Kansas State University

One of the goals of the "K-State 2025 Strategic Action and Alignment Plan for the Office of Diversity" is to "show continued improvement in the recruitment and retention of Historically Under-Represented (HUR) students."

On August 18, 2021, KSU (Office of Diversity and Inclusion) launched the "Increase Recruitment Efforts for Students of Color" initiative, which "focuses on raising enrollment to meet or exceed state of Kansas demographics."

Following the Supreme Court Ruling on Affirmative Action K-State stated, "The Supreme Court decision does not impact our admissions practices or ability to continue to serve all who meet our established admissions criteria." It also reviewed "the full ruling for any broader effects."

The university will "develop and offer mandatory cultural competency workshops for faculty and staff."

The university has detailed its “11 distinct action steps to address racial and social injustice issues at our university.” Progress may be tracked with the action plan dashboard.

The Intercultural Learning and Development unit at KSU "promotes intercultural learning and development through assessments, coaching, classroom teaching, webinars, and publications."

The University hosted a breakout session titled "Removing microaggressions from our campus."

The K-State Safe Zone hosted an "advanced training" on Microaggressions. The promo for the event included the definition of microaggressions and examples such as “'You are Asian. You must be good at math.'" stating it is problematic because it implies "all Asians are intelligent." It continued, "Since [microaggressions are] not an open act of discrimination or racism, it makes it harder to address microaggressions although they are very prevalent." It also included the following quote from Martin Luther King, "Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."  

During KS-Unite, a training session titled "Unpacking Whiteness" was held. The session introduced "participants to the pyramid of accountability" and provided "an opportunity for self-reflection on one’s own culture and its proximity to whiteness." Participants created "an individual action plan to move from ally to accomplice."

The Safe Zone program, in the Department of Diversity and Multicultural Student Affairs, held an "advanced workshop" titled "Culture Deconstructed and Implicit Bias." The training explored how people "can better understand [their] own cultures better, to understand cultures different from [their] own." It also discussed "how biases set us up for behaviors that divide human systems."

The "K-State 2025 Strategic Action and Alignment Plan for the Office of Diversity" states that it would "Assess new courses/curricula for the Tilford Multicultural Competencies and the Diversity Student Learning Outcomes." The Office of Diversity "Encourage[s] faculty to incorporate multicultural and diverse content into existing courses by continuing to offer and fund Tilford Incentive Grants."

The "K-State 2025 Strategic Action and Alignment Plan for the Office of Diversity" states that the "inclusion of multicultural content and pedagogies for diversity in the curriculum is routine and affects all disciplinary areas." The Office of Diversity "Encourage[s] faculty to incorporate multicultural and diverse content into existing courses by counting multicultural curriculum transformation toward promotion and tenure."

KSU's Office of Diversity and Inclusion states that "Diversity is woven into the academic mission of Kansas State University, as demonstrated in the university-level student learning outcomes and the K-State 8 general education program." The Office also states the following in regards to diversity in the curriculum: "All programs are required to have diversity-focused learning outcomes that are assessed for proficiency. In addition, the K-State 8 requires that all undergraduate students take at least one course tagged for Human Diversity in the U.S., and another tagged for Global Issues and Perspectives."

The College of Arts and Sciences implemented the “U. S. Multicultural Overlay,” a new 3-credit undergraduate requirement. The decision was made considering "the historical and contemporary inequities experienced by races and ethnicities that are currently considered nonwhite in the U.S.," with the College stating "It is vital for our students to engage with these issues." Classes that fulfill the overlay "must have a primary focus on race and/or ethnicities that are considered non-white."

The Department of Applied Human Sciences states, "We incorporate and welcome diversity and inclusion in the courses we teach and the content we include in those courses." The Department also states "We design and conduct ethically valid programs that matter to those impacted by injustice and implicit bias."

Under the core curriculum, students may take "GWSS 105 - Introduction to Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies" topics covered in the class include "the roles of biology and social construction in shaping gender and sexuality, sources of structural inequities; and feminist, queer, trans, anti-racist, and anti-colonial activism." The class fulfills the "Human Diversity in the U.S." requirement.

The university also pledged to "establish a work group to analyze and make recommendations regarding all university policies, including discrimination and harassment policies and the Student Code of Conduct, with the goal of identifying and addressing institutional bias and barriers through an anti-racist lens."

The university pledged to "develop a policy on social media usage for students that balances our institutional values and free speech. Currently one exists for faculty and staff."

The "K-State 2025 Strategic Action and Alignment Plan for the Office of Diversity" states that it would "Use diversity training to increase the cultural competence of all faculty and staff."

On April 1, 2022, KSU's Office of Diversity and Inclusion launched the "Developing Cultural Competency Workshops," which "involves not only the development of cultural competency workshops but also establishing the mechanism to both offer the workshops and track their mandatory completion by faculty and staff."

In 2020, the Chief Diversity Officer for the University released a statement on racism, police violence, and the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Flyod. It states "[these acts were] the stimulus for a universal uprising and movement to declare that blacks, minorities and their allies unapologetically condemn the killing of unarmed, non-threatening citizens and the systemic, institutional racism that perpetuates the taking of our lives." The statement concludes that the University is "working diligently to plan and deploy actions to support K-State in achieving a more equitable, welcoming and inclusive university." 

The College of Arts and Sciences released an "Anti-Racist Statement," which condemned police brutality and systematic racism. It included a quote from Dr. King, “There comes a time when silence is betrayal.” The College committed to "review and analyze" the "policies, practices, and procedures for any negative impact on marginalized populations" and "advocate for change."

The "K-State 2025 Strategic Action and Alignment Plan for the Office of Diversity" states that it would "Assess new courses/curricula for the Tilford Multicultural Competencies and the Diversity Student Learning Outcomes." The Office of Diversity "Encourage[s] faculty to incorporate multicultural and diverse content into existing courses by continuing to offer and fund Tilford Incentive Grants."

Student Belonging and Inclusion & Cargill sponsors a program to provide "a scholarship for financial support" "to increase retention and graduation for students" from Southwest Kansas, "where the majority of the population are first-generation racial/ethnic minorities living in at-risk communities."

The E. Eugene Carter Opportunity Award fund aims to "promote gender and ethnic equality on campus with the hope to increase representation within Engineering, Math, and Science curriculum; specifically those from immigrant families or an underrepresented minority." Award recipients receive up to $20,000 towards loan repayment.

The JE Dunn Scholarship provides "financial support to first-generation/historically under-represented students who are active participants within the Student Belonging and Inclusion Project IMPACT scholarship program."

The Joey Lee Garmon Memorial Undergraduate Multicultural Scholarship provides aid to students who are members of "an ethnic group that has been historically and traditionally oppressed in the achievement of academic and leadership endeavors" which is specifically meant "to include applicants of African American, American Indian, Asian American, and Latino/a American heritage." Applicants must submit an essay on "how racial or ethnic oppression has affected them as individuals and how it has led them to pursue social justice activism."

The Robert J. Gump Diversity Scholarship is "available for undergraduate students enrolled in any curriculum... participating in a Multicultural Student Organization."

The University offers $700 Social Justice Scholarships for undergraduate students "of any background who demonstrates exemplary efforts to advance social justice."

The College of Arts and Sciences has an "award for supporting diversity and inclusion." The Douglas K. Benson Award is a $500-$1,000 award for students who advance "diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging on campus."

The College of Arts and Sciences provides funding for the "Diversity Lecture Series Grant," which is a $500 to $1,000 grant "to host prominent speakers, presenters, or performers" that "address issues of diversity or multiculturalism."

The University has a "Unit Award for Enhancing Diversity" where one department or unit is recognized for its work promoting diversity through "supporting research and scholarships in the area of diversity," "integrating diversity into the curriculum," "recruiting students, faculty, and staff from underrepresented groups," or other diversity enhancing initiatives. The selected department receives a plaque and a $2,500 prize.

The College of Arts and Sciences committed to work "with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and campus police to advocate for practices that adhere to antiracist standards."

The university pledged to create a "Student Ombudsperson Office in collaboration between the Provost, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, and Vice President for Student Life to advocate for students experiencing a campus climate concern."

The university will host "Community Action Talks" which feature "presenters, panelists and an opportunity for the community to participate in diversity, inclusion and social justice topics."

KSU's General Education curriculum includes a course titled "Human Diversity within the U.S." which has the following "rationale": "Within the diverse and pluralistic U.S. society, through interactions with each other, individuals often categorize people in terms of inclusion or exclusion from particular groups. To reduce false or unsubstantiated opinions or assumptions they have of 'others' and of themselves, students must examine the many patterns that characterize human groupings in U.S. culture — for example, those based on gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, political affiliation, (dis)ability, and socioeconomic class."

 The Dow Center for Multicultural and Community Studies and the K-State Teaching and Learning Center hosts the "Difficult Dialogues series" for faculty covering "topics such as mental health, race and ethnicity, gender sexual orientation and identity, political divide/current events."

The University has a Commission on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging that is charged with assisting in "creating and developing a university climate of inclusiveness and diversity." It is also expected to "establish and recommend goals and policies" related to DEI.

The Department of Psychological Sciences provides a list of classes from its programs that "have a significant focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging." Classes include "Cross-Cultural Psychology," "Psychology of Gender," "Multicultural Psychology," "The Psychology of Ethnic Humor," and "Advanced Social Psychology." 

The KSU Foundation has an "Inclusion Council" to foster "a diverse and inclusive team." The team hosts book discussion groups, Pride Week celebrations, and other DEI events.

 During MLK Observance Week, the University held an event titled "'Get Rid of Your BS [bias synapse]' with Risha Grant — an unconscious bias experience" sponsored by the College of Business Administration and the Multicultural Business Student Association.

In Spring 2024, the University partnered with Bethel College "to facilitate the inaugural Kansas Truth Racial Healing and Transformation" Campus Center Collaborative. The Center held a "racial healing circle."

The University held an "Intercultural Listening for Racial Healing and Reconciliation" event during its annual DEIB conference.

The university will implement a "'Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation' framework through Student Life."

The University released a land acknowledgment recognizing that "the land that serves as the foundation for this institution was, and still is, stolen land." It continued by explaining that the University exists during "ongoing settler-colonialism, and rests on the dispossession of Indigenous peoples and nations from their lands."

The English Department "adopted core values" that affirm their "values of diversity, social justice, critical thinking, creativity, and empathy." The Department states "We stand for justice and against misogyny, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, Islamophobia, transphobia, ableism, and the ongoing dispossession of Indigenous peoples." The statement continues, "We support efforts to reverse human-caused climate change, and we oppose other human threats to the planet." The statement also includes a land acknowledgment.

The Faculty Senate released a "solidarity statement" that "acknowledges the systemic racial violence in our country and our state." The statement continued, "We stand against racial violence and we stand against white supremacy, including in our K-State culture." In "solidarity with anti-racist action" at the University, the Senate made the following commitments: "develop a mandatory syllabus statement on classroom conduct," "work with other units on campus to develop anti-racism training for faculty and staff," "review the K-State 8 Human Diversity within the U.S. requirement to ensure that anti-racism is addressed in all courses satisfying that requirement," among other commitments.

The Department of Psychological Sciences states that it is committed to "foster[ing] an inclusive environment."