Inclusive Excellence Policy

To incorporate Inclusive Excellence into the Board's work, the following processes are established:

1. Inclusive Excellence shall be integrated into the orientation of new Board members, and each new trustee shall be provided professional training and resources as necessary. At every orientation there shall be an emphasis on the Board's Inclusive Excellence core values, expectations, and practices.
2. The Governance Committee shall oversee the ongoing Inclusive Excellence efforts of the Board. Trustee development in Inclusive Excellence is an expectation and shall be considered in trustee contributions and term renewals.
3. Each committee (both standing and ad hoc) shall incorporate at least one Inclusive Excellence goal into its committee goals per Board year. Questions for consideration in establishing goals are contained in Addendum A. This serves as a helpful, but not exhaustive, list, and shall be reviewed by the Governance Committee once per year.
4. The committee goal(s) involving Inclusive Excellence shall have measurable outcomes. Each committee shall use the template in Tables 3 and 4 found in Making Excellence Inclusive: Toward a Model of Inclusive Excellence and Change in Postsecondary Institutions (AACU) to establish and define each goal involving Inclusive Excellence and its objectives, strategies, and measures.
5. Each committee shall provide its written goals in the above-referenced template to the Governance Committee at the same time it submits its Committee Membership and Objectives form at the beginning of each Board year.
6. Using the above-reference template, each committee shall provide a written summary of the status of its goals related to Inclusive Excellence to the Governance Committee one month prior to the May Board meeting each year.
7. The Board Chair's report to the community following each Board meeting shall include a discussion on the Board's Inclusive Excellence work.
8. The Executive Committee shall perform an annual review of the Board's Inclusive Excellence work.
9. The Board shall engage in annual development activities focusing on timely Inclusive Excellence topics.
10. The Board shall conduct a periodic external review of its Inclusive Excellence work.

May 19, 2018

Addendum A
Ithaca College Board of Trustees Inclusive Excellence Policy

Academic and Student Affairs Committee

• Are we asking for reports detailing the make-up of each incoming class?
• Are we asking for reports comparing minority students to other students with regard to retention rates, graduation rates, and other measurable considerations?
• Are we asking for reports on the amount of financial aid received by minority students as compared to other students?
• Are we asking how our communications and marketing strategies are designed to attract a diverse applicant pool?
• Does the College have current and educationally effective policies that protect the essential values of freedom of speech and academic freedom and that encourage civil discourse?
• What process is in place for the Board or Administration to respond to student petitions and demonstrations?
• Has the College recently reviewed and updated its practices and policies to protect students' safety?

Audit Committee

• Are we requiring outside firms/consultants to adhere to our diversity expectations in the teams that work with us?
• Are we requiring outside firms/consultants to adhere to our diversity expectations in the firms' own hiring processes?

Buildings and Grounds Committee

• Are we requiring outside firms/consultants to adhere to our diversity expectations in the teams that work with us?
• Are we requiring outside firms/consultants to adhere to our diversity expectations in the firms' own hiring processes?
• Are we ensuring that all parts of campus meet access needs?

Executive Committee

• Do the chairs of the standing committees represent the Board' s diversity?
• Is there a discussion of diversity and inclusion on the agenda of each Board meeting, with an Inclusive Excellence presentation at least once per Board year?

Finance and Investment Committee

• Are we requiring outside firms/consultants to adhere to our diversity expectations in the teams that work with us?
• Are we requiring outside firms/consultants to adhere to our diversity expectations in the firms' own hiring processes?
• Are we ensuring that the College's operating budget is equitable across all stakeholders of the institution?       
• Are our investments with firms/businesses who exemplify our values on diversity and inclusion?           
• Is our overall investment policy in line with our values on diversity and inclusion?

Governance and Compensation/Assessment Committee

• Are we attracting individuals from diverse backgrounds who fit with the strategic initiatives of the Board?
• Does the board have a plan for recruiting members with varied gender, racial, ethnic, economic, geographical and other diverse characteristics, and for identifying capable new members with diverse experiences, skills, and backgrounds?
• Are we requiring outside firms/consultants to adhere to our diversity expectations in the teams that work with us?
• Are we requiring outside firms/consultants to adhere to our diversity expectations in the firms' own hiring processes?
• Are we ensuring that the compensation policy and plan is equitable across all positions?

Philanthropy & Engagement Committee (formally named the Institutional Advancement Committee)

• Are our external relations programs addressing all of our external constituents (considering gender, race, graduating class, location, etc.)?
• Are we asking for reports on who we actually engage with at events so that we know how to improve these efforts?
• Are we involving all possible individuals regardless of economic status?