The Heller Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity (EID) is committed to helping Heller achieve its motto of “knowledge advancing social justice” by building a strong community culture of belongingness for all. This is difficult work, and it requires participation from every corner of our institution to succeed.
Everyone at Heller should think of themselves as members of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council. An example of how to incorporate this idea into your daily work would be to feature “Embedding and Contextualizing Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination in Research, Pedagogy and Policy” as a standing agenda item for your committee meetings. The responsibility for progress cannot be limited to a small number of people or a specific program office but embraced by the school and all community members within.
Our approach to EID work at Heller is grounded in a philosophy of continuous improvement, evidence-based practices, and targeted interventions. The Heller School's theory of change brings multi-level reform including institutional, structural, psychological and behavioral transformation, promoting a thriving community at Heller. We track progress through climate surveys, course evaluations and annual program reviews, among other methods.
- Faculty Activity Reports - This report allows your chair and dean to appreciate the full extent of your achievements, activities and contributions to the University over the past year, and helps us share your accomplishments with the outside world, including prospective students (and their parents), the media and donors. The Heller Faculty Activity Report also provides an opportunity for faculty to report on their activities as they relate to diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Course Evaluations (login required) - Students evaluate every course taken at the Heller School by filling out a standard evaluation form online with questions about the instructor and the course content, including specific questions related to diversity, equity and inclusion in the classroom. Heller considers such student input important, and takes these evaluations seriously. Evaluations are anonymous, and instructors do not see the course evaluations until after they have turned in all grades. Course evaluations are available on the Current Students page on the Heller web site.
- Climate Surveys - We conduct annual reviews with each academic program, research institute, and administrative office to track progress on key performance metrics informed by biennial climate surveys and university demographic data as well as qualitative data from the community. Program reviews are based on four EID pillars:
- Demographics (faculty, staff and students)
- Vulnerabilities (e.g. health, safety, wellness, employment, housing, food security)
- Belonging and inclusion (including perceived discrimination)
- Satisfaction with program and willingness to recommend to others
