Background
In the fall of 2020, Goucher College became a founding member of the Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance (LACRELA), a partnership of 72 colleges nationwide.
The goal of LACRELA, which is coordinated by the University of South California (USC) Race and Equity Center, is to foster greater racial equity on our campus through assessment, education, and strategic DEI activities.
The alliance has brought together experts, faculty, and staff from some of the most highly respected colleges in America to collaborate on developing and achieving equity goals with a focus on case studies, strategies, and practical approaches.
Goucher has committed to participating in a three-year-long initiative with LACRELA, and Goucher students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to take part.
Progress
In October 2021, Goucher College partnered with the USC Race and Equity Center to administer the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates (NACCC) Student Survey. The NACCC is an assessment of campus racial climates. The survey is an important component of our commitment to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice at Goucher College, and the results will help us establish a baseline understanding of the racial climate on campus.
Goucher participated in the NACCC Staff Survey in May 2022, and the college will also participate in the NACCC Faculty Survey in 2023.
In March 2022, LACRELA attendees joined other Goucher employees in a facilitated session with consultant Jessy Molina to assess the progress made on institution-wide Strategic DEI goals and find gaps where further work is needed. This informed Goucher’s DEI strategic plan.
To date, more than 80 employees from all divisions of the college have attended 11 interactive virtual meetings led by respected leaders of national higher education associations, professors studying in related fields, chief diversity officers, and other experienced experts.
Resources
Resources, including recordings of prior workshops, handouts, and participant feedback, are available to all employees on Inside Goucher. Upcoming topics include Making Racial Equity Data Transparent, Understanding Campus Unrest and Responding to Student Protest, Using Assessment and Evaluation to Improve Campus Racial Climates, and Managing and Resolving Racial Tensions in the Workplace.
USC will also be launching an Equity Connect ePortal that will house important eConvening resources, a library, and online communities of practice available to all employees and students at Goucher.