Gallaudet Diversity Action Plan

"Building a Community of Respect for All People and Ideas"

On January 31, 2008 Gallaudet University kicked off the "Living Team Gallaudet" Diversity Action Plan for building a community of respect for all people and ideas.

The goals and outcomes of the plan are:

• A community that understands and embraces the need for change and the behaviors that reflect respect for all people and ideas.
• Structures within the university that ensure sustainable, transparent, inclusive participation, equity, and diversity as shared community responsibilities.
• A better understanding of the issues and climate at Gallaudet resulting in a community-owned sustainable plan to address these issues.
• A community engaged in a continuing dialogue on important issues.

Seven-Point Diversity Agenda
The plan began with a Seven-Point Diversity Agenda that was shared with the campus community in the summer of 2007.

• Make children of color academic achievement, K - 12, a priority.
• Direct the Gallaudet Development Office to make children of color scholarship a priority.
• Establish a President's Diversity Team.
• Appoint a person of color to the President's Management Team.
• Establish measurable targets for the recruitment and retention of faculty and staff.
• Provide a University-wide training and education program to promote understanding, respect and a commitment to diversity.
• Seek an active partnership with each of the national deaf organizations.

Community Process
The second component of the Gallaudet Diversity Action Plan was a significant and sustained process of engaging our campus in a continuing dialogue about respect for the diversity of ideas and people at Gallaudet. To this end we contracted with CBG Consultants,  a nationally-recognized diversity consultant firm.

The first phase included a process to learn about issues and climate at Gallaudet related to building a community of respect for all people and ideas. Confidential group and one-on-one interviews were conducted by the CBG consultant team. Following this, training was provided for volunteer facilitators who then led a series of two-hour introductory dialogues.

The next steps will focus on building infrastructure that promotes transparency, inclusive participation, equity, and diversity as shared community responsibilities and a way of "Living Team Gallaudet" as the way we do business.

Events in 2008

January 31—Diversity Action Plan Kick off
Announced the "Living Team Gallaudet" plan for building a community of respect for all people and ideas.

February 8-9—Facilitator Training

February 29-April 25—Group or one-on-one interviews
All members of the campus community-students, faculty, and staff-can share information about their experiences of diversity on campus in a highly confidential manner.

May 5—Campus-wide Intergroup Dialogue
"Building Unity through Diversity: A Campus-wide Dialogue on Climate & Community @ Gallaudet"

May 6—Presidential Town Hall Meeting
"The Diversity Action Plan: Past, Present, Future"
President Davila hosted a Town Hall meeting at which the CBG Diversity Consultants:

• reported on the findings of their campus diversity assessment this spring
• made preliminary recommendations related to the promotion of diversity on campus
• solicited feedback on their work from the campus community at large

Fall 2008—Undergraduate student intergroup dialogues