DEPT. OF MASS MEDIA DIVERSE PLAN

DEFINITION OF DIVERSITY

As an academic unit of the Holland College of Arts and Media, the Department of Mass Media affirms its commitment to pursue equal opportunity and affirmative action in employment practices, academic programs and other activities. Our commitment is to create an environment in which no individual is given or denied opportunity because of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, gender/identity, creed, age, disability or class, to celebrate the rich contributions that diversity brings to American society and to increase participation in diversity programs and activities by all faculty, staff and students. To do this, we have identified objectives in five areas (faculty, student body, curriculum, climate and professional development).

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

1. Our faculty and staff respect and celebrate a diverse learning community in a global society.
   
   1. Working in conjunction with the University’s Human Resources Department, we will utilize and continually refine a search and hiring process that is designed to maximize the search for faculty candidates from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. These efforts include placing ads and using listservs that are both general in reach and specifically targeted to diverse candidates.
   2. Every department faculty and staff search committee will be formed to represent the diversity of the department itself, and will be charged with utilizing best practices in building and considering a diverse applicant pool.
   3. We will expand on the diversity of our resident faculty by inviting guest speakers and recruiting temporary faculty who represent different perspectives and backgrounds.
2. Our faculty and staff are committed to the active recruitment of a student body that reflects the socioeconomic makeup of our state and the needs of an increasingly diverse society.
   1. We will regularly participate in targeted programming designed to recruit and retain a culturally diverse student body in conjunction with the Office of Admissions, College Access Programs, International Education and Services, and similar campus units.
   2. We will engage in partnership and programming opportunities with community institutions such as the Lincoln University Cooperative Extension and Southeast Missouri Scholastic Press Association to have access to high school students who may be interested in mass media careers and may hail from underrepresented populations within our service region.
   3. We will seek to establish and increase scholarship funds designated to enhance the diversity of our student population.
3. Our faculty and staff will enact an inclusive curriculum.
   1. We will maintain a dedicated, required course on diversity for all of our majors, focusing on past and present issues in mass communication that reflect the importance of diverse perspectives.
   2. We will incorporate diversity throughout our curriculum, with each option offering units that expose students to varied opinions and experiences.
   3. We will provide experiential learning opportunities for students, such as our newspaper, television programming and agencies for advertising and public relations, that foster diversity in the stories and messages we disseminate.
4. Our faculty and staff will proactively participate in building a campus environment that is supportive of diversity.
   1. We will partner with existing campus programs that are working to build a more diverse campus experience.
   2. We will provide programming that continues the conversation about the importance of diversity.
   3. We will provide a climate that is respectful and supportive of diverse people and viewpoints, and will actively support the objectives and measures outlined in this plan.
5. Our faculty and staff will value and promote diversity and global perspectives through scholarship, professional development and service.
   1. We will support scholarship that advances diversity and global perspectives, and when possible, we will collaborate with other disciplines and universities.
   2. We will engage in professional development activities that promote diversity in our discipline, campus and beyond.
   3. We will share our expertise and experiences beyond the campus community in ways that enable better understanding of the media's role in representing diverse and multicultural content.

amended Spring 2020