Introduction
The four goals comprising IUP's Strategic Plan * cannot be fully achieved until IUP recognizes all students, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni as full participants in the educational process and ensures that university policies, systems, organizational structures, practices, and activities support diversity and inclusion.
Diversity is defined broadly and encompasses the multiple characteristics that comprise individuals' identities, including (but not limited to) race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, ability, religious practice and belief, political affiliation and belief, personal ideology, and intellectual pursuits.
Inclusion encompasses diversity and enhances it by ensuring that all individuals are heard, validated, respected, and engaged. Inclusion is both active and aspirational.
Commission Charge
The President's Commission on Diversity and Inclusion is appointed by the president and charged with the following actions:
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Examine diversity and inclusion practices and their impact throughout the university, including practices that enrich IUP's culture.
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Recommend to the president a vision for IUP that demonstrates an institutionalized, sustainable, and enduring commitment to actualizing the principles of diversity and inclusion.
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Recommend to the president action steps that align with the University Strategic Plan, are high impact, and reflect best practices across the nation. These recommendations will comprise a Diversity Action Plan.
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Monitor and assess the implementation of the recommended action steps (i.e. the Diversity Action Plan) in collaboration with appropriate university entities such as the University Planning Council.
Commission Approach
The commission will utilize a comprehensive approach to gathering information and feedback from a broad spectrum of university, local, regional, and national resources, including (but not limited to) leveraging the work and experience of IUP's diversity-related commissions, studies, surveys, data, and university experts.
To assure that its work is inclusive and transparent, the commission will utilize a structure whereby commission members lead subcommittees in the discussion, analysis, and development of recommendations pertaining to specific areas of focus. IUP students, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni will have an opportunity to express their interest in serving on commission subcommittees. Individuals who are not placed on a subcommittee, or who prefer to provide feedback directly to the commission, may do so at any time by submitting feedback in writing to the commission co-chairs.
Although its work is ongoing, from time to time the commission, on behalf of the president, will issue reports that chronicle the university's progress toward the achievement of diversity and inclusion.
Recommendations to the president will be submitted with the endorsement of the commission and will be clear, direct, specific, and measurable.
*The four goals are: