On December 8, the Affirmative Action Committee shared the results of their diversity climate survey. This survey was administered to students in November, 2009. Faculty, administration, and staff took the survey in March, 2010.
Shai Butler, Assistant to the President on Diversity, opened with some general comments before turning the presentation over to a panel of Saint Rose undergraduate students, who took turns responding to the following questions:
What does Saint Rose do well when it comes to diversity?
On the other hand, what improvements could Saint Rose make?
The 5 student panel represented a diverse mixture of backgrounds, including men and women who have roles in campus organizations: A.L.A.N.A., Identity Club, the Women's Initiative, and Student Council. While each student shared their own responses, there was something of a general consensus. They are proud of the steps that Saint Rose has taken to open up the discussion on diversity. The students also celebrated the institution's encouragement of students to celebrate their identity. But, they also concluded that there is much work to do and that a conversation is merely the beginning.
Panelists from the Affirmative Action Committee then spoke about the survey; its methodology, creation, and distribution. A student member shared student responses, while Dr. Steven Hoff, of the School Psychology department, discussed the survey responses by faculty, staff, and administration. In general, survey findings echoed the remarks of the student panel; there is a lot to celebrate, but there is more work to be done from every layer of the institution.
A final report of the climate of diversity, bearing presidential approval, will be published sometime this spring.
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