Institutional Audit and Targeted Actions

The Institutional Audit and Targeted Actions workstream released its final report in February 2021.

Workstream:

Institutional Audit and Targeted Actions

Goal:

To identify and remove structural racism from all processes, procedures, and practices within all schools, units, and levels of the University.

Charge and Approach:

The Charge:

• Identify where structural racism exists within processes, policies, programs, and procedures across all schools and units of the University (e.g. recruitment outreach programs and targeted communities for recruitment of faculty, staff, students, and student-athletes)
• Utilize a consistent framework to audit all schools and units
• Recommend prioritized targeted actions to remove structural racism including the accountability and transparency needed to deliver the agreed-upon actions
• Identify and implement specific actions having an immediate positive effect on our community, and build momentum towards our long-term objectives and strategy
• Build upon and learn from the anti-racism work in which many departments are already engaging
• Analyze the ways in which the history of racism is relevant to Tufts and informs the work of the other workstreams (e.g. the role Tufts’ history has played in slavery and racism)

To approach this, the workstream:

• Established a Steering Committee with members across multiple levels and multiple schools/units (including student representation).
• Engaged a consulting partner as a thought leader to provide expertise, framework, and tools as well as provide the needed resources and assistance to complete this work.

Key Questions Addressed:

• Where does structural racism exist and what is the impact to the University?
• What visible actions can be taken to eliminate racism within the scope of this workstream?
• How do we build alignment and accountability for making the recommended changes?
• How do we build in structures that ensure the work of anti-racism is sustainable?

Leaders:

Kim Ryan, Vice President Human Resources (Co-Chair)
Joyce Sackey, Associate Provost and Chief Diversity Officer, Health Sciences campuses (Co-Chair)

Committee Structure:

Steering Committee Members:

• Maribel Blanco, Executive Associate Dean, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
• Bárbara Brizuela, Dean of Academic Affairs, School of Arts & Sciences
• Celia Campbell, Administrative Associate Provost, Provost’s Office
• Ian Canning, Deputy Executive Associate Dean, University College
• Kara Charmanski Squillacioti, Senior Director of Administration, Office of the Vice Provost
• Thom Cox, Director of, Design Practice, Tufts Technology Services
• Krissy Day, Director of Business Operations, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
• Alexandra Fielding, V22
• Dr. Flo Tseng, Professor and Assistant Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Climate, Cummings School of Veterinary Science
• Charlotte Georgiou, D24
• Donna Golemme, Executive Director, Operations
• Lisa Halpert, Senior Director of Financial Planning, Office of Budget and Planning
• Dr. Jeanette Sabir-Holloway, Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, School of Dental Medicine
• Sara Judge, Vice President for Development, University Advancement
• Parker Killenberg, A22
• M.J. Kim, Senior Director of Marketing, University Communications & Marketing
• Tom Malone, Executive Associate Dean, School of Medicine
• Jane McIntyre, Financial Administrator, HNRCA
• Brandon Mennillo, Director of Administration, School of Engineering
• John Morris, Director, Athletics
• Elyse Nelson Winger, University Chaplain, University Chaplaincy
• Lili Palacios-Baldwin, Deputy General Counsel for Labor, Employment & Litigation, University Counsel
• Diane Ryan, Associate Dean Programs & Administration, Tisch College
• Maureen Sonnie, Director of HR Strategies, Human Resources
• Anne Spangler, Director of Planning & Projects, Human Resources
• Dan Volchok, Associate Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Science
• Accenture Consultant Partner (TBD)

Additional Resources to Steering Committee Members included:

• Office of Institutional Research–Jessica Sharkness
• Communications/Staff support–Lacey Queen

Community Engagement:

Responsibilities included:

• Leading a team of representatives for their school/unit/department to identify and describe the processes, procedures, and practices to audit. The team included faculty, staff, and students.
• Gathering and analyzing the information/data.
• Recommending targeted actions based on the analysis.
• Providing focus group support and identifying focus group participants.
• Participating in weekly Steering Committee meetings.
• Partnering with an external consultant.

We created a forum for continuous input and feedback from faculty, staff, and students (website, Q&A., focus groups, etc.).