Embracing the power of diversity, equity and inclusion

Engineering excellence for the public good

Strategic Plan 2022-2027

Embracing the power of diversity, equity and inclusion

UW students perform Materials Science and Engineering experiments in various MSE labs

At the University of Washington, diversity, equity and inclusion are integral to excellence. We value and honor diverse experiences and perspectives, strive to create welcoming and respectful learning environments, and promote access, opportunity and justice for all.

Organizations are most innovative when their members represent and draw upon a variety of experiences and respect the perspectives that arise from these differences. For these reasons, diversity, equity and inclusion are central to our mission of producing outstanding engineers. We aim to cultivate a culture where all members thrive, are valued and feel a sense of belonging.

Accomplishments to date

  •    

    Establishment and growth of the Office of Inclusive Excellence (OIE)

    Aligning staff talent and skills with the unique needs of the College of Engineering.

  •    

    Inclusive Excellence Faculty Fellowship Program

    Launched to equip faculty with tools and resources to integrate intercultural competence and inclusive teaching practices into their instruction, this program's inaugural cohort included 15 UW Engineering faculty members. Fellows receive dedicated support to redesign their course and facilitate impactful change in their unit and across the College and embed inclusion and equity in teaching using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework.

  •    

    Faculty Hiring Toolkit

    In collaboration with College of Engineering Human Resources and UW ADVANCE, OIE developed an accessible guide for inclusive and equitable hiring practices, from recruitment to hiring. This includes ensuring that selection rubrics are fair and consistently applied and that search committees use proven best practices to mitigate bias in their decision-making. The toolkit has been utilized in over 100 faculty searches.

  •    

    Pathways to Inclusive Excellence (PIE)

    This initiative has fostered increased collaboration between the College of Engineering’s access programs — STARS and the Allen School Scholars Program — providing specialized curriculum and individualized support for talented students who might benefit from additional STEM and college preparation before they begin their engineering or computer science career.

  •    

    Skills and knowledge building

    OIE introduced a range of workshops and courses to cultivate inclusion in engineering and foster an environment where all members of the College of Engineering community can thrive. Topics include:

    • Self-care in the Face of Burnout and Crisis
    • Inclusive Student Engagement in Donor Stewardship
    • Microaggressions Online Course
    • Inclusive Advising Practices
    • Navigating Difficult Conversations
    • College of Engineering Community Conversations Facilitators Toolkit

To embrace the power of diversity, equity and inclusion, we will:

JUMP TO: Attract, recruit, select & retain Structures and practices Build a robust community

   

STRATEGY 1

Attract, recruit, develop and retain students, staff and faculty with a variety of viewpoints and experiences

Five-year goals:

Utilize best practices to attract, recruit, select and retain well-qualified, talented people who come from a wide array of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Review hiring and employment systems to ensure they are fair and inclusive.

 

Third year (2024-2025)

  • Sustain and promote the programs and initiatives launched in years one and two of the strategic plan.
  • Provide individual consultation and aninclusive hiring toolkit to faculty search committees to ensure hiring processes are equitable.
  • Develop and publish OIE impact reports.
  • Require all College hiring managers to be trained on equitable hiring practices and interview processes.
  • Identify and implement best practices for recruitment, admissions and hiring processes that are fair and inclusive for all.
  • Review all current ARSR systems, identify and encourage current best practices being used by departments and units.
   

STRATEGY 2

Develop structures, practices and people skills that embed and leverage the value of diversity, equity and inclusion in all College activities

Five-year goals:

Develop and actualize an integrated communication structure to increase leaders’ and staff’s capacity to collaborate on activities that foster equity and inclusion for all members of the College of Engineering community.

Establish a leadership training and development program to enhance knowledge and skills to facilitate organizational change.

Integrate intercultural development in our curriculum and orientation programs to support students’ participation in cultivating equity and inclusion in the College of Engineering and in the field.

Develop and implement a College-wide communications plan to increase shared understanding of our diversity, equity and inclusion goals and encourage collaboration to achieve them.

Recognize, amplify and reward leadership in the College that promotes social good and an environment where everyone can feel a sense of belonging.

Third year (2024-2025)

  • Deploy and promote the College’s Community Conversations initiative in academic departments and administrative units.
  • Continue to provide training to build skills and knowledge that facilitate working effectively across differences, such as conflict resolution and discourse engagement.
  • Expand adoption of an integrated Inclusive Excellence structure with departments.
  • Implement an Inclusive Excellence Fellowship program.
  • Provide training to build skills and knowledge that facilitate working effectively across differences, such as conflict resolution and discourse engagement.
  • Facilitate College town halls, discussion groups, workshops and seminar series for inclusion-centered growth.
  • Establish and brand the Office for Inclusive Excellence (OIE); develop a communications plan to raise awareness of the OIE role, responsibilities, accountabilities, achievements, current efforts and resources; and build collaborations with College and UW partners.
  • Initiate training and development programs for leaders and change agents on skills and knowledge needed to facilitate change.
  • Develop training to build skills and knowledge that facilitate working effectively across differences, such as conflict resolution and discourse engagement.
  • Develop a sustainable Inclusive Excellence (IE) Fellowship program for faculty and graduate students to learn how to integrate intercultural competence and inclusive teaching practices into their courses to facilitate impactful change in their unit and across the College.
  • Obtain grant or seed funding to support community-building activities.
   

STRATEGY 3

Build a robust College community culture where all members thrive, are valued and feel a sense of belonging

Five-year Goals:

Increase dialogue and shared understanding around diversity, equity and inclusion through systems to increase awareness, prevention, reporting and effective responses to acts of bias and harassment.

Identify, highlight, support and develop best practices that foster a welcoming and supportive environment for all faculty, staff and students in the College of Engineering community.

Expand practices that cultivate inclusive decision-making processes.

Prioritize the health and wellness of all our students, staff and faculty by listening, offering information and resources, creating flexibility when needed and ensuring no one feels they must choose between health and productivity.

Third year (2024-2025)

  • Deploy and promote College of Engineering’s Community Conversations initiative in academic departments and administrative units.
  • Continue to provide training to build skills and knowledge that facilitate working effectively across differences, such as conflict resolution and discourse engagement.
  • Offer discussion sessions to faculty stakeholder groups to advance community-building and provide increased community discussion.
  • Refine faculty onboarding and matriculation processes.
  • Establish quarterly or biannual meetings between department chairs, the dean and community leaders.
  • Inventory and evaluate current efforts across the College to create a welcoming environment for all.