Community input was an essential element of developing Pathways to Diversity and Inclusion: An Action Plan for Brown University (DIAP).

The table below has links to summarized lists of campus feedback arranged in categories of the most frequent subjects of input on the plan.

On November 19, 2015, President Christina Paxson shared with the Brown community a working draft of the DIAP. She invited students, faculty, and staff to share their input on the plan through an online form, encouraging members of the campus to provide their insights and experiences toward building a better Brown. Individuals submitted input to be directed to Brown’s senior leadership, and were instructed that the University would share a compilation of feedback with the release of the final plan.

The online form closed on January 8, 2016, with a total of 162 online submissions received. In addition, the president, provost, and other senior administrators received email responses to the draft plan from various groups of students, faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as from numerous individuals. In parallel to this process, senior leadership also convened a number of open forums with various community groups to solicit input and questions on the proposals outlined in the plan. 

Appendix D of the final DIAP summarizes how input was categorized, the ways in which the University addressed this input in the final revisions to the DIAP, and how community input contributed to the plans for implementation.

Principal Categories of Feedback (in order of frequency)

In aggregate, all submissions translated to more than 720 comments, proposals, edits, etc. Each category links to a page outlining the list of proposals received during the comment period for the draft version of the DIAP.

Category Frequency
Student Support 97
Faculty Hiring 65
Curriculum 64
Inclusion 62
Definitions of Diversity 55
Professional Development/Training 46
Community Engagement 33
Admissions 29
General DIAP Process 25
Departmental Diversity and Inclusion Action Plans (DDIAPs) 23
Financial Aid/Support 20
Staff Hiring 20
Accountability 17
Alumni 16
First-Generation Students 16
Grievance Process 16
Undocumented Student Support 12
Governance 11
Pathways to Diversity Hiring/Student Recruiting 10

Sources of Community Input

The compiled input reflects comments and suggestions that were collected in a database from the following avenues of Brown community engagement with the draft DIAP.

  • Online submission form, 162 submissions
  • Emails, 35
  • Faculty Meeting (December 1, 2015)
  • Undergraduate Council of Students Open Forum (December 1, 2015), 220+ attendees
  • Staff Open Forum (December 4, 2015), 200+ attendees
  • Academic Priorities Council (December 8, 2015)
  • Faculty Forum (December 9, 2105), 220 attendees
  • Faculty of Color Group (December 10, 2105)
  • Concerned Graduate Students of Color (CGSOC) Meeting (December 11, 2015)
  • Chairs and Center Directors Meeting (December 14, 2105)
  • Community Forum, hosted by the Swearer Center for Public Service (December 14, 2105), invitees were representatives from local organizations working in areas such as education, community development, arts, disabilities, criminal justice, homelessness, and health.
  • Administrative Leadership Group (December 18, 2105)
  • Dining Staff meetings (December 22 and 23,  2015), 210 total attendees
  • Feedback from individual students, faculty, staff, alumni, and Corporation members.
  • Written input from the following organizations and groups:
    • Academic Departments & Schools: Departments of Anthropology, History, Psychiatry and Human Behavior, and Ethnic Studies; School of Public Health, Warren Alpert Medical School; Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies
    • Centers & Institutes: Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World, Center for Public Humanities, Swearer Center for Public Service, Annenberg Institute for School Reform, Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life
    • Student Groups: Concerned Graduate Students of Color (CGSOC), Brown Muslim Students Association, Students of the Warren Alpert Medical School, Community of People of Color (“Reading Out”), Undergraduate Council of Students
    • Administrative Units: Dean of the College, Dining Services, Student and Employee Accessibility Services (SEAS)
    • Faculty Groups: Committee for Faculty Equity and Diversity (CFED)
    • Alumni: Inman Page Black Alumni Council (IPC), Asian/Asian American Alumni Alliance (A4), Brown University Latino Alumni Council (BULAC), Brown Transgender Gay and Lesbian Alumni (TBGALA)
    • Providence Community: Through the Swearer Center (the center widely distributed an open, online response form to gather input on the plan from individuals and community organizations).