Southern Utah University

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion at SUU "provides students with specialized professional development and educational programming, where challenges specific to marginalized students are addressed."

Students must complete the English, mathematics, and Integrated Learning coursework before they have earned 60 credit hours at SUU. While not required, students are urged to also complete the American Institutions requirement within their first 60 credits. American Institutions educational outcomes include: "(4) Diversity–engage a diversity of viewpoints in a constructive manner that contributes to a dialogue about the history, principles, form of government, and economic system of the United States."

The DEI Strategic Plan, adopted in 2019, includes this goal: "ensure commitment to diversity at every level of the University through the development and implementation of a comprehensive Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan by each academic and administrative department and division. DEI Plans will include detailed initiatives and hiring plans. Plans will be submitted to the Office of Equity and Inclusion."

The General Education Committee is considering adding a requirement for Cultural Competency training for degrees and in individual courses.

Students who minor in History at SUU must fulfill a three-credit diversity requirement.

The Behavioral Intervention Team is charged with: "Receiving and investigating reports of Threatening, Concerning or Bias Related Behavior; Analyzing those reports to determine whether an individual is a danger to themselves or the SUU Community; Intervening and reducing the danger that individuals pose to themselves or the SUU Community; Documenting the reports it receives and its outcomes/results; and Meeting Regularly.

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion provides an anti-racist resource guide that includes instructions on how to protest and which organizations (BLM, etc) students can join. The full resource guide includes much more.

The resource guide defines systemic racism vs. individual racism: " Racism describes a system of power and oppression/advantage and disadvantage based on race. Structural racism is a system, or series of systems, in which institutional practices, laws, policies, social- cultural standards, and socio-political decisions establish and reinforce norms that perpetuate racial group inequities. Within the context of the United State of America, and other nations, structural racism takes the form of white supremacy; the preferential treatment, privilege, power, access, networks, and access to opportunities available to white people, which often designate communities of color to chronic adverse outcomes. Individual racism refers to a person’s racist assumptions, beliefs, or behaviors. Individual racism stems from conscious and unconscious bias and is reinforced by structural racism. Please visit the list of books, videos, movies, and TV shows within this guide to learn more about how racism functions and affects all of our day-to-day lives."

SUU offers several departmental scholarship programs that are open to Native American students only.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee: In May 2020, Dr. Schvalla Rivera, Chief Diversity Officer for the University, took employment at another institution. In considering the replacement process for this position, particularly against the backdrop of national and local protests related to the death of George Floyd and others, the President’s Cabinet unanimously agreed to solicit input from a wide range of constituent groups prior to re-opening the position. This input gathering process has included: Meeting and participating with local protestors; Meeting with campus and community law enforcement; Meeting with student groups, including the leadership of the Black Student Union; Meeting with the leadership of the Faculty Senate and Staff Association, as well as other members of the President’s Council; and Establishment of a campus-wide task force for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The new task force was chaired by Head Football Coach DeMario Warren, the first African-American head football coach at the Division I level in the state of Utah. Membership on the task force represented a broad campus constituency and was determined by a process of discussion and nomination. The task force began the process of collecting data from the campus about the environment for underrepresented communities and the desired role and expectations for the Chief Diversity Officer. The committee made its recommendations to the University Strategic Planning Committee on November 30, 2020. (p36)

In collaboration with the Cedar City Police Department, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion developed the "Know Your Rights" training in order to "inform students about their constitutional rights when interacting with law enforcement."

USHE Equity Lens Framework document.

SUU publishes a 31 page guide on inclusive recruiting.

Office of Equity & Inclusion states the following: "SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners. We encourage our community members to make observations and inquires through an intersectional lens. We celebrate diverse approaches and points of view. We believe diversity makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared to compete in a global society. We provide education and programming opportunities that promote understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion. We respect the rights of all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, age, ability, sexual orientation, veteran status, immigration status, gender identity or gender expression."

The Office of Equity and Inclusion offers resources on the topics of implicit and explicit bias.

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion defines equity as follows: "The proportional distribution of desirable outcomes across groups." See the full glossary at this link.

In May 2022, the university will be hosting the 6-part "The Inclusive Mindset Learning Community" seminar.

The university hosted Kevin Gannon, whose "teaching, research, and public work (including writing) centers on critical and inclusive pedagogy; race, history, and justice; and technology and teaching."

SUU's Office of Equity and Inclusion states that it believes in "directly addressing disparities in underserved populations’ access to and success in education and employment opportunities due to systemic barriers." The Office also states that it "understand[s] and commit[s] to recognizing and analyzing historic, persistent factors that have created an unequal higher education system."