Introduction
In January, 2002, the Academic Affairs Community, Diversity, and Social Justice (CDSJ) Team was
constituted and charged with conducting an assessment as part of the University-wide Community,
Diversity, and Social Justice initiative. In this report, we present the results of that assessment.
For the report, we draw on data collected and summarized using three assessment sources: surveys, focus
groups and interviews, and institutional data. Of these, a primary source was two surveys: one, a survey
of faculty and staff that yielded 1,197 responses, a response rate of over 58 percent, with 773 graduate
student employees also completing the survey for a response rate of 32 percent1; second, a SAREO survey
of a sampling of undergraduate students that yielded 771 responses, or 75 percent of those sampled. (See
Appendix A: Study Methodology for details.) That a substantial number
of
faculty and staff responded to
a long survey in November, 2002, when many were also feeling demoralized by unfunded contracts, speaks to
their desire to have an opportunity to have their views heard and a willingness to believe that they
would be taken seriously.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst has a long history of attention to diversity and social justice
issues, and within Academic Affairs there are many special programs that contribute to diversity and
social justice goals. The broader University CDSJ initiative, of which this assessment is one piece,
aims to build on this history and contribute to these ongoing programs. It is guided by a model of
Multicultural Organizational Development (MCOD)2 that aims to
move
beyond strategies designed to raise
individual awareness and address specific crises to strategies that will address larger systemic issues.
The MCOD model assumes a cyclical change process that begins with assessment, moves to strategic
planning, and returns to assessment. Further, it assumes that change efforts need to be linked to the
organization's overall mission and be initiated by constituents in local units of the organization. Thus,
the initiative at UMass is being carried out through each Executive Area, including Academic Affairs.
(Characteristics of the CDSJ Process are presented in more detail in Appendix B: The CDSJ Process. For
information on the History and Goals of the CDSJ Initiative see www.umass.edu/ohr/cdsj_main.htm.")
Through this assessment, we explore the three interlocking values of community, diversity, and social
justice, aiming to do so in ways that go beyond ideological slogans, asking not only about values, but
also day-to-day work experiences. The report is organized around key aspects of institutional culture:
Goals and Values, Personnel Policies, Work Environment, Management Practices, and Teaching and Learning.
Within each section, we identify Themes to Build On, that is, findings that, to us, contribute to CDSJ
goals, and Detracting Themes, findings that, to us, detract from these goals. As this report shows,
across all employee groups, UMass employees strongly support these values as central to the mission of
the University. In specific situations and instances, however, experiences differ as do perceptions.
Specifically, some find that these values are not realized in day-to-day activities and policies.
The affirmation of CDSJ as central to the mission of the University is a foundation upon which to build.
It is a sign of a healthy institution that this assessment has taken place and that we can report the
results candidly, both acknowledging limitations as well as strengths, trusting that by doing so we are
contributing to realizing the goal of creating a community united by a commitment to diversity and social
justice. The 1999 Academic Deans' Letter to the Provost on Diversity and Multiculturalism states this
goal well, posing it in terms of the challenge we face:
As we deliver this report, we want to thank the Chancellor and Provost, in particular, for their
continued support of the CDSJ initiative through the many changes the University has experienced over the
past two years.
Respectfully submitted by members of the Academic Affairs Community, Diversity, and Social Justice Team,
Anastasia Dubrovsky, Senior, English Department
Acknowledgements: The Team wishes to thank Liz Williams, Associate Director of SAREO, for her
tireless assistance with data collection and analysis, and Diane Chase, PhD candidate in English and
Research Associate for Assessment in OAPA, for her skillful editing of the final report.
1Because of the low response rate compared to other employees, response of
graduate student employees are
analyzed separately and featured in the Work Environment section. Unless otherwise specifically
indicated, the quantitative responses described in this report are from faculty, instructors/lecturers,
classified staff, and professional staff only are designated collectively by the term "employees."
2
Jackson, Bailey and Rita Hardiman. "Multicultural Organizational Development." The Promise of
Diversity. Ed. Elsie Y Cross, et al. New York: Irwin, 1994. 231-230.
The challenge, then, is not simply the successful recruiting and retention of diverse groups but the
building of a community in which people learn to respect and value one another for their differences, yet
at the same time, they are drawn together by certain fundamental values that they share in common as
scholars and citizens.
We hope these data will contribute to planning aimed to take us further toward meeting this goal. The
next step is for the Provost and Deans to lead Academic Affairs in reviewing these assessment data and
developing change strategies. That is a crucial step of this next stage: reviewing the data in light of
other data, programs, and circumstances; deciding upon focused priorities and goals for change; and
developing realistic strategies to realize those goals. Our Team stands ready to assist, as called upon,
with this next stage.
Anne Herrington, Chair, 2002-2004; Professor and Chair, English Department
Linda Hillenbrand, Clerical Staff, Women's Studies Program
Riki Hing, Clerical Staff, Psychology Department
Bailey Jackson, Associate Professor, School of Education
Pilar Mendoza, Doctoral Student, School of Education
Mathew Ouellett, Co-Chair, 2003-2004; Associate Director, Center for Teaching
Susan Pearson, Associate Provost for Faculty Relations and Budget
Maureen Perry-Jenkins, Associate Professor of Psychology
John Reiff, Director of Community Service Learning, Commonwealth College
Linda Slakey, Dean, Commonwealth College
Martha Stassen, Director of Assessment, Office of Academic Planning and Assessment
Cleve Willis, Dean, College of Natural Resources and the Environment