2015
o A letter was sent to President Barron expressing the committee concerns about the mental health services available to students through the Counseling and Psychological Services Center (CAPS). The letter recommended a comprehensive assessment of underlying causes), insurance issues and to find a funding model for CAPS that allows growth commensurate with demand.
o Worked on improvements to staff training across the different departments by implanting more training for staff in the college and the potential establishment of a training coordinator.
o Procedures for generation and managing content for the digital displays were updated.
o A Safe Zone Training was held. Safe Zone is a campus wide program designed to raise visibility about the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) population, to understand the issues facing LGBTQ students, and become aware of the various LGBTQ resources at Penn State. This training session provides a foundation of knowledge needed to be an effective ally to LGBTQ students.
o Changes to the postdoc Individual Development Plan (IDP) were initiated to made an electronic version of the IDP. This would help increase participation with the IPD. To increase awareness of the IPD a five-minute presentation about what IDP is and why you should do it was prepared and presented at department faculty meetings.
2014
o Finalized graduate students mentor/mentee best-practices document. Identified volunteers to act as beta-testers for the forthcoming Grad Student Annual Activity Report. Worked on ways the College could implement a multi-pronged information dissemination strategy, to supplement the weekly newsletters.
o Finalized the Dress Code and Flexible Scheduling Guidelines from 2012/2013. HR disseminated the guidelines to Administrative Coordinators in each department.
o Discussed topics identified from the Climate and Diversity Survey and Strategic Plan staff focus group meeting. Both raised ideas to improve staff job satisfaction and productivity. Some of the improvements are addressed in the ECoS Staff Training and Mentorship Guideline proposal.
o A Mindfulness training workshop was held. Its purpose is to increase awareness and to relieve suffering and stress caused by the unhealthy ways people respond to their experiences.
o Development of a postdoctoral mentoring program was initiated. The general idea of the program is to have each department identify a postdoc coordinator lead a peer mentoring program between postdocs. As soon as a postdoc is entering a university they will be assigned a senior postdoc to help them with onboarding in the first few months to help overcome any issues. Each semester they will have a meeting between the mentors and the mentees to discuss IDP and career.
2013
o Implemented a college-wide ombuds system, with 2 ombuds-people in each department. This proposal that was implemented came from the Climate and Diversity committee, and was put in place with help from Andy Stephenson and the college's human resources office.
2012
o The College Climate Survey was administered in spring 2012 and survey results were presented to the College Executive Committee and Departmental committees. They were asked to discuss the survey and give feedback about issues and directions for future work.
o A major area of concern was the lack of confidence in our graduate students and among our staff that they would be supported if they were harassed (and reported it).
o A common theme that emerged from several departmental committee discussions, as well as from the college committee, was the realization that the climate for graduate students appears to be declining in 2012 compared to 2008. Among the initiatives for this committee in 2013-3014 are production of guidelines for expectations of both graduate students and student mentors in the College, establishment of graduate student ombudspersons, and investigating other mechanisms to facilitate communication with graduate students.
o A final concern from the survey was that several members of our college report being harassed in the 12 month period before the survey. The committee realizes that a zero tolerance policy for such behavior is necessary and suggests better communication and increased confidence of support among our colleagues is necessary to reach this goal.
o A newsletter for the distribution to the college members an the college climate survey was used to motivate the content of the newsletter.
o Dress Code and Flex Schedule guidelines were created, and the College Climate Committee approved them on 3.12.13. Amanda Jones then met with Karin Foley to discuss the proposals. This meeting produced a few modifications to the proposals, which will be submitted to Dean Larson for his approval.
o Fund were committed to purchase eight displays that will be in science buildings on campus. The major goal of the project is to improve college-wide communication about important events and initiatives. Locations, Implementation of installation, Content Management and a system for reviewing the effect of the signage and content were established
2011
o New Climate Survey was developed and given and received a very good response rate. Used to understand needs, track progress (or lack of) and develop action plans.
o Developed a postdoctoral mentoring plan that includes a number of best practices we identified and that is being implemented by the college this year.
o In response to a perceived shortage of content in the university level postdoctoral orientation, The college is now running a short orientation for ECoS post docs (current and new).
o Based on the success in chemistry we proposed establishment of departmental Ombudspersons in each department. Departmental ombudspersons were implemented in 2012.
o A one day Climate and Diversity retreat was held at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center. A video on rankism was presented and discussed, the WAGES game was played, and the LGBTA facilitated activities and led a discussion.
o Implementation of the Seminar Diversity Tracking form was continued.
o Several manuals for specific staff tasks along with a list of people and responsibilities throughout the college was put together to serve as a resource.
o Proposed the college adoption of a system of digital displays to disseminate climate and diversity information.
2010
o An all departmental climate and diversity committee joint meeting was held on Thursday, October 8, 2010. The goal of the meeting was to foster communication between the college and department committees. The plan is for the joint meeting to be an annual kick-off event.
o An update of the official Dean’s charge to departmental climate and diversity committees was presented. The charge will also be reviewed at each annual kick-off joint meeting of the college and departmental committees.
o Six Climate and Diversity Awards and an additional two Special Recognition of Service awards were presented.
o Began working on implementing a follow up climate and diversity survey.
o Promote the Code of Conduct including displaying posters and working to make sure it was incorporated into course syllabi.
o A more detailed policy on support for under-represented speakers was written and approved by the Dean to be disseminated at the departmental level.
o The Diversity Strategic Plan provides detailed tables of the college’s plans for the next five years responding to the seven identified challenges and many sub-challenges in the Framework and recommends that this sub-committee be continued into the next year to work with the various stakeholders involved in the Diversity Strategic Plan.
o Helped the University Postdoctoral Society review a Postdoctoral Handbook they were creating and compared Penn State Postdoctoral pay and benefits with other Big Ten Universities.
o Explored ways to promote and help fund specific postdoctoral events.
2009
o Sub-committees Diversity Awareness, Code of Mutual Respect and Cooperation, and Postdoctoral Initiatives were formed to work on new initiatives and to continue work on initiatives from the previous academic year.
o The first annual Dean’s Climate and Diversity Awards took place. Six awards were given at an awards reception in January of 2010. This program was recognized at the Quality Issues Forum in May of 2010.
o A Code of Mutual Respect and Cooperation was developed by the sub-committee to be used as a basis to promote better climate between faculty, staff, and students.
o The postdoc sub-committee was formed in March of 2010. 52% of the postdocs at Penn State are in the Eberly College of Science. Created a general information packet to be given to postdocs when they first arrive at Penn State. The subcommittee suggested assigning a Associate Dean as the go to for postdoc related issues.
o The Diversity Awareness Subcommittee worked to strengthen the relationship of the college and departmental climate and diversity committees, increase the diversity of seminar and colloquium speakers, create a welcoming environment for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community.
o Encouraged promotion of Staff Appreciation Week.
2008
o Three sub-committees were formed, Diversity Programming/Awareness, Communications, and Recognition and Rewards.
o Increased ECOS membership in the LGBT Support Network through a membership drive.
o Sponsored two “Straight Talks”
o Scheduled two LGBTQ Awareness Trainings.
o Created a poster for Pride Week depicting LGBTQ scientist. Posters were displayed throughout ECOS buildings.
o Developed proposal for Climate and Diversity Awards within the ECOS.
o Drafted a Student Code of Conduct as a first step in improving climate between faculty and students.
o Co-sponsored the Human Race Machine during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.
2007
o The ECOS was crucial in the development of the University’s Parental Leave Accommodation Policy for graduate students and post docs.
o The ECOS provided support to the formation of the University’s Post-doctoral Society.
o Again, the ECOS collaborated with sponsors to present the Human Race Machine during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.
o The college-wide climate survey was conducted.
o The committee sponsored an LGBTQ education opportunity for all committee members. Straight Talks was a panel of speakers of varied sexual orientation that educated the committee about sexual orientation, gender identity, oppression and diversity at Penn State University.
o The committed discussed gender awareness and miscommunication within staff/supervisory positions. The committee will sponsor viewings of the video “The Power Dead-Even Rule and Other Gender Differences in the Workplace.” The DVD is also available for groups to reserve.
o The committee provided ideas and information for input into the Development Case Statement.
2006
o The committee provided information to the University’s SAC Committee to create a University-wide Parental Leave Policy for post-docs and graduate students.
o The climate of the LGBTQ community within the College was addressed and initiatives began to increase awareness within the College.
o A retention subcommittee formed to evaluate possible retention strategies within the College. Discussion of a collaborative learning center began.
o The Eberly College of Science has more post docs then Hersey or any other College. In regards to the climate of our post-docs the committee focused on communication to our post-docs about opportunities within the College.
o Again the Human Race Machine was an activity during the Martin Luther King Junior celebration.
o The committee decided to develop a climate survey to administer to all members of the ECOS.