I. PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

The University of Colorado at Boulder is engaged in an important diversity endeavor that reaches to the core of our educational mission and touches every corner of the University community. In 1998-99, CU-Boulder’s faculty, staff and students joined in an extensive planning process, which has resulted in this "Blueprint for Action" to enhance the diversity of the Boulder campus.

In December 1998, the CU Board of Regents approved diversity plans from each of CU’s four campuses, including the CU-Boulder Diversity and Equity Plan. The Boulder campus plan introduced a vision for diversity that articulated a number of broad goals and potential action items. Following Regental approval, the campus community joined in an effort to refine the goals and strategies of the Diversity and Equity Plan.

In the 1999 spring semester, broad-based input was sought and received from across the campus — from governance groups, students, faculty, staff, administrators and others — to help implement our diversity effort. This "Blueprint for Action" is the product of intense dialogue, enthusiastic brainstorming, and constant searching for consensus. Here is what we have learned from the process.

DIVERSITY AND THE EDUCATIONAL MISSION

The Boulder campus is committed to achieving diversity and equity -- not just because it’s the right thing to do for underrepresented populations, but because it is fundamental to our central educational mission. We strongly believe that all students — minority and majority — benefit from an education enriched by a diversity of ideas, thoughts, and perspectives. Clearly, the quality of learning is enhanced by a campus climate of inclusion, understanding, and appreciation of the full range of human experience.

Universities like CU-Boulder must prepare students to function successfully in the global society of the 21^st century. The workplace of tomorrow will reflect a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives, introducing new challenges in thinking, communication and team-building. Citizens of tomorrow will require multicultural competence beyond our current imagination.

We in academia have a responsibility to prepare our students for assuming leadership roles in the 21^st century. They will need specific tools and knowledge for leading a society of rapid change and multicultural growth. Multicultural competence serves these future leaders through broadened critical thinking skills, expanded opportunities for intellectual inquiry, and preparation for social and civic responsibilities.

Furthermore, college campuses are viewed as a microcosm of society, and Americans often look to higher education for guidance and leadership on social issues. On our campus, for example, diversity is one of four major goals of the Total Learning Environment initiative — reaffirming its place among the campus’ core values.

Americans recognize the benefits of a diverse campus and classroom, according to a 1998 survey by the Ford Foundation’s Campus Diversity Initiative. Two in three citizens say it is very important that colleges and universities prepare people to function in a diverse society. Two-thirds (66 percent) say that colleges and universities should take explicit steps to ensure diversity in the student body, and 75 percent say they should do so to ensure diversity among the faculty.

Planning for diversity is at least as complex as it is important. In their book, "The Shape of the River" (1998), Derek Bok and William Bowen refer to the "long and complicated process — more akin to movement along a river than to a smooth passage through a pipeline — by which young people are educated, and then pursue careers and assume responsibilities in their communities."

Bok and Bowen provide a compelling case for focused attention to diversity in higher education, noting that "our society, with its ever more diverse population, cannot ultimately succeed as a democracy if we fail to close the gaps in opportunity…" In their study of a group of selective universities, the authors found that a diverse campus environment can lead to very positive outcomes for their students in terms of academic performance, racial interaction on campus, and the subsequent careers of minority students from these campuses.

Based on empirical data, Bok and Bowen conclude that all students — minority and majority — benefit from a diverse educational experience and that society reaps important benefits from their enhanced civic participation following graduation.

The educational benefits of diversity also were acknowledged in the Supreme Court opinion in the 1978 case, Regents of the University of California  v. Bakke. The Bakke  case, which allows consideration of race as one factor among others to achieve compelling educational interests, remains the standard followed by the University of Colorado at Boulder and most public universities.

CREATING AN INSTITUTIONAL VISION FOR DIVERSITY

The future begins today -- with a common understanding and shared vision of diversity. On May 13, 1999, the CU Board of Regents endorsed the following "description of diversity" and "statement of principles" regarding diversity planning:

Description of Diversity

The University of Colorado is committed to building a community of students, faculty and staff in which diversity is a fundamental value. People are different, and the differences among them are what we call diversity — a natural and enriching hallmark of life. A climate of healthy diversity is one in which people value a rich panoply of diverse ideas, perspectives and backgrounds, individual and group differences, and communicate openly.

Statement of Principles for Developing Campus Diversity Plans

1. Campus plans will be consistent with the University of Colorado’s aspiration to be a place where the quality of education is enhanced and enriched by a diverse campus community and from which all students benefit within a Total Learning Environment.

2. Campus plans must adhere to state and federal law and the Laws of the Regents.

3. Quotas, "set asides" and/or discriminatory practices must not be included in or inferred from campus diversity plans.

4. Campus plans shall establish aspirations that are ambitious, provided they are realistic and attainable — challenging CU to stretch its creativity and resources in achieving success.

5. Campus plans shall consider extensive input from the campus community, and require approval by the Board of Regents.

6. Campus plans should consider the availability of existing and reallocated resources to achieve objectives consistent with the Integrated Resources Management Strategy (IRMS) process.

7. Campus plans should build on successful programs existing on our campuses, as well as seek innovative new approaches.

8. Campus plans shall institute internal evaluations of success in meeting aspirations, utilizing appropriate monitoring systems.

9. Accountability rests at all levels of the University, including administrative units and academic departments, as well as individual faculty, staff and students.

10. Campus plans shall be subject to periodic review and updates when the needs of the University so require.

11. In the design of campus diversity plans, race- and ethnicity-neutral approaches shall, where promising, be considered among other strategies.

CU-BOULDER’S VISION FOR A DIVERSE FUTURE

Higher education exists in a "real world" of limitations not so different from that of individuals. Just like citizens, colleges and universities feel external social pressures, wrestle with finite budgets, operate under a system of laws and statutes, and often encounter resistance to change. This campus has felt all those pressures.

But CU-Boulder envisions a long-term future that rises above these real constraints to recognize, respect and ensure diversity — from the ethnic makeup of the freshman class to the gender balance of tenured faculty, from accessibility for the disabled to the range of perspectives shared in campus classrooms. This vision recognizes the importance of achieving a critical mass of underrepresented students, faculty and staff in order to build a truly diverse campus community.

CU-Boulder’s long-term vision for diversity tells us what our campus could be like — with the necessary levels of commitment, leadership, resources, teamwork and persistence. This vision evolves from feedback provided from all areas of the campus. It builds upon the foundation laid by students, staff and faculty, such as those who participated energetically in input meetings and the campus and system diversity summits. Broad-based input played a major role in the development of the campus diversity plan.

Here, then, is our campus’ vision of the future — a statement of long-term aspirations for a diverse campus community.

FROM VISION TO REALITY

The basic strength of the Boulder campus diversity plan lies in the fact that it is not the "Chancellor’s plan" or the "faculty’s plan" or the "students’ plan" — but it is the campus’s plan. Success will depend in large measure on day-to-day diversity efforts by schools, colleges, departments, governance groups and other units of the campus — as well as individual faculty, staff, administrators and students.

Each department and organizational unit will be asked to review its own diversity plan and make changes as needed, to ensure consistency with the overall campus plan. These more specific plans will serve to support and help implement the broader campuswide goals. Assistance will be provided by the Office of Diversity and Equity to any departments that need help in updating their individual plans.

CU-Boulder’s "Diversity and Equity: Blueprint for Action" does not attempt to list all the important diversity initiatives at every level of the campus community. Instead, it charts a course for educational excellence through diversity, recognizing the University’s central mission in preparing students for the global society of the 21^st century. It sets a tone of inclusion and opportunity, along with a commitment to action. It offers a basic framework for innovative thinking and provocative dialogue about issues of diversity in the Total Learning Environment.

This "Blueprint" represents a call to action by every member of the University community, joined in a concerted effort to enhance the quality of education for all at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

-- Chancellor Richard L. Bynny

II. PLANNING PROCESS

The "Blueprint for Action" was developed in large part through the leadership of the Boulder Campus Diversity Planning Committee (BCDPC). The committee was organized by Chancellor Richard L. Byyny in September 1998 to help provide a response to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education's mandate for all public universities in the state to create campus diversity plans. The committee was formed by asking the Vice Chancellors, Deans and the UCSU Legislative Council to nominate members.

In addition, students nominated six additional individuals they felt would be important to the process. Each of these individuals was invited to join the committee. The committee was asked to develop a plan that would be reviewed by the Chancellor and the Chancellor's Executive Committee (CEC), and ultimately be presented to the Board of Regents.

During its deliberations in fall 1998, the BCDPC created and recommended a campus diversity plan. As CEC reviewed the plan, questions arose about the specific goals, the use of numerical goals, and the actions needed to implement a campus-wide diversity plan. The need for additional discussion was evident. It seemed particularly important to include the broader campus in these discussions because success of the plan depends on widespread participation.

The Boulder Campus Diversity and Equity Plan was presented and approved by the Board of Regents in December 1998, with the understanding that a more detailed plan would be developed that would reflect campuswide input and discussion. At the December meeting of the Board, a group of CU-Boulder students presented an alternative plan, called "Bolder Boulder," which was discussed at length. The Board voted to approve the plan presented by Chancellor Byyny.

In January 1999, Chancellor Byyny asked the BCDPC to gather broad-based input from across the campus and to synthesize the information gathered into a set of recommendations for the writing of the implementation plan. During January and February, members of the committee attended 40 meetings with governance, student, faculty and staff groups to gather input. Attendees at these input sessions received a copy of the Boulder campus plan as well as the student plan.

Feedback from the sessions was placed on the website of the Office of Diversity and Equity to be reviewed by the campus at large. The committee created a set of recommendations, for the Boulder Diversity and Equity Plan, which was submitted in March 1999.

A writing team from the Chancellor's Office helped incorporate campus input, including many of the committee's recommendations, into a draft implementation plan for review.

On May 13, 1999, the CU Board of Regents held a Special Meeting on diversity, at which the Board endorsed a "Description of Diversity," as well as a "Statement of Principles for Developing Campus Diversity Plans." (See Appendix D for the entire resolution.) The Regents also requested that campus diversity plans focus on continuous improvement, rather than specific numerical goals discussed at earlier stages of planning.

Following the Special Meeting, the Boulder campus writing team finalized the draft plan in preparation for campus-wide distribution and review. In particular, members of the Campus Diversity Planning Committee were invited to provide feedback. The draft plan was placed on the campus web site of the Office of Diversity and Equity to encourage general feedback in advance of its presentation for approval by the Board of Regents.

TIMELINES

The "Blueprint for Action" contains timelines at various levels of the plan -- from broad reporting schedules to target dates for reporting progress on achieving specific strategies. Timelines are needed both to help maintain momentum toward goals and to respond to external and internal reporting schedules. In this document, target deadlines are provided with each "Key Strategy." These target dates will be reevaluated as part of annual reviews of the plan.

The initial campuswide report target date is December 1999, when reports on all campus diversity plans are requested by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. Also, in June 2000, CU-Boulder will provide its first campus report for presentation to the CU President, Board of Regents, the campus community and the general public. A modified five-year Program Review Panel (PRP) process will be conducted in 2004.

III. GOALS AND KEY STRATEGIES

The following section presents diversity goals grouped under three broad areas: Climate for Living, Learning and Working; Student Access and Opportunity; and Diverse Faculty and Staff. Each goal is followed by a set of "key strategies" — those strategies believed to have the highest potential for success in reaching the goal. Specific timelines are provided with each key strategy, setting a target date for completing or reporting progress on specific actions.

This diversity plan recognizes the importance of specific diversity actions at the departmental and unit level, which may not be listed here. Diversity plans for individual units will include strategies for addressing specific areas of underrepresentation and other diversity issues within the units, consistent with the overall aims of the campus diversity plan. For example, strategies should be implemented to address underrepresentation of women in such areas as engineering and sciences. Although the campuswide diversity document does not provide a complete list of these unit-level strategies, their implementation is critical to the success of the campus "Blueprint."

In the area of student access and opportunity, particular emphasis is placed on the successful graduation of students of color, in recognition of the campus’ most basic educational mission. The plan also includes important enrollment, graduation rate and retention goals that contribute to the over-arching aim of increasing the number of degrees earned by students of color.

The goals for undergraduate students of color focus on Colorado residents in acknowledgement of the University's special obligation to Coloradans. However, non-resident undergraduates of color also enrich the diversity of the campus, and their numerical trends will be monitored as well. For graduate-level students, the goals are not confined to Colorado residents because these students come from a national pool and non-residents tend to establish state residency before graduation.

Appendix A includes definitions of quantitative measures as well as background data to help track, monitor and evaluate progress in meeting the campus's diversity goals.

GOAL 1: Climate for Living, Learning and Working

We are committed to fostering a campus environment of inclusion, knowledge and understanding in which faculty, staff and students learn to value diversity and to respect the individual differences that enrich the University community.

Goal 1.A.: Campus Environment — Continue to build and maintain a campus environment that is inclusive, safe and respectful for all people.

Goal 1.B.: Learning Experiences for Diversity — Provide increased opportunities for enhanced awareness of multicultural issues and foster an appreciation of the full range of human experience among students, faculty and staff.

Goal 2: Student Access and Opportunity

We are committed to ensuring equal access and opportunity for a quality education at the University of Colorado at Boulder among all Colorado students, including members of racial/ethnic groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education.

Goal 2.A.: Undergraduate Degrees Awarded -- Demonstrate continuing improvement in the number of bachelor’s degrees earned by Colorado students of color. Success in achieving this goal will depend particularly on achieving both Goals 2.A.1 and 2.A.3. (The total number of degrees for the 1998 baseline reporting year was 434.)

Goal 2.B: Graduate Degrees Awarded -- Demonstrate continuing improvement in the number of graduate degrees (including master’s, law and doctoral degrees) earned by all students of color. (The total for the 1997-98 baseline reporting year was 171.)

Goal 3: Diverse Faculty and Staff

We are committed to building and maintaining a diverse community of faculty and staff that reflects a broad range of racial/ethnic groups, cultures, perspectives, and gender.

Goal 3.A
Faculty of Color -- Demonstrate continuing improvement in the number of tenured and tenure-track faculty of color. (The total for the 1998 baseline reporting year was 123.)

Goal 3.B
Women Faculty -- Demonstrate continuing improvement in the number of female tenured and tenure-track faculty, especially in disciplines where women currently are underrepresented. (The total for the 1998 baseline reporting year was 271.)

Goal 3.C
Administrators of Color -- Demonstrate continuing improvement in the number of officers of color and professional exempt staff of color. (The total for the baseline reporting year was 72.)

Goal 3.D
Staff Members of Color -- Demonstrate continuing improvement in the number of classified staff members of color in job titles where people of color are currently underrepresented. (The total for the 1998 baseline reporting year was 304.)

IV. RESOURCES

CURRENT INVESTMENTS IN DIVERSITY

The Boulder campus has a strong history of investing in diversity initiatives, although funding efforts sometimes have lacked coordination, clear objectives and performance expectations. The "Blueprint for Action" is committed to transforming the pattern of resource management for diversity.

In support of its TLE diversity goal, CU-Boulder currently commits significant funds to major diversity programs, as well as to many other efforts at the departmental and unit levels. Examples of major diversity programs include:

Significant resource allocations in diversity, as for all campus priorities, call for effective fiscal planning, management and coordination. A comprehensive approach to diversity funding is required. Under this plan, relative priorities will be identified and resources will be dedicated to diversity-related investments in a more coordinated and effective manner.

DIVERSITY BUDGET PROCESS

Until recently, the campus budgeting process has included little direct reference to diversity funding. Initiatives have been somewhat "invisible" in the process, in part because resources have been distributed throughout the campus and because campus aspirations for diversity have not been clearly articulated.

Established in 1998, the Office of Diversity and Equity now acts as the central point at which campus diversity needs and resources are considered, along with other programmatic needs, in the budgeting process. The Office of Diversity and Equity will play a leadership role in coordinating diversity programs on campus, by encouraging internal communication, providing assistance in planning and evaluation, identifying priorities, and advocating for effective resource management.

Future budget planning for diversity will be based on the following concepts:

Investment is a Strategic Resource. Given the role of diversity in supporting the campus's primary missions, diversity resources must be managed strategically, with constant attention to the most effective allocation. Allocation decisions must be responsive to constituent input, which should be actively sought and prioritized relative to other campus needs.

Diversity Requires an Ongoing Commitment of Funds. Efforts to support diversity rely heavily on the human resources of the campus, and as such, the costs are usually continuing in nature. Also, many diversity outcomes are long term in nature, requiring investments over an extended period of time.

Diversity Investments Will Be Targeted to Ensure Optimal Benefits. The campus will evaluate continuously the best approaches to providing and funding diversity services, with the intention of eliminating support for those programs and services that have limited or marginal benefits. As appropriate, the campus will reallocate resources to fund diversity services that provide the greatest benefit.

Consistent with the campus planning and budgeting process, diversity will be recognized as a programmatic expense at the campus and unit levels. Budget presentations by units will consider diversity needs in the same manner as other high-priority program investments. At the campus level, central campus diversity needs and priorities will continue to be presented to the Budget Advisory Committee by the Office of Diversity and Equity. Individual units will use a five-year budget planning model that considers on-going costs and multi-year commitments.

Within the context of the Integrated Resources Management Strategy (IRMS), reallocation of current diversity investments may need to be considered, in addition to requests for general fund support. Further, outside partnerships with private companies, K-12 or other higher education institutions will be pursued in earnest, as will private funding support for scholarships and program operating costs.

Under the new performance-based campus resource allocation process, all campus schools, colleges and administrative departments will be required to adopt performance criteria for improving diversity. These criteria will be linked to the unit’s strategic plan and will guide resource investment of one-time and continuing funds.

NEW OR INCREMENTAL INVESTMENTS IN DIVERSITY

For fiscal year 1999-2000, more than $1 million in new general funding will be allocated to campus diversity programs that demonstrate proven or potential effectiveness. This does not include additional investments and reallocations being made at the Vice Chancellor or unit levels, or funding from sources outside the general fund.

New or incremental diversity investments of continuing funds for 1999-2000 have been recommended for:

V. ACCOUNTABILITY

SUMMARY

Accountability for implementing the Boulder campus diversity plan is shared throughout the campus, from the highest levels to individual units. Following is a brief summary of the plan’s accountability initiatives:

LEVELS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Responsibility for achieving success in diversity at CU-Boulder rests at every level of the University organization -- including the Chancellor and other administrators, faculty, staff, students, governance groups and other organizations. Each individual and group within the campus community will be asked to help the campus reach its diversity goals. Each has a role to play and a responsibility to meet.

Campus Leadership

Leadership and coordination of the Boulder Campus "Blueprint for Action" will be provided by the Chancellor, Vice Chancellors, Deans, Department Chairs and other administrators, in conjunction with the newly created Office of Diversity and Equity. Campus administration will play a critical role in setting both the tone and the example for diversity efforts, as well as motivating action throughout the campus community.

Campus leadership will be responsible for implementing the diversity plan, including setting priorities, identifying resources, establishing accountability measures, implementing initiatives, managing budgets, building teamwork, reporting on progress and recommending needed changes in the plan.

Campus leaders will establish annual reviews utilizing qualitative and quantitative assessments to measure the rate of progress toward meeting goals and implementing key strategies. In addition, the campus administration will establish comprehensive, five-year program reviews to help evaluate the campuswide diversity effort. These evaluations will include input from external and internal sources.

Beginning in June 2000, the Chancellor will report to the President annually on the campus’ progress toward meeting the goals of the plan, including strategies for addressing any unsatisfactory outcomes. In addition, reports will be provided on a regular basis to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, the campus community and the general public.

Heads of schools, colleges and divisions, or other units with unsatisfactory outcomes under the "Blueprint for Action" will report to the appropriate Vice Chancellor and the Chancellor on how negative trends will be reversed. The Office of Diversity and Equity will be available for consultation about potential strategies for achieving success.

Office of Diversity and Equity

Headed by Interim Associate Vice Chancellor Ofelia Miramontes, the Office of Diversity and Equity is dedicated to providing leadership for campus diversity; monitoring, evaluating and supporting diversity efforts; directing initiatives; increasing communication; and supporting core programs and services.

The Office of Diversity and Equity also will provide focus and support for major campus investments in diversity. For example, in spring 1999, budget requests for such programs as the Minority Arts and Sciences Program (MASP) and the PreCollegiate Program were coordinated through the Office of Diversity and Equity for the first time. Coordination of requests for budgetary enhancements will continue to be handled by the Office of Diversity and Equity each year.

During the first year of the "Blueprint's" implementation, the Office of Diversity and Equity will help identify and evaluate core services and programs, both campus-wide and within individual units, and will recommend levels of support needed to accomplish stated goals. Such assistance will be provided on an ongoing basis.

Led by the Office of Diversity and Equity, the Boulder campus will explore opportunities for adapting "best practices" of other institutions to reach diversity goals. In the first year of the plan's implementation, these successful programs will be evaluated in terms of applicability to the CU-Boulder environment.

Campus Departments and Units

Much of the day-to-day work on diversity occurs within academic and administrative departments, offices, schools and colleges. Administrators, deans, directors and other department heads will be asked to ensure that unit diversity plans are ambitious, attainable and aligned with the goals of the campus diversity plan. Initial reports on unit plans will be provided in May 2000.

Individual departmental plans are expected to provide a higher level of detail and specificity than the campus plan, while maintaining a commitment to accountability, qualitative and measurable goals, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation. Unit plans typically are targeted to specific needs and opportunities, but need to be consistent with the campus plan. The Office of Diversity and Equity will be available for help in reviewing and realigning the individual departmental plans.

Individual Responsibilities

Supervisors at all levels will be responsible for providing leadership and implementation oversight for unit diversity efforts. In addition, the campuswide plan identifies "strategy leaders," listed after each key strategy of the plan. These individuals are responsible for oversight and implementation of the specific strategies.

Also, individual performance evaluations for administrators, supervisors and other staff will include an assessment of their contributions to diversity-related strategies and goals.

PERFORMANCE-BASED BUDGETING FOR DIVERSITY

In line with the campus's move toward performance-based budgeting, budget decision-making will include evaluation of diversity achievements by schools, colleges and divisions. In particular, outstanding achievement in diversity efforts by schools, colleges and divisions will be recognized as areas or models for greater investment through the budget allocation process. Also, incentives and rewards will be established for meritorious achievement in meeting diversity goals. Where strategies have been less successful in meeting goals, Deans and Vice Chancellors will be asked to propose new plans for improving diversity in their areas, including options for reallocating existing funds and redirecting efforts to more effective strategies.

All campus programs, including diversity initiatives, will be included in the University’s new Integrated Resource Management Strategy (IRMS), which calls for the alignment of resource allocation with campus goals and plans. This resource allocation process focuses on centrality to the University’s mission and quality of programs based on performance.

MEASURING PROGRESS

In the first year of the plan, the Boulder campus will establish a process for measuring progress toward reaching diversity goals, in conjunction with the Office of Diversity and Equity and other campus organizations. External and internal data and comparisons will be used in the process of evaluating outcomes of the campus's efforts. In addition, enhanced methods of assessing progress toward internal and external benchmarks will be developed and implemented.

Annual Reviews

Annual reviews will be used to monitor progress at multiple levels, including campuswide and departmental efforts. Within the first year of implementation, the campus administration will work with departments, units and existing committees, as well as national experts, to establish progress indicators and benchmarks for evaluating diversity efforts. Indicators will be in place by December 1999.

Qualitative and quantitative indicators will be used to measure the success of individual and collective strategies, as well as to identify needed revisions in the plan. The Director of Institutional Analysis will conduct ongoing analyses and produce regular statistical reports to help inform the evaluation process. Progress reports will be compiled annually by the Office of Diversity and Equity for review by the Chancellor, the Chancellor's Executive Committee, campus governance and other groups.

Five-Year PRP Reviews

A modified version of the campus’ Program Review Panel (PRP) process will be established to evaluate progress in meeting diversity goals. The PRP process includes a comprehensive self-study as well as an external review.

The diversity PRP process also will include development of indicators and benchmarks to help determine rates of progress. Best practices by other institutions will be considered for possible adaptation to CU-Boulder.

The Boulder campus plans to conduct the first diversity PRP by 2004, and continue these major campuswide reviews on a five-year cycle.

Measurement Tools

Within the first year of the "Blueprint's" implementation, the campus will seek external and internal benchmarks for measuring progress. For example, comparison data will be collected from such groups as the public Research I universities (CU-Boulder's peer group), the Equal Employment Opportunity annual utilization analysis, and the College Board.

Data on available pools of high school students, new graduate students, recent Ph.D. recipients and other groups also will be collected. The peer and pool data will be used to assess the campus's progress relative to other institutions and relative to available pools. These assessments will be used in turn to refine the strategies used to pursue campus diversity goals.

In measuring progress on climate goals, the campus will use several existing tools, such as attitude surveys among students, faculty and staff. For example, the campus will continue its periodic "Community Survey" of undergraduates in each major racial/ethnic group. CU-Boulder also will continue regular surveys of seniors, graduate students, and undergraduates.

The campus will examine the feasibility of adding new monitoring tools, such as exit surveys for students, faculty and staff. CU-Boulder will consider the possibility of establishing additional longitudinal surveys of students after graduation, modeled in part after the Bok and Bowen study. The campus will explore measuring attitudes and learning experiences of all students, as well as interactions across racial groups, to help monitor progress in diversity efforts.

Existing tools also will be used to help monitor diversity progress in terms of quantitative measures. The campus will continue gathering and reporting numerical data on underrepresented student groups, as well as the entire student population. CU-Boulder will examine these data by racial/ethnic group, by gender, by school/college and discipline, and by student level of academic preparation at entry.

For purposes of the diversity plan, CU-Boulder will track and report student trends in:

• Applications and acceptances for admission
• Entering student enrollment
• Total enrollment
• Retention rates
• Graduation rates
• Degrees earned

Tools for monitoring progress in faculty and staff diversity include statistical analyses of employees, new hires and employees leaving CU-Boulder, among other measures.

Appendix A provides technical definitions of quantitative measures cited in goals for undergraduates, graduate-level students, faculty and staff. More importantly, Appendix A also provides:

• Listings of historical time series for each measure (Display 1)
  
  
• Plots of each time series (Display 2)
  
  
• Descriptions of more detailed measures to be monitored and reported annually. For example, for the basic measure of bachelor's degrees granted to residents of color (Goal 2.A.), the more detailed measures include degrees to residents and non-residents by racial/ethnic group and by gender — overall and within college and discipline.
  
  
• Benchmarks to be used in evaluating progress toward plan goals. These benchmarks may involve comparisons that are strictly internal (e.g. change over time at CU-Boulder), external (e.g. national or peer-institution trends), or a combination.

Trends in numbers and percentages for specific groups — including such groups as women students, students of color and students with disabilities — will be monitored and reported on a regular basis. For example, student trends in race/ethnicity will continue to be tracked and reported for the following groups, as well as the entire student body:

• African Americans
• Asian Americans
• Hispanics/Latinos
• American Indians

In addition, trends in hiring, tenure and promotion will be analyzed annually for faculty of color and women faculty, according to faculty rank and discipline. Such information will be used in evaluating and revising diversity strategies on a continual basis. Data on trends among particular groups will be especially useful in assessing the effectiveness of programs implemented to achieve diversity goals.

A CALL FOR CAMPUSWIDE COMMITMENT

All elements of the campus community, including faculty, staff and students, are challenged to join this effort to enhance diversity at CU-Boulder. For example, students have great potential for assisting in the recruitment and retention of a diverse student body. The same can be said for individual faculty and staff. Campuswide commitment is vital to the success of CU-Boulder’s "Blueprint for Action."

Therefore, each governance group will be asked to develop written action plans by December 1999, including an explicit set of strategies for contributing to a positive campus climate and enhanced diversity. The Office of Diversity and Equity will be available to assist in the development of diversity plans.