The Diversity and Inclusion Office is presenting a virtual event, the “Diversity Engagement Survey and You,” on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at noon. It is the final installment of a three-part series that seeks to inform the UMass Chan Medical School community about the importance of the Diversity Engagement Survey and how data collected from it will help drive meaningful change.
The survey, which is administered every three years to assess progress in building a more diverse and inclusive culture at UMass Chan, will be sent via email to all faculty, staff and students on March 6 and remain open through the end of March.
The last survey, administered in 2020, received a 36 percent participation rate, approximately 2,000 people out of 5,500. The participation goal for this year’s survey is to increase that rate to 50 percent or more.
Since the inception of the survey in 2011, respondents have consistently voted favorably in regard to trust in the institution’s diversity and inclusion efforts.
The survey breaks down questions into three clusters: camaraderie (trust factor and sense of belonging); appreciation (appreciation and respect); and vision/purpose (common purpose, access to opportunity, equitable reward/recognition and cultural competency). Over time, engagement and inclusion has received steady and favorable responses in the areas of vision and purpose; camaraderie was the only category that saw a low favorable response in the appreciation cluster. Though the data show that the community applauds the overall diversity efforts of the institution, participants responded less favorably in how the diversity efforts have been managed and about their feelings regarding compensation for accomplishing goals at the same level as other colleagues.
Changes to address these sentiments have been made since the 2020 survey, with the most notable being the restructuring of the Diversity and Inclusion Office, the addition of the diversity and inclusion pillar in the IMPACT 2025 strategic plan and the vigorous efforts to initiate priorities that will shift these mindsets over time. There is still room for growth.
The Jan. 17 event is an opportunity for members of the UMass Chan community to learn more about the 2020 results and to prepare to take the 2023 survey.
Podcast: UMass Chan prepares to launch Diversity Engagement Survey
Related links:
National experts in academic medicine discuss Diversity Engagement Survey created at UMass Chan with AAMC
Part 1: Diversity Engagement Survey: What is it?
Part 2: Conversations in Designing and Implementing Data Informed Strategic Plans and Accountability Measures
