Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging is critical to community well-being and organizational excellence as well as the development and success of every student. How has NYU Shanghai approached diversity, equity, and inclusion? What has been effective, and where do we see challenges? What institutional efforts and changes do we need to make for a more inclusive community?
To review the past work and make strategic plans for diversity and inclusion at NYU Shanghai, Diversity Initiatives created the Student Diversity Framework @ NYU Shanghai Task Force (the “Task Force”) In July 2021. Between July 2021 and December 2022, the Task Force went through an intensive process of research, campus outreach, and critical inquiry. In January 2022, the Task Force started working on a report that details the project design, methodology, results and findings, and strategic recommendations. In March 2022, the Task Force presented its report, including major findings and the strategic recommendations, to a number of staff, faculty, Student Government representatives, and senior university leadership. The report received additional feedback and was revised on an ongoing basis until finalized in July 2022.
Task Force Co-chair, E’jane Li ’22, presenting the Strategic Recommendations at the first report presentation session on March 3rd, 2022.
As proposed by the Task Force, two important and urgent next steps are:
- To establish a Strategic Action Group consisting of senior leadership, faculty, staff and student members to operationalize the strategic recommendations;
- To form a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ad Hoc Committee (working name) within Student Government that advances efforts to institutionalize inclusion at NYU Shanghai through student advocacy and collaboration with faculty, staff, and the university administration.
In the 2022-2023 academic year, the Student Government Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ad Hoc Committee will focus primarily on facilitating strategic actions as proposed by the Task Force; the Committee director will automatically become a member of the Strategic Action Group.
As of September 2022, the work led by the Task Force students is near completion. We are transitioning into the next phase which will be led by the Strategic Action Group (SAG) and the Student Government Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ad Hoc Committee (DEI Ad Hoc Committee).