Office of Global Engagement
Global Engagement
Five-Year Equity-in-Action Plan
INTRODUCTION
Message from Senior International Officer
Four departments encompass the Office of Global Engagement: Intensive English Program, International Student and Scholar Services, Study Abroad, and the U.S. Japan Partnership Program. Within these units, it is the students, community members, staff and scholars who enrich the University of Mississippi experience both inside and outside of the classroom and aid in the development of global citizenship and scholarship. This plan is to meaningfully support the university’s internationalization, diversity, equity and inclusion efforts through the implementation of strategic activities listed in this document along with the guidance of the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement.
Blair McElroy
Senior International Officer and Director of Study Abroad
GUIDING STATEMENTS
Global Engagement Mission
The mission of the Office of Global Engagement is to provide leadership for the comprehensive internationalization of the University of Mississippi by strengthening UM’s global footprint, fostering an environment where students, faculty and staff become globally engaged citizens, creating opportunities for international and intercultural awareness and understanding, and supporting faculty in internationalizing their own teaching and research.
Global Engagement Equity Statement
Global Engagement believes in promoting a fair and accessible campus through placing our constituents first at the core of our efforts in order to ensure the success and enrichment of our students, scholars, faculty, staff and all others who are served through our office. We create personal connections with students, scholars, faculty and staff to facilitate their development, and we create opportunities for interpersonal engagement across such levels of diversity as language ability, language background, nationality, educational background, cultural tradition, and global philosophies and ideas, among others. We celebrate and empower the diverse knowledge that our constituents bring from around the world to enrich our university, as well as expanding the university’s global footprint.
PATHWAYS TO EQUITY: University of Mississippi Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan
The University of Mississippi continues its commitment to excellence and making a positive difference in society through higher education. Pathways to Equity stands as our institutional guidepost for addressing and advancing our institutional mission through centering on diversity, equity and inclusion. Our complex institutional history coupled with our rich culture of students, faculty and staff striving for inclusive change has led us to the solidification of this institutional plan. Pathways to Equity works in concert with the university’s strategic plan to leverage university-wide, college/school-level and departmental transformative initiatives that cultivate a more diverse, equitable and inclusive campus.
With Pathways to Equity, the University of Mississippi aspires to achieve the following statements by the conclusion of this plan.
- The University of Mississippi consistently and comprehensively articulates diversity, equity and inclusion as essential in fulfilling the mission, vision and values of the institution.
- The University of Mississippi is organizationally and culturally equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to continue advancing diversity, equity and inclusion.
- A campus climate is fostered that ensures all individuals are valued, supported and feel a sense of belonging at the University of Mississippi.
- The University of Mississippi has decreases in disparities across underrepresented groups in the enrollment, retention and graduation rate at undergraduate and graduate levels.
- The number of underrepresented groups employed at the University of Mississippi is increased to reflect a talented and diverse workforce at all organizational levels, especially tenure-track faculty, managerial positions and executive leadership positions.
Guiding Principles
The development of this plan requires us to address individual, social, organizational and systemic factors that create and sustain inequities that prevent all members of our community from fully participating and thriving. We view this as central to the mission of the University of Mississippi. As we embark on this journey together, we must commit to the following shared principles:
- Equity-mindedness[1] – We embrace the institutional responsibility and agency to actively address the challenges and disparate outcomes at all levels of our community. This requires us to be data informed and connect best and promising practices to generate high-impact change for underserved groups in our community.
- Institutional Accountability – We must ensure efforts outlined throughout Pathways to Equity are acknowledged in the established systems of recognition, performance and accountability. It is vital that we work to account for the advancement of these goals in our ideas of success, merit and reward. Further, we must account for, honor and recognize faculty, staff, administrators and students in their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Transparency – In our execution of Pathways to Equity, our success is predicated on a highly accessible and collaborative process that actively involves university stakeholders to work as virtuous partners. To that end, we will consistently, publicly and broadly share our intended actions, goals and measurable impacts of this plan.
- Innovation – Actualizing diversity, equity and inclusion will require us to deeply examine and rethink our policies, practices and procedures at the University of Mississippi. Each unit and individual across campus is invited to offer new thoughts, ideas and perspectives as we thoughtfully consider ways to make our institution more equitable and inclusive through an intersectional lens. This disposition will create a community of learning, growth and development as we collectively engage in this complex work.
- Alignment of Critical Resources – During this planning process, we have navigated a global health pandemic that has shown the vulnerabilities in our systems that disparately affect underserved and under-resourced communities. As we continue to navigate these unprecedented times, we must not falter in our commitment to creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive community. Instead, we must recognize that our commitment to equity is even more important today than ever.
OVERARCHING GOALS
The following goals represent the University of Mississippi’s commitment to the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). These overarching goals represent interconnected priorities that are applicable to UM broadly, from our comprehensive divisions, down to individual teams. We aim to have all units see meaningful alignment of these goals with their work. We will ensure UM embraces the transformative nature of diversity, equity and inclusion across all levels of the institution, addressing challenges to DEI at every corner of our institution by combining contextual understanding with internal and external expertise.
- Advance Institutional Capacity for Equity
Infrastructure, Information, Systems, Education and Processes - Cultivate a Diverse and Equitable Community
Recruiting, Retaining, Advancing and Succeeding - Foster an Inclusive Campus Climate
Support, Value and Belonging
DIVISION OF GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT
FIVE-YEAR EQUITY-IN-ACTION PLAN
OVERVIEW OF GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT’S EQUITY-IN-ACTION PLAN
With globally engaged coursework, international student enrollment, international research, and intercultural experiences in campus life, global engagement is a core experience at the University of Mississippi and is deeply connected to its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The Office of Global Engagement is committed to facilitating global experiences both on and off campus, and we present a clear message through the goals outlined here that diversity, equity and inclusion efforts served by global engagement play a key role in the pursuit of growth and intercultural understanding on local and global levels.
GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION COMMITTEE
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- Jasmine Karlowski, Study Abroad Office – Diversity Liaison
- Brandon McLeod, International Student and Scholar Services
- Kurt Smith, Office of Global Engagement
- Marco deVera, Intensive English Program
STRATEGIC ACTIVITIES
(1) Expanding and spotlighting engagement of underrepresented students in study abroad
Global Engagement, and in particular Study Abroad, recognizes there are opportunities to engage and enrich underrepresented groups within the campus community.
Global Engagement will:
- Create a scholarship award to assist in removing financial barriers for underrepresented students to study abroad
- Increase engagement of Gilman scholarship recipients
- Increase meaningful recognition of underrepresented student engagement abroad through intentional communications, including website presence, and feature stories
Area(s) Responsible:
Study Abroad staff
Resource Statement:
Study Abroad will identify scholarship funds through its affiliates to create a scholarship targeting underrepresented groups, including African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics or Chicanos/Latinos, Native Americans, adult learners, veterans, people with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, different religious groups, and different economic backgrounds. Study Abroad staff will promote and spotlight these opportunities and achievements across campus to students, faculty and staff.
Institutional Capacity:
Number of scholarship opportunities for underrepresented students (Baseline: N/A)
Number of underrepresented students awarded scholarships (Baseline: N/A)
Diverse & Equitable Community:
Percentage of underrepresented applicants awarded scholarships (Baseline: N/A)
Percentage of underrepresented applicants surveyed who agree they were included and supported in study abroad advising (Baseline: N/A)
Campus Climate:
Percentage of study abroad participants who agree Study Abroad has equitable and inclusive advising processes (Baseline: N/A)
(2) Expanding understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace
The Office of Global Engagement will require search committee members to attend Diversity and Inclusion Search Committee Training, offered through the Department of Human Resources and the Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Community Engagement, as well as review the most recent version of UM’s Search Committee Guide, produced by the Department of Human Resources and Equal Opportunity and Regulatory Compliance Office, prior to participation on a search committee.
Additionally, OGE, and the offices it oversees, will identify and promote to its staff, as well as international faculty, staff and scholars, specific educational activities to expand learning and engagement with DEI efforts both on and off campus, such as Dialogues on Diversity and All in All Year events. We will evaluate our progress by measuring both the tangible institutional actions and the desired outcomes. OGE and ISSS will survey current OGE employees as well as international faculty, staff and scholars to assess satisfaction with DEI initiatives.
Area(s) Responsible:
Search committee chairs and Global Engagement administrative staff
Resource Statement:
As future hiring needs and opportunities permit
Institutional Capacity
Number of search committee members who participate in search committee training (Baseline: ____)
Number of specific educational activities identified and promoted by OGE and its units (Baseline: ____ %)
Diverse and Equitable Community and Workplace:
Percentage of employees within each department/unit and percentage of OGE employees who engaged in DEI activities and workshops either on or off campus (Baseline: ____ %)
Percentage of international faculty, staff and scholars who engaged in DEI activities and workshops either on or off campus (Baseline: ____ %)
Campus Climate
Percentage of employees surveyed within each OGE department/unit who agree that the OGE identified and promoted DEI educational activities (Baseline: ____ %)
Percentage of international faculty, staff and scholars who agree that the OGE identified and promoted DEI educational activities (Baseline: ____ %)
(3) Assessing and improving engagement opportunities
With campus internationalization being central to our mission, the Office of Global Engagement is dedicated to recruiting, supporting and fostering the engagement of international students at the University of Mississippi. OGE runs multiple programs, courses, orientations, lecture series, seminars and other activities that serve as opportunities for international and domestic students to learn and engage with each other.
In order to adapt and improve our efforts, OGE commits to assessing our engagement opportunities using best practices and client-focused metrics to identify areas that can be improved to reflect changes in student interaction trends, expectations of engagement, usefulness of resources and effectiveness of promotion. These assessments must be informed by cultural and generational expectations and approaches to the engagement opportunities that we foster, including direct input and feedback from prospective, current and past students from around the globe.
Area(s) Responsible:
Global Engagement administration and unit staff
Resource Statement:
Global Engagement will continue to commit resources to fund diverse and inclusive programming, including workshops, lectures and seminars where opportunities exist for campus interaction of domestic and international students.
Institutional Capacity
Amount of funding for Global Engagement sponsored events (Baseline: ____)
Diverse and Equitable Community and Workplace:
Number of participants who attended a Global Engagement sponsored event for the first time (Baseline: N/A)
Campus Climate
Percentage of participants who agree that the OGE has diverse and inclusive events (Baseline: N/A)
| STRATEGIC ACTIVITIES SUMMARY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ACTIVITY | METRICS | ||
| Institutional Capacity | Diverse and Equitable Community | Campus Climate | |
|
Expanding & spotlighting engagement of underrepresented students in study abroad |
Number of scholarship opportunities for underrepresented students (Baseline: ____)
Number of underrepresented students awarded scholarships (Baseline: N/A)
|
Percentage of underrepresented applicants awarded scholarships (Baseline: __)
Percentage of underrepresented applicants surveyed who agree they were included and supported in study abroad advising (Baseline: N/A) |
Percentage of study abroad participants who agree Study Abroad has equitable and inclusive advising processes (Baseline: N/A) |
|
Expanding understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace |
Number of search committee members who participate in search committee training (Baseline: ____) Number of specific educational activities identified and promoted by OGE and its units |
Percentage of employees within each department/unit and percentage of OGE employees who engaged in DEI activities and workshops either on or off campus (Baseline: ____ %) Percentage of international faculty, staff and scholars who engaged in DEI activities and workshops either on or off campus |
Percentage of employees surveyed, within each OGE department/unit who agree that the OGE identified and promoted DEI educational activities. (Baseline: ____ %) Percentage of international faculty, staff and scholars who agree that the OGE identified and promoted DEI educational activities |
|
Assessing & improving engagement opportunities |
Amount of funding for Global Engagement sponsored events (Baseline: ____) | Number of participants who attended a Global Engagement sponsored event for the first time (Baseline: N/A) | Percentage of participants who agree that the OGE has diverse and inclusive events (Baseline: N/A) |
[1] Bensimon, E.M., Dowd, A.C., Witham, K. (2016). Five principles for enacting equity by design. Diversity and Democracy, The Equity Imperative. Winter 2016, Volume 19, No. 1.
