The Sustainable Inclusive Excellence Action (SIE) Plan was designed to publicly share WPI's strategic approach to actualizing a culture of inclusion and belonging across the campus. This initiative spanned three phases designed to:

  1. Engage our community in the university’s mission and values.
  2. Center the voices and lived experiences of marginalized and underrepresented communities.
  3. Collaborate in the development of action plans to blend diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) into the full fabric of the institution.

Members of the WPI community have made significant gains in these areas, including identifying works-in-progress, which underscores that DEIB is always ongoing.

Starting in the summer of 2023, Tony Laing, Assistant Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging will be convening with SIE members to discuss new or continuous DEIB goals, along with bringing all stakeholders together, to hear what is being done with respect to DEIB work throughout the fall 2023 and spring 2024.

We would also like to recognize and highlight the work completed and/or in progress by some of WPI’s divisions/schools from 2021-2023. Please see below for a summary of DEIB work over the past three years:

Completed Goals

Goals in Progress

Host Seminar Speakers

Inclusive Strategies for Course Development:

Create a climate of inclusion and action towards equity implementation Strategies and Actions:

Aim to have all faculty search committee members trained in best practices in inclusive and equitable recruitment and hiring processes:

Goals in Progress

Completed Goals

  • Professional Development and Cross-Training
  • Increase supplier diversity through partnership with Conscious Customer
  • Goals in Progress

    Analyze Pre-Collegiate program pipeline data and review current dashboard with this information.

    Completed Goals

    Created a position for Director of Admissions for Diversity & Outreach Initiatives to support institutional efforts to lead a strategic diversity recruitment plan.

    Goals in Progress

    Improve Student Retention:

    Improve Accessibility of Courses:

    Completed Goals

    Inclusive Department Culture:

    International Recruiting Practices:

    Support and highlight DEI disciplines and programs:

    Goals in Progress

    Completed Goals

    JET Advisory Council

    Goals in Progress

    Inclusive language:

    Regularly assess the importance of verbal, written and audio communication and the value of being inclusive in our word choice through all mediums.

    Career Development Center:

    Annually, the CDC reviews their website, social media platforms, and newsletters to ensure inclusive language is utilized throughout.

    Dean of Students:

    Use inclusive language in all department communications and publications.

    Student Development and Counseling Center:

    Amplifying Student Voices and Experiences:

    Providing a platforms and support for historically underrepresented students to share their experiences and make space for change.

    Residential Services Office:

    Expand our Leaders Engaging In Advocacy and Diversity (L.E.A.D.) workshop to include an online, self-guided format for student leaders.

    Student Activities Office:

    Offer DEI Training once per year for building managers in conjunction with ODIME.

    Staff Development:

    Encourage departments to internally grow and develop both department-specific and collaborative DEI initiatives.

    Goals in Progress

    Prioritize DEI within Hiring Process:

    Improve Underrepresented Graduate Student Retention:

    Establish baseline data on the retention of graduate students from underrepresented populations, and leverage this data to develop outreach solutions.

    Goals in Progress

    Increase Employee Retention/Lower Voluntary Attrition of Diverse Faculty and Staffing:

    Improve Talent Acquisition Strategies & Initiatives - Implementation Strategies and Actions:

    Improve Underrepresented Graduate Student Retention:

    Establish baseline data on the retention of graduate students from underrepresented populations, and leverage this data to develop outreach solutions.

    DEI Student Co-curricular Education:

    Establish an anti-racist and advocacy educational workshop series to support student co-curricular education around topics of identity, diversity, equity, access, and inclusion with establishing and enhancing advocacy workshop series.

    Completed Goals

    Staff and Retention:

    DEI Student Co-curricular Education:

    ODIME added an inaugural Assistant Director for Religion and Spiritual Life to support students and lead campus spiritual life programs and religious observations.

    Affinity networking groups:

    Campus-wide DEI Educational Workshops:

    Goals in Progress

    Increase Employee Retention/Lower Voluntary Attrition of Diverse Faculty and Staffing:

    Goals in Progress

    Increase Employee Retention/Lower Voluntary Attrition of Diverse Faculty and Staffing:

    DEI Leadership and Engagement at Mass Academy:

    Improve Student Recruitment and Suppport:

    DEI Student Recruitment and Support at Mass Academy:

    Goals in Progress