University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

As part of its Diversity Plan, the Department of Communication will "[c]ontinue to recruit and retain minority and underrepresented student groups and provide a supportive and inclusive environment for students to learn and express themselves intellectually and creatively."

UTC's 2021-2025 Strategic Plan states that by 2025 the university will "[e]ffectively recruit a larger and more diverse student population" with a "particular focus on traditionally underrepresented groups...."

HR will be undertaking both one-time and recurring diversity and inclusion training events.

As part of its Diversity Plan, the Department of Communication will "[e]ncourage faculty to participate in 'safe zone' training programs so the department can continue to provide 'safe zones' for minority and underrepresented students. (ongoing)"

The Office of Equal Opportunity and Accessibility provides diversity training for faculty, staff, and students which is "used to increase cultural awareness, knowledge, and skills by increasing the inclusion of different identity groups, and by promoting better teamwork."

The Walker Center for Teaching and Learning offers a "Certificate Series for Transformative Teaching" which includes a module on "The Diverse Classroom: Race, Inclusion, Mental Health, [and] First-Gen."

UTC's Department of Communication created a Diversity Plan and states that it is "committed to achieving and maintaining diversity in its curriculum, educational environment, and faculty and student populations." Additionally the department states, "Faculty and staff members will strive to create and maintain a diverse and inclusive program that serves and reflects society and that embraces the Values and Competencies related to diversity as defined by ACEJMC."

A Bias Response Team will be created.

Research grants and proposals for social justice projects are being reviewed by the Vice Chancellor for Research.

The university will conduct a review of its policing strategy and will reform/review it.

The university will create a new "Vice Chancellor of Diversity and Engagement" position.

A comprehensive curriculum review has been completed with changes to follow.

Faculty has been provided with extensive pedogogical resources for "Teaching about Race, Racism, and Race Justice."

The Office of Equity and Inclusion created a "Guide for Navigating Difficult Conversations on Race."

The university hosted the "White Allies and Accountability" lecture.

In February 2022, the Claremont Institute Center for the American Way of Life published a report titled "Critical Social Justice in Tennessee Higher Education: An Overview," which states that Critical Social Justice "undermines equal protection of the law— creating different standards of justice for minorities and the supposedly oppressive majority." The report draws connections between CSJ and DEI program/initiatives at UT-C and states the following: "UT-C has a Strategic Plan for DEI and a university-level administrator. Its efforts at the college level are less developed than most however, with only one of the four colleges seeming to emphasize DEI."

One of the "student learning outcomes" of UTC's General Education program is the following: "Cultivate inclusion by recognizing, examining, and reflecting on the diversity of cultural and individual experiences."

Regarding implicit bias, UTC states that "Search Committee Orientation provides some tips on how to reduce the impact of bias in the search process...."

UTC's Walker Center for Teaching and Learning provides pedagogical resources for "Teaching about Race, Racism, and Race Justice" which includes links to the "1619 Project Curriculum" and the "Harvard Implicit Bias Test."

Multicultural Educators of Tomorrow is a UTC student organization that "strives to make teacher candidates, faculty and staff more aware of diversity, multiculturalism and anti-racism in relation to the future of education." The organization also provides resources for "culturally responsive teaching."