Policy

Highlights of Community-Generated Actions

Policy 1.1 – Systemic Barriers in Academic Policies

Communicate and align with educators in our state to strive towards positive and productive “passing of the baton” for transitioning students.  

1.1.1 – Understand the admissions rates for high schools in Connecticut into Engineering, and factors affecting student applications and admissions.

1.1.2 – Alignment with Connecticut High School curricula and learning outcomes.

1.1.3 – Review prerequisite and co-requisite course requirements for each COE major using curricular analytics to minimize curricular complexity and identify blocking factors.

1.1.4 – Increase community college and regional college course transfer equivalencies

Policy 1.2 – Equity-Focused Courses and Inclusive Curriculum

Examine the educational framework to anchor curriculum with courses in equity to integrate a broader understanding of historical context in our world

1.2.1 – Continue to update VII course documentation to align with common curriculum and engineering curricular value systems 

1.2.2 – Request and support COE faculty in creating or updating courses to be equity-focused and inclusive

1.2.3 – Value and invite presentations considering or centering equity or inclusion in departmental or college seminars

Policy 1.3 – Review Current COE Policies

Define the relative value of the three primary inputs: student experience, faculty self-assessment, peer observation, and the implementation recommendations

1.3.1 – Review each school and departments’ policies for equitable and inclusive language and implementation.

1.3.2 – Post policies on COE employee intranet for transparency and benchmarking between units.

1.3.3 – Co-create revisions as needed towards equitable and inclusive policies

Policy 1.4 – Inclusive Hiring Strategies

Review potential candidates not only for their record of excellence, but also the potential to bring diversity in representation, research and practice to our campus.  

1.4.1 – Understand current hiring practices in COE

 1.4.2– Support search committees to implement inclusive hiring rubrics and inclusive-minded representatives

Practice 2.1 – Inclusive and Culturally Intelligent Experiential Learning​

Remove the disconnect between the strong theoretical grounding received in classrooms, and the identities and roles they envision after graduation through hands-on applications and experiences directly connected to career pathways.

2.1.1 – Support Equity-Focused Experiential Learning Initiatives​

2.1.2 – Create a collaboration between internal and external partners towards understanding how each define inclusion, celebrate diversity, and provide culturally-intelligent learning and mentoring experiences.​​

2.1.3 – Collaborate with faculty advisors in developing and implementing an inclusive mentoring plan for graduate students​

2.1.4 – Support growth and learning of industry partners toward inclusive mentoring and training of interns and new employees

Practice 2.2 – Tracking and Supporting Students’ Goals and Needs​

Understand each student’s unique circumstances, learning styles, and aspirations, ensuring that they receive tailored support to succeed in their education. 

2.2.1 – Understand current marketing and scope of CT College of Technology Pathway Program​​

2.2.2 – Create summer programing to support transition from Community College and build community

Practice 2.3 – Supporting Research and Broadening Participation​

Commit to enhancing the quality and scope of research initiatives by providing funding, resources, and opportunities for all faculty.

2.3.1 – Improve training and workshops for faculty about VII and broadening participation​​

2.3.2 – Formalize faculty consultations for broadening participation and DEI initiatives​​

2.3.3 – Create database of all sought and awarded broadening participation efforts​​

2.3.4 – Invite faculty to VII End of Year Showcase to present progress on efforts, and provide community feedback and accountability​

Practice 2.4 – Supporting APIR and teaching-related DEI initiatives​

Amplify and support faculty efforts towards inclusive teaching,

2.4.1 – Amplify and support faculty efforts towards inclusive teaching​

2.4.2 – Educate and support faculty in supporting neurodiverse students and accommodations​​

2.4.3 – Create faculty learning communities to support classroom-based research or DEI in the classroom​

Practice 5 – Understanding Retention in Engineering​

Collect and understand existing quantitative and qualitative data

2.5.1 – Collect and understand existing quantitative and qualitative data from advisors​

2.5.2 – Modify major change form to collect intentions or reasons for change​​

2.5.3 – Offer REACH-focused meetings prior to approving major change

Flow 1 – Examine COE and Departmental Budgets​

Equitably support students in the CoE at regional campuses.  

3.1.1 – Examine budgets across campuses and departments​

3.1.2 – Assess current student success resources and infrastructure at each campus​

Flow 2 – Equity-based Scholarships​

Offer equity-based scholarships for the summer and academic year. ​

Flow 3 – Internal Funding Mechanisms​

Create research and scholarly funding and match opportunities for proposals centering underrepresented students in STEM.

3.3.1 – Create a platform for individuals or groups to schedule a consultation for planning this initiative with VII staff. ​

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3.3.2 – Create a mechanism for individuals to apply, and develop equitable criteria and guidelines. ​

3.3.3 – Create a fund for presenting work that examines and reflects on inclusive classroom strategies to the national stage​

Flow 4 – Information Access​

Examine and support data transparency to administration, faculty, staff, or students to better understand progress, benchmarking, and data-driven decision-making.​

3.4.1 – Create a resource page for faculty and staff to access transparent date to understand UConn Engineering’s benchmarks in comparison to others at multiple levels​

3.4.2 – Create an engineering dashboard that faculty, staff, and administrators can access with DFW (receiving a grade of D, F, or withdrawing) ​

Structure 4.1 – Fostering Mentoring, Connection and Community ​

Intentionally create environments and opportunities that nurture meaningful relationships between individuals, whether in professional, educational, or personal settings.​

4.1.1 – VII Mentoring Network for Underrepresented or Marginalized Students​

4.1.2 – Support inclusive mentoring networks for new faculty​

4.1.3 – Create infrastructure for community building​

Structure 4.2 – Breaking Silos or Barriers to Collaboration​

Dismantle the obstacles—whether structural, cultural, or psychological—that prevent individuals, teams, or organizations from working together effectively. ​

4.2.1 – Create page on COE Intranet to describe and provide access to existing networks, alliances and working groups​

4.2.2 – Promote interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary collaborations​

Structure 4.3 – Examine the Undergraduate and Graduate Student Experience ​

Intentionally looking at a wide range of factors that shape a student’s time at college—academic, social, emotional, and developmental.

4.3.1 – Understand student perceptions of reporting bias, discrimination, or negative experiences in the classroom​​

4.3.2 – Create collaborative opportunities for faculty and graduate assistants to create a growth plan based on student feedback​​

4.3.3 – Support faculty growth in inclusive excellence in teaching evaluations or PTR documents​

Structure 4.4 – Examine the Staff Experience​

Understand the tangible and intangible factors contributing to the ways employees engage with their work, environment, and organizational culture. ​

4.4.1 – Understand staff perceptions of reporting bias, discrimination or negative experiences in the workplace​

4.4.2 – Support communication plans or mediation requests for staff experiencing negative identity-based workplace issues​

4.4.2 – Create exit interview protocol for engineering staff leaving their role​

Structure 4.5 – Support Internal and External Efforts​

Create an environment policies, practices, and cultural shifts where employees, students, or members feel welcomed, respected, and empowered to thrive.​

4.5.1 – Continue to invite faculty and staff in the CoE VII ADVANCE Committee ​​

4.5.2 – Create quarterly meetings with all departments to nurture community and and celebrate diversity.​

4.5.3 – Elevate departmental initiatives that are better suited as college-wide initiatives

Control 5.1 – Include the Undergraduate and Graduate Student Voice​

Ensure that students are not only recipients of education but also active participants in shaping their learning experiences, institutional culture, and broader community.​

5.1.1 – Empower undergraduate and organizations and graduate student organizations to create a leadership/e-board position as a delegate to the Collaborative Action Network (CAN)​

5.1.2 – Create application and selection criteria for community at large and departmental representation​

Control 5.2 – Increase Learning Opportunities for Employees​

Champion a growth mindset, with individual and collective actions to make local and systemic changes through exploration of social identity(s) with regard to race, gender, class, etc. and how those identities may influence beliefs, values, attitudes, and perceptions about teaching.  

5.2.1 – Conduct a strengths inventory and needs assessment of current administrators and faculty​

5.2.2 – Create customized Inclusive JET program and content using existing elements and evidence-based practices to meet unmet needs​

Control 5.3 – Align Experiences with Initiatives​

Consistently assess climate, belonging, and impact of current initiatives and infrastructures for alignment of intent, impact and progress, or theory and practice.

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Shift 1 – Growth and Thriving Mindsets​

Shift toward designing CoE programs to foster growth and thriving mindsets.

6.1.1 – Continue to assess, improve and expand the BRIDGE program​

6.1.2 – Expanding Engineering for Impact Course ​

6.1.3 – Continue to expand BRIDGE summer program for incoming first year students to a BRIDGE Sophomore Summer​

6.1.4 – Expand training and support systems for student employees on coaching, teaching or tutoring towards growth mindsets​

6.1.5 – Assess the impact of embedding growth or thriving in ENGR 1166 and other courses​

Shift 2 – Positive Foundations and Onboarding​

 Design onboarding experiences to help individuals feel supported, informed, and connected to increase engagement, retention, and overall success in their roles or academic journey.

6.2.1 – Collaborate with departments to include the Inclusive JET in new faculty offer letters​

6.2.2 – Create welcome and quarterly sessions for new faculty to support their transition into COE ​

6.2.3 – Embed transitionary mentoring into Inclusive JET program plan designed to support new faculty​

Shift 3 – Understanding Community Members’ Role and Value​

Shift toward elevating each individual’s passion and purpose, and aligning with bandwidth and spheres of influence.