Fostering Inclusion and Equity: The Role of Student Diversity Action Committees at Penn

When you walk through Penn Charter's red doors, there is a reason our formal-looking school suddenly feels down to earth: the people. Penn Charter was founded not for some people but for all people. The individual students, faculty, professional staff, and administrators at Penn contribute to a vibrant and supportive campus community. The University of Pennsylvania is dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across all aspects of its academic and social environment. A crucial component of this commitment is the active involvement of student diversity action committees, which play a vital role in shaping policies, fostering dialogue, and advocating for the needs of underrepresented groups. These committees serve as platforms for students to voice their concerns, propose solutions, and collaborate with faculty and administration to create a more inclusive and equitable campus for everyone.

A Historical Perspective on DEI at Penn

The pursuit of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Penn is deeply rooted in the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. These movements broke through the repressive atmosphere of the early Cold War and opened US higher education to people, ideas, and entire fields of knowledge that had been shut out. We have those movements to thank for the very existence of African-American studies, ethnic studies, the study of gender and sexuality, and critical research on racism, colonialism and imperialism. It is no accident that those are precisely the areas of study under attack today at Penn and across the country. And it is no accident that attacks on those fields are going hand-in-hand with assaults on diversity, on racial and social justice, and on our colleagues and students who are people of color, noncitizens, trans and LGBTQ+ who have every right to be at Penn and without whose knowledge and insights our university and our society would be impoverished. These movements won institutional changes that improved the quality of US universities. In many ways, we owe the revitalization of our universities to the Black freedom movement and the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s.

Key Student Diversity Action Committees and Initiatives

Penn boasts a wide array of student-led organizations and committees dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion across various dimensions of identity and experience. These groups work tirelessly to address systemic inequities, raise awareness about social justice issues, and create spaces for marginalized students to thrive.

Makuu, the Black Cultural Center: Seeks to enrich and support the principles of diversity and community in Penn student life, with an emphasis on students of African descent.
La Casa Latina: Promotes greater awareness of Latino issues, culture, and identity at Penn.
The LGBT Center: Aims to enrich the experiences, foster the success, celebrate victories, and affirm the existence of Penn’s LGBTQ+ undergraduates, professional and graduate students, staff, faculty, and alum using the lenses of social justice and intersectionality.
The Penn Women's Center: Seeks to foster community, expand awareness, and enhance the educational experience for the women of Penn.
Men of Color at Penn: Provides men support in relation to our surviving and thriving at the University of Pennsylvania as staff, faculty, and students and discuss methods/strategies of dealing with racism, social-emotional indignities.
Women of Color at Penn (WOCAP): A community of remarkable volunteers who come together to celebrate and promote causes that impact women.

These are just a few examples of the many student organizations that contribute to a more inclusive and equitable campus environment at Penn.

University-Wide Councils and Organizations

Student organizations at Penn provide communities for students of various identities. Here, we list University-wide student councils and organizations that support, advocate, and provide community for graduate students from populations historically underrepresented in higher education and/or the professoriate.

The Fontaine Society: Provides academic support, networking, and a peer-support system for promising underrepresented doctoral students at Penn.
The Graduate Student Center: A central hub for programming, resources, support, and advocacy for all graduate & professional students at Penn.
The Family Resource Center: A hub for information, resources, activities, and advocacy for students with children.

The UC Committee on Diversity and Equity: A Central Advisory Body

The University Council (UC) Committee on Diversity and Equity plays a central role in advising the administration on matters related to diversity and inclusion. The Committee shall advise the offices of the president, provost, and the executive vice presidents on ways to develop and maintain a supportive atmosphere on campus for the inclusion and appreciation of diversity among all members of the University community. The Committee will review and provide advice regarding the University’s equal opportunity and affirmative action programs and policies. The areas in which the Committee shall report to the Council include diversity within the educational and work settings, integration of staff and faculty into the larger campus community, and ways to foster a campus environment that is inclusive and supportive of difference. The Committee also will advise the administration on specific diversity issues that may arise on campus.

Addressing Bias and Discrimination

The University has a number of other applicable policies and procedures including a Policy Against Retaliation, Alcohol & Drug Policy, and Sexual Misconduct Policy. Any student at the University who feels that they have been discriminated against by an individual or office acting for the University or that the University is not complying with the requirements of Title VI, Title IX, or the Rehabilitation Act, has a right to register a complaint and seek redress of their grievance, following our Student Grievance Procedures. Students wishing to lodge an official complaint of discrimination and/or retaliation can pursue either formal mediation or a formal complaint of discrimination and/or retaliation through the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs. Individuals also may report having been treated in a biased or discriminatory manner by completing a Bias Incident Reporting Form. This form may be used to report incidents of bias involving Penn students, faculty, or staff. You are not required to provide your name or contact information. 215-P-COMPLY is Penn's confidential reporting and help line.

Initiatives and Resources for Promoting Inclusion

Penn offers a variety of initiatives and resources aimed at fostering a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all students. These include:

The Campaign for Community: Aims to strengthen our Penn community by finding ways to discuss and understand key issues that may appear to be difficult or intractable.
The Community Impact Fund: Provides small grants to support graduate student initiatives and activities that address racial, cultural, or gender-based bias. The goal of the fund is to help foster a community of mutual respect and intercultural understanding on campus, particularly among graduate and professional students.
The Penn Libraries' Diversity in the Stacks initiative: Aims to build library collections that represent and reflect the University’s diverse population.
Wellness at Penn: Offers I CARE, an interactive gatekeeper training for students, faculty, and staff that builds a caring community with the skills and resources to intervene with student stress, distress, and crisis.
Scaffolded Anti-Racist Resources: Pairs stages or feelings people experience with resources to guide you through and move forward with anti-racist work. Compiled by Anna Stamborski, Nikki Zimmermann, Bailie Gregory.

External Engagement and Social Responsibility

Penn's commitment to diversity and inclusion extends beyond the campus borders. The University actively engages with the local community and supports initiatives that promote social justice and equity.

The Trustee Committee on Local, National, and Global Engagement: This committee is concerned with the support of the University in its efforts to foster the University’s presence, positive engagement, and contributions at every level ranging from West Philadelphia to the global arena.
The President's Social Responsibility Advisory Committee: Is responsible for evaluating Penn’s endowment to ensure our holdings are consistent with our values as an institution and the best interests of everyone the University is accountable to.

Student Advisory Groups and Committees

Penn provides various platforms for students to provide feedback and contribute to decision-making processes related to campus life and sustainability.

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Student Advisory Group for the Environment (SAGE): A student leadership committee for discussing sustainability initiatives and ways to foster collaboration between students and administration in developing a greener campus.
The Residential Services Advisory Board (RSAB): Seeks to connect students that have a vested interest in the workings of university housing and residential aspects of campus life with Business Services and Residential Services, with the ultimate goal of generating discussion and initiatives that benefit all parties.
Student heath insurance advisory committee (SHIAC): The Provost of the University of Pennsylvania sponsors a Student Health Insurance Advisory Committee (SHIAC) with cross-University representation and health insurance expertise. Building on the initial work of SHIAC, the Committee is to continue to advise the Provost and the President on matters pertaining to the provision of health insurance for the students of the University.

The Importance of Open Dialogue and Communication

Open communication and dialogue are essential for fostering a welcoming and inclusive campus environment. The UC Committee on Open Expression plays a crucial role in monitoring communication processes, recommending policies for improvement, and investigating alleged infringements of the right of open expression. The Committee on Open Expression has as its major task: monitoring the communication processes to prevent conflicts that might emerge from failure of communication, recommending policies and procedures for improvement of all levels of communication, investigating alleged infringements of the right of open expression of any member or members of the University community, advising administrative officers where appropriate, and participating in evaluation and resolution of conflicts that may arise from incidents or disturbances on campus.

Addressing Concerns and Controversies

The pursuit of diversity and inclusion is not without its challenges. Debates and controversies often arise regarding specific policies and initiatives, such as the renaming of the "Committee on Diversity and Equity." The agenda for the Oct. 22 meeting in Houston Hall included the proposed renaming of the “Committee on Diversity and Equity” to the “Committee on Belonging” - which would require a change to the Council bylaws. “It’s a signal that the University is willing to distance itself from the very principles of diversity, equity, inclusion that marginalized students fought for and relied on for decades,” Wills added. “This is not just a name change. The amendment recommends the removal of key words such as “diversity” and “affirmative action” from the committee’s description. Several student groups reiterated concerns about removing “diversity” and “equity” from the committee title. “It doesn’t feel right to me and my conscience, on behalf of my constituents, to vote yes,” College junior Victoria Navarrete-Ortiz - who previously served as the external affairs chair for the Latinx Coalition - said during the forum. “The collaboration did not bring about the same meaning and purpose that the words ‘diversity,’ ‘equity’ and ‘inclusion’ hold,” Wills said. Students also asked for clarification on the legal rationale behind the name adjustment. These discussions highlight the importance of ongoing dialogue and critical reflection in the pursuit of a truly inclusive campus environment.

Penn's Commitment to Addressing Systemic Inequities

For many of us the DEI initiatives that existed were only a step in the right direction as they often did not address the structural and systemic inequities and power dynamics built into the institutions of higher education, learning processes and means of knowledge production that have led to the reproduction of the status quo. In July 2020, Penn Charter formed two DEI task forces - Race & Equity and Gender Equity, Sexuality & Consent - with the goal of identifying and addressing the policies, procedures and practices that uphold systemic racism, sexism and other oppressive and discriminatory attitudes and beliefs. Each task force is made up of Penn Charter board members, senior administration, faculty, staff, students, OPCs and parents.

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