The Heller Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity (EID) is committed to helping Heller achieve its motto of “knowledge advancing social justice” by building a strong community culture of belongingness for all. This is difficult work, and it requires participation from every corner of our institution to succeed. Our approach to EID work at Heller is grounded in a philosophy of continuous improvement, evidence-based practices and targeted interventions.
Annual Program Reviews
We conduct annual reviews with every academic program to track progress on key performance metrics informed by biennial climate surveys and university demographic data as well as qualitative data from the community. Program reviews are based on four EID pillars:
- Demographics (faculty, staff and students)
- Vulnerabilities (e.g. health, safety, wellness, employment, housing, food security)
- Belonging and inclusion (including perceived discrimination)
- Satisfaction with program and willingness to recommend to others
Tracking our Progress Using HEED Metrics
To measure our progress, we follow the 165 benchmarked metrics outlined by the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award. The Heller EID Office began using HEED metrics as an internal dashboard in 2017 with the goal of applying for the HEED award within five years.
Heller Admissions Diversity Recruitment
December 2021 HEED Progress Report
(Last updated December 2021)
| Category | Criteria Underway or Completed | Criteria Total | Percent Underway or Complete (2019) |
Percent Underway or Complete (2020) |
Percent Underway or Complete (2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section 1: Methods to recruit underrepresented minority and first generation students | 27 | 29 | 76% | 83% | 93% |
| Section 2: Methods to diversify faculty | 25 | 30 | 43% | 77% | 83% |
| Section 3: Methods to diversify staff and administration | 20 | 30 | 37% | 57% | 67% |
| Section 4: Role of dean in Heller diversity policies | 34 | 37 | 65% | 86% | 92% |
| Section 5: Multicultural branding and communication techniques used | 9 | 9 | 78% | 100% | 100% |
| Section 6: How the associate dean for equity, inclusion and diversity is situated for success | 29 | 30 | 87% | 87% | 97% |
| Total | 141 | 165 | 62% | 79% | 85% |
Dig Deeper: Full HEED Checklist
(December 2021)
Section 1: Methods to recruit and retain underrepresented and first-generation students
| 1 | Community outreach | Yes |
| 2 | Admissions officers with a diversity focus | Yes |
| 3 | On-campus diversity recruitment efforts | Yes |
| 4 | Community college bridge programs | Yes |
| 5 | Pre-college programs for K-12 students | Yes |
| 6 | Social media outreach | Yes |
| 7 | National strategic partnerships | Yes |
| 8 | Race-conscious scholarships | Yes |
| 9 | Economic-conscious scholarships | Yes |
| 10 | Holistic admissions process | Yes |
| 11 | Recruiter attendance at underrepresented student conferences | Yes |
| 12 | Other: New partnerships formed with Govern for America and Lead for America, admissions blog posts written by a diverse group of current students, new yield event for admitted applicants hosted by the Heller Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity | Yes |
| 13 | Comments: Each admissions team member participates in different aspects of diversity recruitment according to their role in admissions | Yes |
| 14 | Methods to improve retention and graduation rates for underrepresented and first-generation students (Embedded English Language Programs, Culturally- relevant group programming in partnership with the Brandeis Counseling Center) | Yes, see note |
| 15 | Heller strategic plan (Note: via annual program reviews) | Yes, see note |
| 16 | Institutional research on student success patterns (Note: via annual program reviews) | Yes, see note |
| 17 | Cohort-based academic success and leadership programs (Note: By way of program-specific mentorship/buddy programs and program-specific Student Association leaders) | Yes, see note |
| 18 | Academically-themed diverse student organizations | Yes |
| 19 | Supplemental instruction | Not at this time |
| 20 | Free tutoring support | Yes |
| 21 | Culturally-relevant advising (Note: piloting faculty-BIPOC student mentorship program in January 2022) | Yes, see note |
| 22 | Early warning systems | Yes |
| 23 | First year experience programs | Yes |
| 24 | Summer bridge programs | Yes |
| 25 | Mentorship programs - pilot | Yes |
| 26 | Other (Anti-bias training) | Yes |
| 27 | Comments: Orientation to include difficult dialogues, multicultural and self-care training | Yes |
| 28 | Describe new programs targeting underrepresented students in the last 12 months. (New partnerships formed with Govern for America and Lead for America, Embedded English Language Programs, Culturally-relevant group programming in partnership with the Brandeis Counseling Center, faculty-BIPOC student mentorship program) | Yes, see note |
| 29 | What is the time to degree for doctoral-level students in the following groups?
|
TBD |
Section 2: Methods to diversify faculty
| 1 | Heller strategic plan | Yes |
| 2 | Dedicated faculty diversity recruitment specialist (Note: By way of the Dean's Operating Council) | Yes, see note |
| 3 | National partnership efforts | In progress |
| 4 | Advertisements in diversity publication and/or job boards | Yes |
| 5 | Participation in diversity recruitment events | Yes |
| 6 | Strategic funds used to increase financial offers to diverse job candidates | Yes |
| 7 | Grant-funded initiatives to increase retention (NSF advance program, etc.) | Yes |
| 8 | Strategic funds being used to hire diverse candidates | Yes |
| 9 | Host future faculty diversity symposia on campus (Note: Examples include: "A Sankofa Community Conversation and Racial Literacy Workshop with Howard C. Stevenson; "A Conversation with Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr.: Brandeis 21-Day Equity Challenge for a More Inclusive Community"; Heller Community Reading for Social Justice: Teach-In with Dr. Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor) | Yes, see note |
| 10 | Diversity-themed postdoctoral fellowships | Yes |
| 11 | Diversity faculty exchange programs with HBCUs, MSIs, etc. | In progress |
| 12 | Pipeline programs for future faculty (Note: Placing doctoral students of color into leadership roles at Heller that can grow with the institution) | Yes, see note |
| 13 | We require diversity accomplishments from job candidates to consider in the hiring process | Yes |
| 14 | We require search committees to include diverse candidates as part of the pool of job candidates | Yes |
| 15 | We require diverse job candidates as part of the pool of job candidates | Yes |
| 16 | Other | Not at this time |
| 17 | Comments | Not at this time |
| 18 | Describe any pipeline programs Heller has with other institutions of higher education that assist in recruiting diverse faculty | In progress |
| 19 | Which diversity publications and/or job boards does Heller use to attract diverse candidates? List max of 10. (Note: American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education, Asian Career Web, Black Career Women, Blacks in Higher Education, Career Women, Equal Opportunity Publications, Glassdoor, LGBT Career Link, Military Hire, National Urban League, and more) |
Yes, see note |
| 20 | List retention strategies to keep diverse faculty (Note: Examples include matching salary offers and providing work-life balance adjustments, mentoring and professional development opportunities through the School of Arts and Sciences, access to peer and affinity networks across the university) | Yes, see note |
| 21 | Family flexible tenure timelines | Yes |
| 22 | Mentor programs (Note: Offered through the School of Arts and Sciences) | Yes, see note |
| 23 | Cohort-driven leadership programs for junior diverse faculty | Not at this time |
| 24 | Graduate research support for new diverse faculty | Not at this time |
| 25 | Start-up research funds for new diverse faculty | Not at this time |
| 26 | Affinity or employee resource groups | Yes |
| 27 | Participation in diversity-related programming is considered in tenure and promotion process | Yes |
| 28 | Other | Not at this time |
| 29 | Comments | Not at this time |
| 30 | Describe any new programs and/or initiatives begun in the last 12 months to assist in the recruitment and retention of underrepresented faculty (Note: Updated Staff Recruitment and Onboarding policy, launch of Multicultural Teaching and Learning website) | Yes, see note |
Section 3: Methods to diversify staff and administration
| 1 | Heller strategic plan | Yes |
| 2 | Dedicated staff diversity recruitment specialist | Yes |
| 3 | National partnership efforts | Not at this time |
| 4 | Advertisements in diversity publications and/or job boards | Yes |
| 5 | Participation in diversity recruitment events | Yes |
| 6 | Strategic funds used to increase financial offers to diverse job candidates | Yes |
| 7 | Grant-funded initiatives to increase retention (NSF advance program, etc.) | Not at this time |
| 8 | Strategic funds being used to hire diverse candidates | Yes |
| 9 | Host future staff diversity symposia on campus | Yes |
| 10 | Diversity-themed postdoctoral fellowships | N/A |
| 11 | Diversity staff exchange programs with HBCUs, MSIs, etc. | Not at this time |
| 12 | Pipeline programs for future staff (Note: These are ad hoc programs) | Yes, see note |
| 13 | We require diversity accomplishments from job candidates to consider in the hiring process | Yes |
| 14 | We require search committees to include diverse candidates as part of the pool of job candidates | Yes |
| 15 | We require diverse job candidates as part of the pool of job candidates | Yes |
| 16 | Other | Not at this time |
| 17 | Comments | Not at this time |
| 18 | Describe any pipeline programs Heller has with other institutions of higher education that assist in recruiting diverse staff | Not at this time |
| 19 | Which diversity publications and/or job boards does Heller use to attract diverse candidates? List max of 10. (Note: Black Career Women's Network, Blacks in Higher Education, Career Women, Equal Opportunity Publications, Hispanic and Latino Professionals, Inside HigherEd Jobs, Military Hire, National Urban League, Pink Jobs, Professional Diversity Network, The Sierra Group) | Yes, see note |
| 20 | List retention strategies used to keep diverse staff
|
Yes |
| 21 | Family flexible tenure timelines | Not at this time |
| 22 | Mentor programs | Not at this time |
| 23 | Cohort-driven leadership programs for junior diverse staff | Not at this time |
| 24 | Graduate research support for new diverse staff | Yes |
| 25 | Start-up research funds for new diverse staff | Not at this time |
| 26 | Affinity or employee resource groups | Yes |
| 27 | Participation in diversity-related programming is considered in tenure and promotion process (Note: This is increasingly being incorporated into annual reviews) | In progress, see note |
| 28 | Other | Not at this time |
| 29 | Comments | Not at this time |
| 30 | Describe any new programs and/or initiatives begun in the last 12 months to assist in the recruitment and retention of underrepresented employees (Note: Anti-bias training and two staff/admin retreats) | Yes, see note |
Section 4: Role of dean in Heller diversity policies
| 1 | Ensures resources are available to drive diversity initiatives | Yes |
| 2 | Charges the Heller Diversity Committee (Note: Programs are held accountable through Educational Steering Committee and Research Steering Committee) | Yes, see note |
| 3 | Creates a culture of accountability (Note: Community members are held accountable by using benchmarking tools such as the Faculty Activity Report, course evaluations, program reviews, and climate surveys) | Yes, see note |
| 4 | Shows a visible commitment to diversity in speeches, written correspondence, and public appearances | Yes |
| 5 | Ensures that senior leadership is engaged in Heller diversity strategies | Yes |
| 6 | Comment | Not at this time |
| 7 | Describe strategies that Heller has in place to ensure diversity planning and accountability | Yes |
| 8 | Heller's mission statement includes diversity, equity and inclusion as a core value | Yes |
| 9 | Heller's EID goals and plans are embedded in the strategic plan | Yes |
| 10 | Heller requires an EID plan from each program | Not at this time |
| 11 | Heller has a diversity plan | Yes |
| 12 | Heller has an EID task force (Note: Ad hoc groups under the supervision of Office of the Dean and Dean's Operating Council by initiative) | Yes, see note |
| 13 | Heller uses a diversity scorecard to measure/track progress (Note: Using HEED metrics) | Yes, see note |
| 14 | Heller associate dean for equity, inclusion and diversity has the opportunity to formally report on EID plans, successes, challenges and opportunities at meetings of governing board | Yes |
| 15 | Heller associate dean for equity, inclusion and diversity submits and makes public an annual EID report/slides per audience | Yes |
| 16 | Comments | Not at this time |
| 17 | Describe level of activation of EID Plan | Year 3 of 5 |
| 18 | Senior leadership ensures that diversity is prioritized in their respective schools, colleges and divisional units | Yes |
| 19 | Our associate dean for equity, inclusion and diversity provides point leadership in the school-wide implementation process | Yes |
| 20 | Our EID council ensures that many different people are involved in shaping the diversity plan (Note: Heller Students Association, Student Working Groups, Educational Steering Committee and Research Steering Committee) | Yes, see note |
| 21 | Student opinions play a key role in leading diversity-related change efforts at Heller (Note: Through Heller student climate survey, course evaluations, and Student Antiracism Memo) | Yes, see note |
| 22 | Campus diversity efforts are data-driven and evidence-based | Yes |
| 23 | Adequate financial resources exist to drive campus diversity efforts | Yes |
| 24 | Diversity focused financial strategies | Yes |
| 25 | Diversity goals are embedded in the overall budget process | Yes |
| 26 | Annual diversity fundraising campaign | Yes |
| 27 | School diversity incentive grants | Yes |
| 28 | Apply for federal diversity grants (NSF, NIH, DoE, etc.) | Not at this time |
| 29 | Development officer focused on diversity | Yes |
| 30 | Diversity endowment fund | Yes |
| 31 | Diversity-themed alumni fundraising campaign | Yes |
| 32 | Financial resources set aside for internal diversity and inclusion awards | Yes |
| 33 | Other | Not at this time |
| 34 | Diversity training programs for the following groups:
|
Yes |
| 35 | When does diversity training take place for the following groups:
|
Yes, see note |
| 36 | Is unconscious bias training offered for the following groups:
|
Pilot underway |
| 37 | Which of the following are used to understand issues of climate, inclusion and satisfaction?
|
In progress (7/9) |
Section 5: Multicultural branding and communications techniques used
| 1 | Social media | Yes |
| 2 | Multicultural communications specialist | Yes |
| 3 | Diversity-focused admissions material and brochures | Yes |
| 4 | Marketing/advertising in diversity publications on websites | Yes |
| 5 | Student ambassadors communicate campus diversity to prospective students and parents | Yes |
| 6 | Display diversity awards on website | Yes |
| 7 | Link to diversity office or programming on website homepage | Yes |
| 8 | Which of the following offices are at Heller?
|
Yes, see note |
| 9 | Which of the following diversity-related information appears on the Heller website?
|
Yes, see note |
Section 6: How is the associate dean for equity, inclusion and diversity's role situated for success?
| 1 | We have an associate dean for equity, inclusion and diversity (AD EID) | Yes |
| 2 | AD EID reports to the Dean | Yes |
| 3 | AD EID is an executive-level position | Yes |
| 4 | AD EID has his/her own budget | Yes |
| 5 | AD EID has a deciding vote on the diversity council (Note: Educational steering committee) | Yes, see note |
| 6 | AD EID can attend governing board meetings and present the case for school diversity | Yes |
| 7 | AD EID has input in the budget allocated to his/her office | Yes |
| 8 | How does Heller help students develop cultural competence? (Note: workshops, classes, seminars, etc.) | Yes, see note |
| 9 | We have a general education diversity requirement (Note: 1st pilot in January 2021, 2nd pilot coming January 2022) | In progress |
| 10 | Faculty are requested, where applicable, to incorporate diversity into their curriculum (Note: Multicultural Teaching and Learning website launched in September 2021) |
Yes, see note |
| 11 | We have diversity courses for students | Yes |
| 12 | We have multicultural events on campus | Yes |
| 13 | We have multicultural student clubs and organizations | Yes |
| 14 | Issues of diversity are woven into the first-year experience and curriculum | Yes |
| 15 | We offer opportunities for Pell Grant students to study abroad | N/A |
| 16 | Does Heller celebrate the following?
|
Yes |
| 17 | Which of the following affinity/employee resource groups do we have at Heller?
|
In progress (6/11) |
| 18 | Please respond to the following statements:
|
See note |
| 19 | Does Heller offer the following?
|
Yes |
| 20 | Which does Heller offer for students with disabilities?
|
In progress (9/10) |
| 21 | Has Heller experienced any of the following incidents on campus?
|
Yes (4/6) |
| 22 | To what extent has Heller met strategic diversity goals for the following (items 23-30): | In progress (7/8) |
| 23 | We have increased the number of female full-time non-tenured faculty over the past five years. | Yes |
| 24 | We have increased the number of female full-time tenured faculty over the past five years. | Yes |
| 25 | We have increased the racial and ethnic diversity of full-time non-tenured faculty over the past five years. | Yes |
| 26 | We have increased the racial and ethnic diversity of full-time tenured faculty over the past five years. | Not at this time |
| 27 | We have increased the racial and ethnic diversity of our leadership over the past five years. | Yes |
| 28 | We have increased the number of women in leadership positions over the past five years. | Yes |
| 29 | We have increased the number of female STEM faculty members over the past five years. | Yes |
| 30 | We have increased the number of full-time underrepresented students over the past five years. | Yes |