How ‘Equity’ enhances pathways into higher education
A core value of UND’s strategic plan, ‘Equity’ improves the UND experience for all, write administrators Tamba-Kuii Bailey and Karla Mongeon-Stewart
Editor’s note: The UND LEADS Strategic Plan is meant to be a compass for the community, a tool that points the way toward the University’s goals. With that in mind, UND Today will devote a special issue on the last Tuesday of each month to charting for readers the institution’s advance.
So, today’s special edition of UND Today – the second in this series – focuses on the “Equity” core value. As readers will see, every story in today’s issue describes a UND program or activity that reflects the Equity objective, as it’s described in the UND LEADS Strategic Plan. And along those lines, our issue on Nov. 28 will be devoted to the “Affinity” core value, the Jan. 30 issue will highlight “Discovery,” and so on.
Comments or questions? Contact Tom Dennis, UND Today editor, at tom.dennis@und.edu. Thank you for reading!
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By Tamba-Kuii Bailey and Karla Mongeon-Stewart
As we continue to explore the strategic vision of the University, let us take time to reflect on the pillar of Equity in the plan. It is important that we understand the impact of this pillar on our work and experiences at UND. As noted in the strategic plan, we see equity as a means of enhancing pathways into higher education; and part of the foundation for establishing supportive learning structures that come together to assist all at UND to realize their full potential.
As stated, at the core of the Equity pillar, we value the diverse peoples, perspectives and ideas, and we support actions that are inclusive of all members of the UND community and promote fair and equitable living, learning and working environments. We want to highlight some aspects of this pillar at the University.
As we examine our environment, it is essential that we identify those resources that promote inclusion and equitable living and learning spaces. We must also look for those experiences that do not reflect our desires for spaces (online and on-campus) and promote inclusion and equitable experiences. To this end, several areas (Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Student Affairs, Human Resources, Graduate Studies, and Student Diversity and Inclusion) across campus are working together to establish an annual campus climate survey to gain insights to how everyone perceives the University’s efforts in supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Another aspect of the Equity pillar is connected to the University’s ability to promote diverse perspectives and inclusive worldviews by offering inclusive teaching methods, high impact practices, professional development programs and opportunities to understand diverse populations and meet their needs. We can look towards the Teaching Transformation and Development Academy (TTaDA) as a central component of this work. Through TTaDA, the University has provided training for faculty and staff that help shape more inclusive learning and working spaces. Also, TTaDA has offered book readings, discussions, and workshops that focus on creating a more equitable and inclusive culture at UND.
Also connected to the University’s ability to promote diverse perspectives and inclusive worldviews, UND held its inaugural DEI Conference and LGBTQ+ Institute in fall of 2022 and 2023, respectively. The Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences is in the third year of its annual Faces of the Industry: Discussions in Aviation Diversity. The purpose of these events are to offer students, staff, and faculty an opportunity to discuss issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education and to seek solutions through better understanding.
The Equity pillar also pushes to reduce barriers. An important aspect of reducing barriers has been in the area of compensation for faculty and staff. To ensure equitable pay practices by the university for all employees, including traditionally underrepresented groups, the University hired Huron Consultants in the summer of 2023 to complete a compensation study.
As a part of this study, the Huron Consultant group is reviewing pay equity for all faculty and staff. This process will conclude by the end of the year. The university will use this information to define a future compensation philosophy for the campus. Once the study is completed, the University will develop a plan to address any findings.
In addition to this examination of pay as a means of reducing barriers, the Equity pillar focuses on reducing barriers to higher education by increasing affordability through scholarships, need-based aid and Open Educational Resources. This pillar also affirms the need for investing in support services with the aim of boosting retention and degree completion. To that end, the University has used the Culture Diversity Scholarship, the Open Door Scholarship, the Angel Fund Scholarship and other scholarships to award almost $7.9 million to students this year.
As stated in the Strategic Plan, it will be through the Equity pillar that the University will continue to work towards creating more just and equitable opportunities that allow all of us to realize our potential.
>> QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS about the UND LEADS Strategic Plan? Your thoughts are welcome! Please contact Angie Carpenter, UND’s director of Special Student Populations, and/or Ryan Zerr, associate vice president for Strategy & Implementation, the co-chairs of the UND LEADS Implementation Committee.
You also may offer your thoughts by visiting the UND LEADS Strategic Plan home page and clicking on the “Provide your feedback” link that you’ll find there.
Thank you for your support of the UND LEADS Strategic Plan!
About the authors:
Tamba-Kuii Bailey is special assistant to the president for diversity and inclusion at UND. Karla Mongeon-Stewart is vice president for finance & operations/chief operating officer at UND.
