Overview
This implementation visualization and dashboard allows Harvard Chan community members to see where progress is being made with respect to our three priority areas and action items identified in our strategic implementation plan for the Foundations for Sustainable Progress and Transformation: An Inclusive Excellence Strategic Plan for Harvard Chan School. Since 2022 however, new university priorities have emerged, which have also shifted our School level priorities and timelines for multiple items. These new endeavors include implementation of the Non-Discrimination and Anti-Bullying Policies and Procedures, the Legacy of Slavery Projects, and revisions to programs and protocols stemming from US Supreme Court decision on admissions practices.
For the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) to ensure progress with the implementation of identified objectives and action steps, it will be important to take an active role in monitoring and partnering with individuals, offices, and committees essential to implementing and executing action items identified in the strategic plan.
Our commitment is to be transparent regarding areas where progress is made as well as any areas where we may need to re-evaluate, re-think, and make adjustments as we learn and gather insights regarding our work to advance EDIB goals within the school. As needed, action items will be added and/or amended, and timelines will be updated.
Summary of the three Inclusive Excellence Strategic Plan Priority Areas:
Below reflects the three priority areas as well as their core themes.
Status of ongoing and cyclical action items, by priority area and implementation phase:
In order to address each of the themes relevant to the promotion of diversity, inclusion and belonging at the Harvard Chan School, the Dean’s Advisory Council for Diversity and Inclusion created a strategic plan that provides a 3-year roadmap for implementation. The Harvard Chan School is currently in year 1 of the implementation process. Below is a summary of the progress that has been made to date, which is updated quarterly.
Cyclical action items
As of January 26, 2024, 90% of the ongoing and cyclical action items are completed, 5% are in-progress, and 5% are planned.
A. Leadership and institutional systems
| Status | Action item |
|---|---|
 Complete |
Submission of July 2021 DAP Progress Reports |
| Complete |
Review & Feedback on Departmental July 2021 Progress Reports |
| Complete |
Implement Monthly EDIB Community Updates |
| Complete |
Implement Weekly ODI ListServ Communications |
| Complete |
Community access to diversity strategic plan documents |
| Complete |
Establish annual calendar of events |
| Complete |
Implement Land Acknowledgement at Signature School Events |
| Complete |
Implement Cyclical Partnership Between ODI and Departments |
| Complete |
Regular EDIB updates to Senior Leadership |
| Complete |
Implement New Practices & Training for Bias Response Team |
| Complete |
Implement Mid-Year and End of Year Bias Status Reporting |
| Complete |
Generate Diversity Annual Report |
| Complete |
Hold Annual End of Year Presentation on Progress |
| Complete |
Assess EDIB Related Personnel Needs |
| Complete |
Support departments with language for communicating vision and commitment |
 Planned |
Recorded Content on High Impact Activities |
B. Learning culture at Harvard Chan School
| Status | Action item |
|---|---|
| Complete |
Share ODI Communications to Departments on EDIB Resources |
In progress |
Develop Effective Allyship Content for Affinity Group Activities |
| Complete |
Secure Guest Speakers on Global Perspectives |
C. Diversity of our people and their success
| Status | Action item |
|---|---|
| Complete |
Access to University Affinity Celebrations for Graduates |
| Complete |
Implement Monthly Student Affinity Programs |
Past & Current year action items
Academic year 2022
As of January 26, 2024, 61% of the Year-1 action items are completed, 25% are in-progress, and 14% are planned.
A. Leadership and institutional systems
| Status | Action item |
|---|---|
| Complete |
Develop school diversity vision statement |
| Complete |
Establish DACDI implementation working group for diversity plan |
| Complete |
Develop of bias response Frequently Asked Questions for web |
| Complete |
Develop of Community Guide for Addressing Bias |
| Complete |
Implement EDIB Climate Survey |
| Complete |
Incorporate assessment into Departmental Action Plans, where needed |
| Complete |
Implement bias reporting system |
| Complete |
Incorporate bias reporting information into new student and employee orientation content |
| Complete |
Compile exit survey data for reporting |
| In Progress |
Develop bias response overview video |
| In progress |
Develop community-based research web landing page |
| In progress |
Establish data collection method on active community-based research efforts |
B. Learning culture at Harvard Chan School
| Status | Action item |
|---|---|
| Complete |
Develop web-based resource guide on inclusive meetings |
| Complete |
Establish EDIB Facilitator Program |
| Complete |
Offer expanded Community Based Participatory Research Course |
| Complete |
Share Foundation Concepts and Affirming Language document within School |
| Complete |
Partner with vendor on creating self-paced courses |
| Complete |
Implement course redesign/syllabus redesign project |
| In progress |
Support development of faculty and teaching supports |
| In progress |
Implement manager focused courses on behaviors for racial equity and inclusion |
| Complete |
Support creation of web-based repository of EDIB-based guides for classroom teaching & learning |
| In progress |
Creation of resources on effective outreach in BIPOC communities |
| In progress |
Include accommodations and bias reporting information on course syllabi |
| In Progress |
Implement EDIB learning goals for employees |
| Planned |
Establish employee expectations with periodic and cyclical trainings |
| Planned |
Share guides on best practices with digital accessibility |
| Planned |
Establish annual summer trainings for faculty and staff |
| Planned |
Establish manager-focused summer trainings |
| Planned |
Develop sample metrics for managers within ODI web resources |
| In Progress |
Develop inclusive research resource guides within ODI web resources |
C. Diversity of our people and their success
| Status | Action item |
|---|---|
| Complete |
Implement affinity group-based student activities |
| Complete |
Establish links from ODI web page to University ERGs |
| Complete |
Establish collaborations with Women of Color in the Academy Network consortium |
| Complete |
Establish search expectations on proactive identification of candidates from underrepresented backgrounds |
| Complete |
Ensure that student application review committees complete bias training |
| Complete |
Develop resource guides for students of marginalized backgrounds |
| Complete |
Identify opportunities for enhancing summer programs |
| Complete |
Identify new programmatic components for Donald Hopkins Program |
| In progress |
Ensure completion of unconscious bias training in faculty searches and staff hires |
| Complete |
Ensure search committee use of baseline search tools and templates |
| Complete |
Provide guidance to search committees on development of inclusive candidate criteria |
| Complete |
Provide guidance to search committees posting positions to increase diversity of pool |
| In progress |
Provide guidance to hiring managers on how to connect hires with EDIB supports |
| Complete |
Review of hiring policies related to diversity recruitment and hiring |
| Complete |
Review of admissions policies related to diversity recruitment and student admissions |
| Complete |
Establish graduate staff support role for Donald Hopkins Program |
| Planned |
Create guidelines for hiring managers on mentoring supports |
| Planned |
Establish diversity hiring metrics for manager performance review |
| In Progress |
Develop web content on supporting individuals from historically marginalized communities |
Academic year 2023
As of January 26, 2024, 28% of the Year-2 action items are complete, 28% are in-progress, and 45% are planned.
A. Leadership and institutional systems
| Status | Action item |
|---|---|
| Complete |
Develop accessible bias response web content linked to Office of Student Affairs, Office of Human Resources, and Office of Faculty Affairs landing pages |
| Complete |
Implement new university anti-discrimination policy that informs School level follow up procedures |
| In Progress |
Implement self-paced modules intended to educate on new anti-discrimination policy |
| In Progress |
Implement formal recognition practices for exemplary managers and departments with respect to progress on EDIB efforts |
| Planned |
Create access to new awards and grants to support faculty working on health equity related research and scholarship |
B. Learning culture at Harvard Chan School
| Status | Action item |
|---|---|
| Complete |
Establish new student open enrollment workshop offerings |
| Complete |
Develop new plan for extended student learning experience that builds on Self, Social and Global Awareness (SSGA) content |
| Planned |
Develop learning opportunities that center on education of equity and inclusion related policy |
| In Progress |
Pilot ODI and Department partnership on training activities that incorporates support from EDIB Facilitator Program |
| In Progress |
Develop new research-based learning resources on race and gender in the context of data analysis |
| Planned |
Develop self-paced faculty and academic appointee focused learning & development courses |
| Planned |
Implement Promising Practices workshops where departments can present on exemplary practices and initiatives |
| Planned |
Develop a Promising Practices web landing page highlighting exemplary activities within the School |
| Planned |
Develop new learning content and offerings that build on the current introductory anti-racism workshop curriculum |
| Planned |
Incorporate topics centering experiences of international cultural groups and intercultural learning into staff learning and development efforts |
| Planned |
Develop new learning resources focused on equity, race and marginalized communities globally |
| In progress |
Review web language to ensure inclusive language as a part of departmental action planning |
| Planned |
Conduct review of curriculum to identify opportunities for enhancing diversity and anti-oppressive scholarship and content |
| Planned |
Implement racial literacy syllabus course redesign and syllabus enhancement model within School |
C. Diversity of our people and their success
| Status | Action item |
|---|---|
| Complete |
Develop proposal for cluster hire initiative in collaboration with School leadership and Office for Research Strategy & Development |
| Complete |
Establish Advisory Committee for Yerby Fellowship Program |
| Complete |
Re-institute FACETS Summer Program |
| In progress |
Identify new internal and external funding sources to support with financial barriers for low-income students |
| In progress |
Develop plan for new short and long-term enhancements to Yerby Fellowship Program |
| In progress |
Develop plan for new short and long-term enhancements to Donald Hopkins Predoctoral Scholars Program |
| Planned |
Implement School-wide faculty mentoring framework that provides guidance on baseline practices for mentoring new hires |
| Planned |
Ensure all reviewers of student applications complete post-review checklist on completed steps |
| Complete |
Develop resource guide for departmental application reviews that communicates expectations and key steps for inclusive application review |
| Planned |
Implement Visiting Scholars in Residence initiative that centers research and scholarly contributions from BIPOC/URM students and postdoctoral fellows |
Academic year 2024
As of January 26, 2024, 0% of the Year-3 action items are complete, 100% are in-progress, and 0% are planned.
A. Leadership and institutional systems
| Status | Action item |
|---|---|
| Complete |
N/A |
| In progress |
N/A |
| Planned |
N/A |
B. Learning culture at Harvard Chan School
| Status | Action item |
|---|---|
| Complete |
N/A |
| In progress |
Prioritize and develop new content aligned with assessed learning needs within the School as reflected in community EDIB learning outcomes |
| Planned |
N/A |
C. Diversity of our people and their success
| Status | Action item |
|---|---|
| Complete |
N/A |
| In progress |
Develop evaluation tool template intended to support with holistic review of student applicants |
| Planned |
N/A |
Contact
With respect to areas of growth and improvement, if you have specific feedback or suggestions on areas of focus or action items, please get in touch with our office.
