Institutional Infrastructure
Fall 2020 ReportThere have been a number of measures implemented to reinforce equity and inclusion within the overall infrastructure of the College.
Public Safety
An assessment of the Public Safety Division has been underway for several months now, after a consultancy group was identified and highly recommended for its approach toward the concept of community policing. Renz Consultants LLC began working first with the College’s Public Safety leadership and has moved along to conducting one-on-one sessions with individual Public Safety officers. For the past six weeks, the Renz group also has held focus group listening sessions with faculty, staff, and students to gain insights into how Public Safety is perceived by various constituencies. Once all the focus groups have been completed, the consultants will prepare a report and make subsequent recommendations for the type of professional development training to be considered to benefit our officers and improve relationships with the community. Agreed-upon training for Public Safety officers will begin this summer, and thereafter consultants will conduct two training sessions per semester. Other opportunities for officers to participate in off-site learning sessions will be made available throughout the year.
After carefully analyzing the Renz report, we will conduct a national search for a new Director of Public Safety. The search will happen in the fall to ensure that the campus community has the opportunity to interview finalists. A search committee chaired by Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students Dr. Steven Sears and comprised of students, faculty, and staff will be formed toward the end of summer.
Ms. Ann Manchester-Molak, executive vice president, will continue to supervise the Office of Public Safety. Any concerns, recommendations, or observations about Public Safety can be directed to her, or as appropriate, through the Title VI protocols (see below).
Title VI
Based on feedback from and concerns expressed by a number of people, communication and guidance regarding the Title VI (Anti-Harassment and Discrimination) policy and procedures for reporting have been significantly improved and can be found here. These procedures are described further in a COWL interview with Title VI Coordinator Dr. Quincy Bevely. We will provide, on an annual basis, summary statistics of the number of Title VI reports filed and how reports were processed and resolved.
Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (IDEI) continues to re-design and update its webpages to provide greater transparency and information about DEI initiatives with College-wide impact. The staff of IDEI continues to work diligently in making our community more welcoming and inclusive.
When the College’s first chief diversity officer left Providence College to pursue opportunities elsewhere, the administration elevated the CDO position to a Cabinet-level position of Vice President/Chief Diversity Officer. The College conducted a national search two years ago, but the search was not successful. Soon after, Ms. Jackie Peterson was hired as the Special Advisor to the President for IDEI. Ms. Peterson sits as a full member of the President’s Cabinet and has been instrumental in building a strong foundational DEI framework and preparing the College to be better positioned to attract the best candidate to serve as a permanent VP/CDO.
This process will be conducted in the spring semester (2022) and will engage multiple campus constituencies. We will seek a person with the appropriate expertise and requisite experience who is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to progressively moving us toward becoming the Beloved Community we aspire to be, while honoring and supporting the Catholic and Dominican mission of the College. Faculty, staff, and students will have the opportunity to engage in this process.
Support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Undocumented Students
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has been unflinching in its support of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and other undocumented individuals. The College will continue to provide support to DACA and other undocumented students. The administration recently approved the formalization of the position of Campus Immigration Liaison. Dr. Kara Cebulko, who has been a strong advocate and valuable resource for our students, currently holds this position. The position is housed in the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and reports to the Executive Vice President. The College also will provide funding for additional scholarships, emergency funds for students, programming, community building needs, and research.
Creation of Board and College Committees
In the fall semester, two new committees were created—one is an advisory committee to the President, and is comprised of faculty, staff, and students. The second is a standing committee of the Board of Trustees and is comprised of trustees, faculty, staff, and students. Committee work by the Faculty Senate also is described below. Note that the following list of committees is not exhaustive. A more complete list, as well as membership on individual committees, can be found here.
President’s Advisory Council on Equity and Inclusion
Committee Charge:
Flowing from the Catholic and Dominican identity of Providence College, informed by Gospel values and Church teachings, and building upon the work of previous diversity, equity, and inclusion committees, the President’s Advisory Council on Equity and Inclusion will advise the President and his Cabinet on effective practices and strategies that eradicate systemic racism and other forms of bias to ensure the fulfillment of Goal 2 of the PC200 Strategic Plan, A Model of Love, Inclusivity, and Equity, in a Diverse Community.
Board of Trustees Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
Committee Charge:
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee shall consist of the Executive Vice President, the senior executive for DEI, the Vice President for Mission and Ministry, and at least eight (8) additional members appointed by the Chairperson of the Board, including two (2) faculty members, two (2) students, one (1) member of the Providence College Community Advisory Committee, and four (4) trustees.
The Committee shall be concerned with ensuring that the College’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as inspired by Catholic teaching and St. Dominic’s wide embrace of all people, informs all facets of the academic and social life of the campus community. This includes, but is not limited to, assurance of an environment of equitable and inclusive policies and practices; recruitment and retention of diverse students, faculty, staff, and trustees; ongoing and transparent assessment of campus climate; and continuing progress toward the achievement of the DEI initiatives in the PC200 Strategic Plan.
Faculty Senate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Permanent Committee (proposed)
The Ad Hoc Committee on DEI and the Constitutional Amendments and Bylaws Committee of the Faculty Senate have submitted a bill to amend the Bylaws to establish the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Permanent Committee. This change would support Senate needs to address the DEI aspects of the mission in a permanent way, rather than in an ad hoc manner, given the centrality of Community and Diversity in the College Mission Statement.
Anti-Bias Training and Related Initiatives
EVERFI Modules for Faculty and Staff
The Cabinet, the Office of Academic Affairs, the Office of Human Resources, and the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion have worked together to create a new educational and professional development opportunity for all staff and faculty to increase awareness of, and comfort with, diversity, equity, and inclusion topics. This multi-dimensional, employee-wide DEI professional development initiative is focused on equity and inclusion in the workplace and was implemented in February 2021. Professional development will be an ongoing College practice and a part of the onboarding of all new faculty and staff, complementing the similar DEI personal development training provided to every student.
We partnered with EVERFI, a renowned leader in providing evidence-based trainings to over 1300 academic institutions, including a dozen or so Catholic colleges on this initiative. As of April 9, the vast majority of full-time faculty and staff had completed both modules.
I must disclose that some faculty and other members of the community have objected to these modules on the grounds that some of the ideology of EVERFI and similar organizations is inconsistent, at least in some areas, with Catholic thought and teachings. I will continue to engage faculty and the Dominican Community in these discussions to find ways of developing and implementing trainings that flow from our identity as a Catholic and Dominican institution.
Other Initiatives
The President’s Cabinet has engaged consultant Dr. Oscar Santos of the Center for Collaborative Education, who has facilitated five Cabinet retreats on issues related to DEI. The vice presidents have begun developing divisional DEI action plans corresponding with the objectives of Goal 2 of the PC200 Strategic Plan, to become A Model of Love, Inclusivity, and Equity in a Diverse Community. Inherent in the plan of some of the divisions is the appointment of members of the division to provide ongoing leadership and guidance for divisional support of equity and inclusion.
The School of Professional Studies also has engaged Dr. Santos and is in the process of reviewing and defining its vision with respect to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Office of Mission and Ministry
The vice president for mission and ministry is working with colleagues to produce a booklet designed to give the community a shared language through which one can better understand the College’s Catholic and Dominican identity. This brief publication will provide historical context for the College’s mission, an identification of key concepts related to Catholic education, and an exploration of the opportunities and challenges before us as a Catholic and Dominican college. It will be used to reaffirm to the community the College’s foundational infrastructure and to help acclimate and welcome new members of the community to the College’s unique Dominican underpinnings.
