Commitment and Progress
Diversity, equity and inclusion are top priorities for the university. We recognize that cultivating diverse perspectives and promoting inclusion will fuel the intellectual vitality essential for the health and progress of our campus community. Achieving breakthroughs requires visible commitment at all levels of the institution to recruit, retain and advance diverse world-class talent supported by sustainable programmatic initiatives, as outlined by the 2025 Strategic Plan:
- Develop and implement tools and programs to optimize practices in diversity and inclusion throughout the university community.
- Enhance standards for recruiting practices, including mandatory training in implicit bias for search committees, cross-departmental sharing of finalists to fill vacant positions, and a focus on recruiting diverse personnel at all levels of leadership.
- Carefully cultivate and mentor existing talent at the undergraduate and graduate levels to broaden pools of prospective candidates for key positions.
- Identify and institute best practices in student recruitment, admissions decision-making and enrollment to recruit a strong and diverse student body.
Today, we are pursuing those ambitious goals. But there is still much work to be done. Each of us bears responsibility for the kind of community we create, and so we must continue to seek new ways to contribute to a university that lives up to our core values. Below are path-setting initiatives, among many, where progress is being made.
Commitment from University Leadership
"A diverse and inclusive community is the foundation for excellence in research, creativity, learning and human development, and is, therefore, at the core of our mission as a university. As a CMU community, we all bear responsibility for supporting this foundation — with each and every faculty member, senior leader, student and staff person contributing to the effort."
— President Farnam Jahanian
"Carnegie Mellon is equally committed to the principle of equity which, as a partner to excellence, is the foundation for ensuring that faculty, staff and students have the opportunity to succeed and to thrive at the university. To nurture and sustain such a commitment, it is imperative that Carnegie Mellon be a diverse community that reflects the gender, racial, ethnic and other demographic profiles of our regional, our national and our global constituencies."
— Provost Jim Garrett
Task Force on the CMU Experience
This group was charged with closely examining the CMU experience of students, faculty and staff, and with developing near-term and long-term recommendations to enhance that experience to ensure each community member's success. In fall of 2019, the Task Force on the CMU Experience transitioned its initiatives to become university commitments at all levels of our organization.
Task Force on the Campus Climate
This committee, which is comprised of faculty, students and staff members from across the university, will make specific recommendations to support a campus climate that is more inclusive, diverse, fair and respectful. In fall of 2019, President Jahanian charged the committee to form a Campus Climate Implementation Steering Committee that is working towards eight campus commitments that includes designing an Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plans
Each academic dean will develop a five-year strategic plan for equity, diversity and inclusion with implementation to start in academic year 2020-21. These plans will include measurable goals designed to capture opportunities and increase diversity in each school and college.
Administrative Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plans
Each administrative unit will develop a multiyear plan for diversity, equity and inclusion with the goal of implementation beginning in the fall of 2020. These plans will include measurable goals designed to elevate the university’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, internally and externally. Each unit’s plan will complement and support the others to ensure fair and equitable approaches across the board.
Strategic Plan 2025
When Carnegie Mellon University began creating a strategic plan that would shape the institution for the next 10 years, we asked the campus community for help. At the top of the list of goals was attracting and retaining a diverse community of students, faculty and staff.
Procurement
The Supplier Diversity Program was established to identify and establish partnerships with diverse suppliers — including minority, women and veteran-owned businesses — who provide high-quality goods and services to CMU.