Cal Poly administrators want student input on their plans to change campus diversity.
Strategy groups have released 23 recommendations, including hiring more staff to recruit underrepresented minority students, developing a mentoring program for faculty and staff of color and requiring diversity effort considerations for faculty promotions. Part of the plan is to get students involved in changing the campus culture.
“This is how you get buy-in, it’s by making sure they [the students] are getting invested,” Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Jozi de Leon said.
The recommendations include using data collected by advising to target students in need of support, considering new faculty hires on their inclusiveness, giving the Cross Cultural Centers two more employees and $150,000 in additional funds, and requiring exit interviews for all employees.
The recommendations also call for the university to do more strategic recruiting, to create a committee to analyze the campus climate and to work with San Luis Obispo to diversify the city.
The 239 participants at the Collective Impact Forum Nov. 2 heard the recommendations and were able to provide feedback. One participant said she would like to see more food options and food trucks.
“I want a bahn mi, I want a real taco,” Director of Procurement Pay at Strategic Business Services Bernadette Monterrosa said. “I’m talking about feeling like you are at home.”
Also included in the recommendations is more student training in diversity, coordination of diversity efforts across campus and a second United States Cultural Pluralism course for students to complete as part of their General Education.
Administrators are already working on some aspects of the recommendations. The new Vice President of Student Affairs Jamie Patton taught mandatory diversity training sessions during Week of Welcome, in combination with a required online freshmen training program, called DiversityEdu.