Tufts University

Tuft's May 2021 "School of Arts and Sciences Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Strategic Plan" includes the following admissions initiatives: "Rigorously assess the role of standardized test scores (undergraduate and graduate) in building a diverse applicant pool and in selecting the entering class", "Assess how current financial aid practices support enrolling a compositionally diverse student body", and "Assess existing recruitment and enrollment practices that support efforts to grow the population of Black undergraduates, including efforts to expand the pool of candidates and enrolled students."

In February 2021, Tufts published its Executive Summary of an initiative entitled "Tufts as an Anti-Racist Institution" which states that "Many schools [at Tufts] have also expanded scholarship budgets to reduce barriers for attendance for accepted underrepresented students."

The university's workstreams recommended that the school, "Institute effective education for every member of the Tufts community to drive anti-racist attitudes, values, and behaviors," "Deliver anti-racism and anti-oppression education," and "Embed implicit bias training in all recruiting processes."

Tuft's May 2021 "School of Arts and Sciences Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Strategic Plan" states that it would "Require anti-bias training of all faculty and staff search committees."

In February 2021, Tufts published its Executive Summary of an initiative entitled "Tufts as an Anti-Racist Institution" which states, "The university has supported multiple awareness and education campaigns and events, and recently has approved a university-wide anti-racism and anti-oppression training and education program. This is in addition to implicit bias training that has already been rolled out for hiring managers, admissions staff, and members of search committees."

New Course will be required for incoming students on racial equity and civic engagement.

Tuft's May 2021 "School of Arts and Sciences Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Strategic Plan" states the following: "Requirement that each new course and major offering submitted to the A&S [Arts and Sciences] Curriculum Committee (for undergraduates) and the GSAS Policy and Program committee provide a rationale that includes how this new course addresses issues of equity and justice in the course with a focus on marginalized and underserved communities."

Tufts School of Arts and Sciences states the following regarding its curriculum developments: "The School of Arts and Sciences is in the process of diversifying its curriculum and academic requirements. In response to a faculty vote taken in winter 2018, departmental conversations have begun to discuss inequality and systemic racism within each academic discipline as well as the school. Dissecting racism department by department, program by program allows us to set our agenda for the future. A&S leadership has also initiated a task force to explore a proposal from the Tufts Community Union Senate to turn the world civilization requirement into a diversity requirement."

The university's workstreams recommended that the school, "Include DEI as a priority in the budget process."

The university is pledging $25 million, or more, over five years to become an anti-racist institution, according to media reports.

The university's workstreams recommended that the school implement "Bias-free policies, procedures, and practices" and other practices in campus safety.

In February 2021, Tufts published its "Campus Safety and Policing Workstream" final report which states the following: "To reach our potential as a university and a community, our approach to safety must go beyond the enforcement of rules, policies, and consequences for perceived non-compliance. We must move first to a restorative approach in which harms are identified and repaired, and, ultimately, a transformational approach that can build new relationships, structures, and systems through which future harms can be prevented."

Tuft's School of Arts and Sciences links to its May 2021 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Strategic Plan and states that the document "lays out the actions that the committee deems necessary to become a truly anti-racist institution."

In 2019, Tuft's School of Arts and Sciences created three new "Associate Deans of Diversity and Inclusion" which would "enable A&S to achieve its DEIJ goals outlined in the strategic plan which includes ways to diversify the curriculum; diversify our faculty, staff, and students; encourage and facilitate conversations about diversity across departments and units; train faculty in inclusive teaching strategies; and increase financial aid and other support for first generation students."

The school published an in-depth list of "Anti-Racist Resources for Academia" which includes the following actions and books: "Sign the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Network petition to defund the police", "75 things White people can do for racial justice", "How To Be An Antiracist" By Ibram X. Kendi, and "White Fragility: Why It's So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism" By Robin DiAngelo.

The school's Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching has an "Inclusive and Equitable Teaching Page" which lists its programs including: "Equity & Inclusion Fellows Program," "Antiracist Teaching Faculty Learning Community," and "Assessment, Grading & Equity Faculty Learning Community."

Tuft's Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion is a "collective" of "leaders, educators, and most importantly, people looking to serve as a resource for all undergraduate and graduate students interested in thinking about social identities and the ways they impact our lives and our world." The Division offers students "opportunities for events, discussion, and leadership on issues of identity, diversity, and social justice."

Tuft's Office of Institutional Research published its "Campus Climate Survey on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging: Summary of Initial Findings." The survey was "distributed in February and March 2022 to all undergraduate students, graduate and professional students, faculty, staff, and postdoctoral scholars enrolled at or employed by Tufts University."

Tuft's Diversity and Inclusion webpage links to many school news articles on the topics of diversity, inclusion, and racism.

In February 2021, Tufts published its Executive Summary of an initiative entitled "Tufts as an Anti-Racist Institution" which offers the following institutional recommendation: "Deliver anti-racism and anti-oppression education."

The school's "strategic" initiative entitled "Tufts as an Anti-Racist Institution" was "formalized out of Tufts’ celebration of the Juneteenth holiday on June 19, 2020." The Tufts community "explored the profound effect structural racism can have on Black colleagues and students within our community and discussed how we can work to become a more equitable university."

The University convened a student, faculty, and staff "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Planning" ad hoc committee to help Tufts become an "anti-racist" institution.

The university's workstreams recommended that the school replace, "Coolidge Room portraits with historic and community-driven exhibitions."

On May 31, 2020, the school's President issued a "Community Message on Racial Injustice" and stated that the "recent acts of violence against Black people demonstrate, once again, the racism and injustice that persist in our society." The President went on to say, "I recognize that I have the privilege of being able to go for a jog or put on a mask without fearing that my skin color will make me a target. Not all members of our society—and our Tufts community—enjoy such privilege."