commission goals

     The commission is committed to increasing diversity within
the campus community, to promoting an atmosphere of civility and
respect and furthering understanding among diverse campus
constituent groups.
     To that end, the following goals have been identified by the
commission for the 1996-97 academic year:
      Review aggregate data collected from the Campus Diversity
 Survey and recommend strategies for making the campus more
 hospitable for University staff and students.
      Develop a mentoring program for newly hired professional
 and salaried staff to help acclimate them to the campus and
 better understand how the University functions.
      Continue in-depth monitoring of the University's progress
 in recruiting, retaining and promoting members of protected
 classes.
      Encourage more administrators to participate in diversity
 education workshops and develop programs to help supervisors
 manage an increasingly diverse workforce.