Arkansas State University

ASU's 2021-2026 "Minority Recruitment and Retention Plan" states, "The goals and strategies outlined below must be attained if the University is to experience sustained long-term growth and be viewed as a college of choice for people from underrepresented groups as America continues its transformation into a multicultural and multiethnic society devoid of a majority group."

The College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP) 2023-2028 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Plan includes the goal that "students will reflect the diversity of the healthcare population" that they serve. To fulfill this, the CNHP will improve the "application and admissions process support for students from diverse populations and other underrepresented groups." The College aims to increase the enrollment of "underrepresented students in the CNHP by 10% by 2028."

The university states that, "The staff of the Office of Title IX and Institutional Equity delivers educational programs, support activities and programs throughout the campus community (for students, faculty and staff) on the issues of sexual discrimination, equity, diversity, and affirmative action. Programs are offered as scheduled or upon request." Such programming is optional.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs "provides workshops and training centered around diversity, equity, and social justice."

ASU's 2021-2026 "Minority Recruitment and Retention Plan" states that it would "Implement search committee training and practices that avoid/reduce bias and encourage broad representation on search committees for faculty and staff."

The University has an "Advocating for Students of Color" workbook that tells people to "Remove a Colorblind Ideology" stating that "removing color strips People of Color (POC) of their identity, it suggests something is wrong with POC, and doesn't recognize their specific struggles in the US based on race." It also discusses "White privilege" and states "resist being a 'good' white person... do not declare how you are a 'good' white person." The workbook tells White people, "POC are not required to educate you about racism."

ASU's 2021-2026 "Minority Recruitment and Retention Plan" states that it would "infuse more DEIB [Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging] into various levels of the general education curriculum where appropriate" by the following methods: "Create a comprehensive survey instrument to determine the extent of DEIB coverage in the general education curriculum and in other courses throughout the university" and "Provide incentive grants to encourage and enable faculty members to introduce more DEIB into their current course offerings."

ASU has the goal to "infuse more diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging into various levels of the general education curriculum."

The College of Nursing and Health Professionals 2023-2028 DEI plan aims to incorporate "course content across CNHP curricula that expose students to the experiences and healthcare needs of diverse sections of society" which will be done by "completing a mapping review for diverse and inclusive curriculum content appropriate for health professions coursework." The CNHP will also "allow for in-depth class discussions moderated by the instructor that will expand the students’ views of diverse and inclusive societal values."

The University has a discrimination and bias reporting form.

ASU's 2021-2026 "Minority Recruitment and Retention Plan" states that it would "Integrate DEI as a component for evaluating all supervisors," and that "Campus units will develop, present and implement individual DEI plans consistent with the goals, principles and suggestions outlined in the DEI strategic plan." These "self-developed plans shall be used to help assess accountability."

The university offers Diversity Grants to projects proposed by students of color primarily.

Arkansas State offers a program titled "Inspiring Diverse Leaders" to future students. The program is primarily for "incoming freshmen from diverse backgrounds" and provides such individuals with resources and guidance through their matriculation.

Arkansas State hosts the ACT Prep Camp which is a residential camp that is "being offered to rising high school seniors who have previously taken the ACT and are part of an underrepresented ethnic population."

Arkansas State provides a $2500 honorarium as part of the Diversity Excellence Award which "recognizes individual faculty members, faculty groups, academic departments or academic units that demonstrate the highest commitment to enhancing excellence through diversity."

ASU's 2021-2026 "Minority Recruitment and Retention Plan" states that as part of the Diversity Incentive Grants Program, "Monetary grants will be provided to faculty and staff members to pursue diversity-related research, create diversity-based courses or infuse diversity into existing courses."

The University was awarded a grant from the Blue & You Foundation which will "provide mentoring, cohort building and financial assistance to underrepresented minority students in the premedical curriculum."

The Thompson Scholarship is a $2,000 scholarship "awarded to four continuing students of an underrepresented ethnic background."

The University Police Officers are required to complete an annual training on "bias-based policing, ethics, as well as many other law enforcement topics."

On June 18, 2021, Arkansas State held a Diversity and Inclusion Conference where diversity and inclusion experts addressed "how diversity looks in action." Keynote speakers who specialize in anti-racist initiatives were brought in to provide resources for "community members, educators, health care professionals, human resource professionals, business professionals, and those in similar fields." Most of the experts had experience promoting mandatory diversity training in educational institutions and businesses.

Arkansas State's Office of Diversity "will be expanding into further initiatives geared towards improving our diverse community such as the Black Faculty and Staff Association, the Hispanic Faculty and Staff Association, the Black Male Success Initiative, and other ventures."

Arkansas State provides numerous resource links for diversity. For example, the university provides links to the Implicit Bias Test. Additionally, the university outlines various definitions for terms such as diversity and race.

The university's Office of Multicultural Affairs "works to create a welcoming and inclusive campus environment by providing programming that promotes an appreciation for diversity, multiculturalism, and social justice" with the goal to "advance diversity education and cultural competence through programs and initiatives."

The Multicultural Center hosts celebrations and networking events to foster diversity.

In May 2021, Perdeta L. Bush became the director of Title IX and Institutional Equity.

On July 30, 2020, A-State held a session on "mentoring students with attention to underrepresented identities."

ASU's Dean B. Ellis Library includes a book titled "Critical race theory in teacher education : informing classroom culture and practice" by Andrew Peterson and Rob Hattam which is summarized as follows: "'This important volume promotes the widespread application of Critical Race Theory (CRT) to better prepare K-12 teachers to bring an informed asset-based approach to teaching today's highly diverse populations'."

ASU's Multicultural Center provides "social, cultural, educational and leadership opportunities with specific attention to the needs of underrepresented and marginalized students" and "[advocates] for the needs of marginalized students."

The University's 2023-2025 Minority Recruitment and Retention Plan states ASU intends to improve the academic performance of underrepresented students through "the creation of an academic advisor position whose primary function will be to develop, implement and coordinate initiatives, programs, and University functions and services to improve the academic performance of underrepresented students with particular emphasis placed on African American males."

The goals of the Women and Gender Initiatives include "Social Justice Education and Awareness" and "Empower Students to Become Allies for Marginalized Communities."

As part of A-State's Strategic Plan, the university will "partner with community stakeholders to advance and create diversity initiatives" and "embrace diversity, inclusion, and civility as important values."

In 2023, ASU received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award for the sixth year in a row. The award assesses "the recruitment and retention of students and faculty, pathway programs, community partnerships, leadership support for DEI initiatives, and a comprehensive list of other considerations."

In 2023, the Diversity and Affirmative Action Committee "provided a template to all college deans as a guide for each college to develop their individual diversity plans." Each college finished its plan and turned it in "by the end of the spring semester."

The Anthropology Department has a Land Acknowledgement, which states the department "must involve the acknowledgment of and teaching about anthropology’s problematic history and ties to settler colonialism, the furthering of a pedagogy that addresses Indigenous realities and histories, and a commitment to open and ongoing dialogue between our department and Indigenous communities."