Case Study: A signature accomplishment of this diversity intervention was the design of a diversity institute which the college leadership and community, and elected officials accepted and funded as an essential mechanism to reduce existing racial tensions between the college and the surrounding community. In addition, this work supported the new director of diversity who hired us to help stabilize the high turnover of the diversity office, racial tensions on campus, among which the support services to its minority students became questioned. ECG's task to design bold changes and make the office more visible for the range of services it offered involved wide system involvement. ECG rebranded the office, a name change included, and developed a three-year strategic action plan to accomplish those needs.
IMPACT:
Besides creating a budget proposal to staff the institute, ECG provided the structure and suggested programs of the institute that the faculty would support. The minority students felt their concerns were being addressed through dialogues implemented. Likewise, our strategic plan helped the director structure diversity and inclusion in conversations between faculty, administrators, professionals, and meetings with the president, who acted as a champion for this rebranding of the diversity office.