Missouri State University recently completed a campus and community climate study, a 19-month undertaking. The results of the study were announced at a news conference today (March 19).
The study was completed in three sections (campus research, focus groups and community focus groups) to ensure strategic depth in qualitative and quantitative efforts. The project was driven by the interests of the Missouri State Board of Governors, as well as the community and students, to integrate the three pillars of the public affairs mission (ethical leadership, cultural competence and community engagement) into the next strategic plan.
DiversityWorks, Inc., from Champaign, Illinois, was retained to facilitate a climate study of Missouri State and the greater Springfield community. The final report is now available on Missouri State’s diversity and inclusion webpage.
“The overall results of the recent climate study were not unique compared to climate studies conducted around the country at similar institutions,” said Clifton M. Smart III, Missouri State University president. “I’m proud of the progress we have made the last several years, and I am eager to do even more to create a healthier campus climate.”
Study findings for MSU
- The vast majority of respondents indicated that they had not experienced discrimination, sexual harassment, a hostile work environment or retaliation.
- Participants believed that MSU is inclusive regarding sex, disability status, sexual orientation, language differences and veteran status.
- Important differences existed between various groups about efforts to improve diversity and inclusion with regard to gender identity/expression, religious/spiritual values and political ideology.
- In most cases, perceptions of the campus climate at MSU differ on the basis of minority and majority group membership. Differences were found in areas such as experiences of discrimination, harassment, hostile environment, retaliation and micro-aggressions.
Study findings for the Springfield community
- Sizable percentages of participants believed that the Springfield community was less welcoming for LGBTQ individuals, people of color, non-Christian individuals, non-native English speakers, politically liberal individuals and politically conservative individuals.
- Almost two-thirds of LGBTQ individuals perceived MSU as a “safe haven” compared to the larger Springfield community.
The study included several key recommendations, including developing and advancing community-university partnerships for diversity and inclusion; expanding multicultural research and other scholarly activities; developing effective and innovative outreach, recruitment and retention programs; and being proactive in light of rapid demographic changes at the K-12 education levels.
Diversity studies at Missouri State
Missouri State University has focused on creating a healthy campus climate for many years because students learn better when they have a diverse student body and faculty, and their environment is free from negativity and discrimination.
In 2008, Dr. Paula Caplan, an associate at Harvard University’s DuBois Institute, conducted a research project titled The Voices of Diversity. Missouri State was one of four universities that participated in the project and the only one that allowed Caplan to use its name publicly. Following up on the project’s feedback, the university took a number of actions to improve the campus climate for diverse students and partnered with the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, the City of Springfield, Springfield Public Schools and other community organizations to make Springfield more inclusive.
These actions included:
- Since the creation of Minorities In Business (MIB), the university has been a major supporter and has physically located MIB at MSU’s Plaster Center;
- Establishing the Greater Springfield Race and Faith Collaborative;
- Launching a Brother 2 Brother chapter in Springfield, a collaborative effort with OTC, Drury, Evangel and SBU to increase retention for historically excluded students;
- Establishing the position of vice president for diversity and inclusion and the division of diversity and inclusion;
- Redefining “diversity” on campus to make it clear that all “historically excluded groups” were included (veterans, disabled, LGBTQ, etc.);
- Establishing administrative training and campus events regarding diversity issues;
- Providing support opportunities for targets of sexism and racism;
- Focusing on recruiting and retaining faculty and staff from African-American and Hispanic populations;
- Building strong community partnerships to reduce incidents of micro-aggressions and stereotype threat and improve the campus climate which is consistent with our public affairs mission;
- Training and certifying facilitators to assist with dialogues on diversity issues;
- Implementing a diversity hiring goal and creating a group to identify barriers to achieving the goal;
- Collaborating with the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce to sponsor “Facing Racism” intensive training sessions;
- Implementing a diversity hiring program and requiring all professional searches to contain a diverse pool;
- Forming MODES, a diversity consortium with other institutions of higher education in the region to coordinate diversity and inclusion efforts;
- Establishing a diversity studies minor and disability studies minor;
- Establishing the Student Transition Education Program (STEP) and the Youth Empowerment Conference (YEC) to host diverse middle school and high school students on campus;
- Establishing the Hispanic Initiative for Monett and Verona school districts;
- Establishing the Latino Leadership Institute to increase knowledge for Latino students about their history and leadership potential at Missouri State University;
- Initiating the Diversity Perspectives Newsletter;
- Establishing an LGBT Resource Center;
- Initiating Project D.I.G. (Discovery, Involvement and Growth) in residence life, housing and dining services to provide more interaction among the various cultures on campus;
- Incorporating diversity and cultural awareness activities into the curriculum for SOAR (Student Orientation, Advisement and Registration) and GEP 101;
- Requiring new undergraduate students to participate in sexual assault awareness and harassment training;
- Requiring faculty and staff to regularly participate in sexual assault awareness and harassment training;
- Establishing the Annual Statewide Collaborative Diversity Conference and the annual Women’s Leadership Conference;
- Incorporating diversity topics as primary discussion items at Board of Governors meetings;
- Establishing the Shattering the Silences program designed to promote campus-wide discussion of issues relevant to diversity and inclusion;
- Initiating teacher candidate exchange programs with Harris-Stowe State University; and
- Establishing the Faculty Diversity Composition Initiative, a loan forgiveness/reimbursement program to attract underrepresented students with ambition for collegiate instruction.
The university has awarded more than $5 million in diversity scholarships/assistantships over the past five years.
- Two full tuition scholarships named after prominent diversity leaders in Missouri: James H. Buford and Dr. Donald M. Suggs;
- The Multicultural Leadership Scholarship program, which has been in place for more than two decades and recognizes up to 50 students each year with a $5,000 per year scholarship award for four years;
- The Multicultural Leadership Recognition Award, which provides scholarship dollars to outstanding students that did not receive the Multicultural Leadership Scholarship;
- The Diversity in Education Scholarship program, which is designed to enhance diversity in the College of Education;
- McNair Scholar graduate assistantships, which provide a stipend for two years, and a fee waiver; and
- Graduate Scholarships for Enhancing Diversity to qualified graduate students.
Recently, these efforts were recognized when INSIGHT to Diversity magazine awarded Missouri State with its 2014 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award.
Next steps
Missouri State will receive recommendations about the climate study and its findings from students, administrators, faculty, staff and community members. A recommendations submission box will be located on the division for diversity and inclusion website and in the office in Carrington Hall.
A campus-wide committee of faculty, administrators, staff and community members will develop recommendations based on the climate study report. These recommendations will be addressed as part of the campus’ long range planning process starting in fall 2015.
In addition, several activities are planned across campus in the near future:
- “The Other Wes Moore” was selected as the Common Reader for fall 2015, and Wes Moore will provide the Public Affairs Convocation lecture in October. Through the Common Reader and convocation, students will engage in a campus-wide dialogue about diversity issues.
- Ed and Myra Hubbard, consultants specializing in diversity analytics, will provide a public presentation on campus in the fall and conduct two days of diversity training with university administrators and community leadership.
- Pat Ashton and Wayne Williams will conduct a diversity training seminar with all academic deans and department heads this semester.
“Missouri State has demonstrated a long-term commitment to diversity and inclusion and continues to work with our stakeholders to integrate it into the public affairs mission and into the academic, business, public service and social fabric of our university and community,” said Dr. Ken Coopwood, vice president for diversity and inclusion. “We will continue to work to create, enhance and improve a welcoming climate that is supportive of all students. The climate survey is simply a gap analysis tool that is enabling Missouri State to move forward in the process.”