Dartmouth consists of schools, divisions, institutes, departments, and centers which each have unique cultures and, in some cases, specific approaches to addressing equity and inclusion for the communities they serve. The actions below provide opportunities for coordinated approaches to supporting individuals who study and work at Dartmouth.
Actions
Create a coordinated model where diversity practitioners for each division and school have a dotted-line reporting relationship to IDE and work to align divisional DEI goals to institutional priorities.
True campus-wide transformation will require alignment with institutional priorities at the divisional and school levels. This model, where divisional DEI practitioners develop initiatives for their local areas in consultation with IDE, ensures that all areas are better aligned. The coordinated structure will be developed in partnership with each DEI practitioner and their supervisor and implemented by Summer 2023.
Expand and formalize existing mentoring programs into a mentoring initiative that connects alumni with underrepresented and marginalized undergraduate students.
One of Dartmouth’s strengths is its active alumni community and their commitment to service in the interest of students. Many of the alumni in affiliated groups and others beyond those groups have expressed an interest in connecting and building a supportive relationship with current students to enhance their time while at the College and beyond. To facilitate these connections, the Division of Alumni Relations will work with the Division of Student Affairs to create a mentoring initiative for underrepresented/marginalized students. This initiative will be developed in the 2023-24 academic year and launched by Fall 2024.
Develop institutional strategies to recruit and retain diverse faculty and staff.
The diversity of our community relies on each unit’s ability to recruit and retain top talent from a variety of backgrounds. With this action, each school and division will develop new recruitment strategies and goals in consultation with IDE that will inform long-term institutional progress in pursuit of a diverse campus community. While recruitment presents clear opportunities to welcome a diverse group of new employees to our community, retaining talent, especially those from underrepresented groups, is also a critical focus of this action. Dartmouth will create professional development programs for faculty and staff to ensure their sense of belonging and ability to access leadership opportunities on campus. This goal will be achieved by Fall 2025.
Strengthen and expand existing initiatives to promote underrepresented students in STEM.
Dartmouth has long been a leader and supporter of diversity within science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) from being the first American medical school of record to award an MD to a Black man, Samuel F. McGill, to being the first national research university to award more bachelor's degrees in engineering to women than men, to current initiatives like the E.E. Just Program that provides intellectual engagement and mentorship to students from underrepresented backgrounds who are interested in STEM. Building on this history and a keen desire to become a national leader in this space, a campus-wide coordinated approach to increasing diversity in STEM will be implemented by Fall 2024.
