Commission on the Status of Minorities

August 31, 2023

Kutztown University President’s Response to the Commission on the Status of Minorities Report and Recommendations on Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI).

At Kutztown University, we value and appreciate the differences and unique aspects each individual brings to our campus community. The diverse perspectives, ideas, background and abilities of our faculty, staff and students, help to create an environment for which each member can grow and ultimately be more prepared to thrive in our ever-changing society. We strive tirelessly to be open to change, listen to those who find challenge in this space, and respond in a way that makes everyone feel valued.

Goal 3 of our Strategic Plan states “Kutztown University will value and respect all campus constituents, celebrate diversity, and embrace shared governance.”

Kutztown recognizes and supports the compelling need to expand the focus and framework in creating an inclusive environment that is just, celebrates our diverse backgrounds, and celebrates equal opportunity of all individuals in our community.  We need to rededicate our commitment to these principles and strive to educate and enlighten so that all among us are working toward the same goals.  We know that just stating our convictions and goals are not enough.  KU has put in place more than 100 action items to ensure that diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are occurring on our campus.  The full list can be viewed here (regular updates have been provided by our chief diversity officer since 2020).

In the fall of 2020, I charged the Commission on the Status of Minorities, under the leadership of Dr. Arthur Garrison, to develop what is now called a Justice, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Strategic Plan to help guide us as we address these important issues.  After over two years of hard work, the Commission developed a report that outlined its findings and included a number of recommendations.   Please review this webpage developed for the JEDI initiative.  The report from the commission was shared with the campus community in late spring 2023.  Among the many variables addressed by the report, rubrics were developed to analyze feedback through an “assessment tool” developed by the commission and received from many of the departments and offices on campus.  This analysis can be found in the JEDI report and I encourage members of our community to review the findings. 

The commission, after review of the rubrics and the PASSHE DEI Survey, makes the following Recommendations:

1. Each academic department and administrative agency/department/entity within the university will use a specific mechanism to monitor how members “feel” regarding Diversity and Inclusion and administer this assessment on an annual basis. The administration will develop a template assessment to meet the specific needs of the academic department and administrative agency/department/entity to be used by them to assess how members “feel” regarding Diversity and Inclusion.  Academic and administrative agencies/departments/entities should use the template assessment to measure JEDI as it applies to interpersonal relationships within the agencies/departments/entities.

I have charged our Chief Diversity Officer to work with our Campus Climate Committee, receiving feedback from the Commissions, Centers, and many other constituents on campus, to develop an instrument that enables the university to assess how members of our community feel regarding Diversity and Inclusion and will administer this assessment on a regular basis.

2. The Board of Trustees and the Office of the President should publish strategies/guidelines/policies to address the perception held by non-faculty, administrative staff and administrative managers who are not represented by collective bargaining agreements, to foster confidence that promotions are based on merit, rather than the personal dispositions of promotion decision-makers.

It is acknowledged that concern was raised in the report with regard to opportunities for promotion and the hiring of employees.  Protocols and procedures for these personnel actions fall under the CBAs in place with our seven unions and under policies in place for non-represented employees.  For new positions, search committees are formed and members are trained in the proper procedures to be followed in the search and the proper conduct of the members of the committee.  In limited situations, promotions do occur within a unit taking into account years of experience, relevant skills and experiences, and other factors that merit the promotion.  The university will continue to follow all protocols and procedures in the various CBAs and other policies to ensure that promotions and hiring at Kutztown University are conducted fairly for all involved. 

All strategies/guidelines and policies with regard to employment issues are currently posted on the Council of Trustees website, and on other websites through the Office of the President, Human Resources and other entities.  The university will continue to ensure that employment decisions are based on merit.

3. Senior administrators (Cabinet and extended Cabinet level officers) need to focus less on tabulating events and program initiatives and focus more on demonstrating to the various administrative agencies and academic departments under their leadership that JEDI is, in fact, valued. Achieving JEDI should be directly placed in job performance evaluations for senior administrators as well as junior level supervisors. Focus should be on how these individuals achieve JEDI, with a specific focus on Diversity and Inclusion.

Our Strategic Plan “Leading With Possibility” includes references to Diversity and Inclusion in the Context, Purpose, and Learning Outcomes sections, along with more specific references in the “Goal 3:  Caring Campus Community:  Kutztown University will value and respect all campus constituents, celebrate diversity, and embrace shared governance.”   

It is recognized that Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion must be valued on our campus and that cannot be validated only by having events.  But it is believed that events do reflect our values and are important in bringing about greater awareness and understanding with regard to JEDI issues.

We will continue to support our Multicultural Center, Women’s Center, LGBTQ+ Center, Diversity in Athletics Office, and other offices and initiatives on campus that contribute to a culture of Inclusion.  We will continue to support bringing speakers to campus, having special events, and encourage curriculum enhancements that champion diverse ideals.

Currently, JEDI values are directly reflected in the job performance evaluations for senior administrators.  While DEI has long been included in our evaluations of non-represented employees, these documents will be changed to overtly reference DEI in the future.

4. The President and Provost should release an annual public report which states the statistics of faculty promotion and tenure (granted vs denied, including demographics) at each stage of evaluation for tenure and promotion. 

This information is currently provided to the leaders of the union, as appropriate.  Demographics on our workforce are in our fact book and other publications.

5. Inclusion and Diversity concepts are broader than Justice and racial treatment outcomes. Both concepts include the ability to function openly without fear of retribution. Senior administration should foster understanding within the Kutztown University community that first amendment free speech that causes disagreement is not the same as hate speech.

We are committed to ensuring that the first amendment rights of all people, as established by law, are respected and allowed access to the public forum without fear of retaliation.

In conclusion, we will continue to endeavor to strive to diversify our campus.  We have succeeded in bringing about greater diversity in our student body by increasing our diversity from 15% in 2015 to 26% (29% of the freshman class) in 2022.  We will strive to increase our diverse faculty and staff through greater outreach and ensuring that every effort is put forth to include pools of diverse candidates in searches.  Kutztown University is indeed a “Caring Community” and we will continue to work with our local community to welcome employees of diverse backgrounds.  Understanding that diversity and inclusion should not be a thing apart, we will continue to embed these concepts into our curriculum, into student activities and clubs, and into all facets of our operation.  Valuing those who devote their careers to JEDI initiatives, we will support greater acknowledgement of these efforts through promotion and other recognition.  

I wish to express my gratefulness to the members of the Commission on Minorities, and associate members, for their very hard work and their contribution to making the KU community more aware of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI).  The work has only begun and I am committed to continually striving forward to make Kutztown University a place where all feel that they belong and can strive to achieve their fullest potential.

Dr. Kenneth S. Hawkinson
Kutztown University President

CSM-JEDI Commission Membership

To facilitate the coordination and development of the JEDI plan, Dr. Hawkinson appointed additional members from across the University Community to be supplemental voting members to the CSM.

To develop a unified and coherent Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (JEDI) plan that addresses the following issues

Research and Other Documents

Timeline and Strategy