DEI Action Plan (2023-2028)

Introduction

In 2015, the SUNY Board of Trustees issued a SUNY diversity, equity and inclusion policy that required each SUNY campus to recognize diversity, equity and inclusion as essential aspects of campus planning and indispensable characteristics of academic excellence. The Board asked campuses to appoint a chief diversity officer (CDO) and develop and implement a comprehensive strategic diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) plan.

This DEI Action Plan is a framework for creating an inclusive campus and engaging the SUNY Empire community in this effort in the future. The new plan builds on the first SUNY Empire DEI Plan, which was submitted to the SUNY Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in October 2017 and included 10 short-term, 10 intermediate, and 10 long-term goals.

Over the years, SUNY Empire has engaged in a series of initiatives to close racial disparities in the professoriate and in student recruitment and retention. Developing this second plan required an honest assessment of how and where the initial plan prompted meaningful change and where it missed the mark. Additionally, the revision provided an opportunity to align SUNY Empire’s DEI objectives with the 2021 SUNY 25-Point DEI Action Plan.

Faculty, staff, and students from across SUNY Empire contributed to this plan via workgroups, community feedback, and background research. Our new DEI Action Plan (2023-2028) provides a roadmap for SUNY Empire for the next five years with focus on five strategic areas: (1) institutional commitment to DEI; (2) diversity in the student body; (3) diversity of faculty, professionals, staff and administrators; (4) inclusive learning environments; and (5) climate and culture.

The DEI Action Plan

This action plan is a living document that describes the process and outcomes of a 15-month revision process. It will be refined and updated every five years by the CDO and DEI Council with input from the president, president’s cabinet, and the SUNY Empire community. This section reaffirms the institution’s DEI vision and mission and establishes the values that serve as a guide to the objectives in this document. It also describes the current state of the institution and the process used to revise SUNY Empire’s first DEI plan, which resulted in five broad “themes” and a set of objectives and outcomes within each theme.

While publication of this document marks the end of the planning process, it does not end the important work to be done. Implementation will take place over a longer period and with the recognition that incremental change is a necessary component of lasting change. As Empire State University embarks upon the 2023-2028 institutional strategic plan, “Elevate ’28,” we have a unique opportunity to integrate the DEI Action Plan into our overall planning and implementation efforts, ensuring that we are infusing and living up to our values in all aspects of our work. The DEI Action Plan sets the course for future planning and implementation by providing a framework that rationalizes a set of activities that can help the institution make deliberate progress toward inclusive excellence.

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Follow this link to the full PDF version of the DEI Action Plan (2023-2028):
DEI Action Plan (2023-2028) (PDF 357kB)

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