Many thanks to all who participated in Paul College’s first belonging and inclusion survey last fall!
Jenn Griffith and a group of DEI committee members have been hard at work analyzing and interpreting the data and meeting with the dean to discuss action plans. Griffith presented some of the findings to the faculty on May 2, and Annie Nevells will be sharing findings at the upcoming June 5 staff meeting.
Important takeaways and action steps so far include:
- While overall people at Paul feel included and valued, there are important differences in experience by subgroups.
- There is a desire for more sharing of faculty leadership roles – and the bylaw changes approved at the May 2 faculty meeting are one step in this direction.
- It’s also clear that there is a desire for more opportunities for all staff and faculty to connect informally – we will shortly be re-starting the summer community activities in the courtyard that you may recall from last summer.
- Another potential venue for such interactions is in the dean’s office “waiting area.” This is an underutilized space in which you are welcome to bring your lunch/coffee/tea for a break from your screen and possibly an interesting conversation with a colleague. Be an early adopter and invite others to join you!
There is much more to share and discuss in the fall, and the DEI committee looks forward to the next steps. In the meantime, please reach out to Jenn or Annie if you are interested in learning more about the community’s survey results.
Additionally, if you’re interested in getting more involved in Paul College’s DEI initiatives, please consider joining the DEI committee!
We're particularly eager to involve more faculty and students in the upcoming academic year, though everyone is welcome to join. For more information, please contact Paul.DEI@unh.edu.
