Improving evaluation and assessment, data availability, data-informed decision-making and organizational accountability.

In particular, we are working to:

• advance priorities in institutional research and data analytics that support DEI assessments, audits and surveys (e.g., climate surveys, salary equity audits, service equity audits, DEI effort reports, etc.). 
• update and reinforce equity-focused teaching policies and practices, like peer assessment teaching forms.
• redefine systems of providing service credit and value for outreach and establish new processes and resources for better valuing DEI contributions.

Examples of Progress

• Newly established unit, CNS Institutional Research and Analytics, extends data capacity beyond the college's Undergraduate Education unit and bolsters data-informed decision making in the college at large.
• New and expanded equity-focused efforts around teaching evaluation and professional development, such as the Texas Mindset Initiative and other teaching-related offerings for faculty have launched, including mid-career surveys, peer observations and expert evaluations.
• New, comprehensive college climate surveys will be launched in Spring 2023 alongside established processes for sharing results and linking findings to college priorities. Climate surveys will include staff, faculty, graduate students and undergraduates.
• Built upon the successful DEI Graduate Student Fellowship, a new DEI Faculty Fellowship will launch in Spring 2023. Fellowships help support and compensate contributions to DEI work made by thoughtful CNS community members, diversify the perspectives and lived experiences contributing to leadership conversations and decisions, and provide valuable opportunities for faculty and students to gain insights into higher education administration.
• Established a centralized data ticketing system as a one-stop shop for all faculty and staff data requests.
• Expanded exit interviews to better identify DEI-related contributors to challenges in employee retention.
• Expanded staff and faculty onboarding to include the signaling of college values and provide newcomers with an understanding of the students we serve.

Priorities for the future:

• Work closely with the university-wide Data to Insights initiative to ensure useful data dashboards are accessible and used by CNS faculty and staff to support data-informed decision-making and prioritization.
• Develop next steps regarding results of climate surveys, identifying areas for change in practice/priorities.
• Expand institutional research initiatives aimed at measuring effectiveness and prioritizing areas of need.
• Introduce strategies for advancing DEI through faculty annual reviews/staff performance evaluations.
• Use a DEI lens in analysis of outreach efforts in the college.
• Improve constancy, clarity and connections to practice with contributions-to-diversity statements.
• Audit current faculty committee commitments for more equitable expectations of service.