Note: This committee was a part of Phase I which is now completed. For further information please visit the Council Progress page.

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force was split into seven subcommittees, each with a separate charge and committee members, listed below.

  • Equity Framework Design
  • Student Experience and Success
  • Teaching and Learning Environment
  • Culture and Climate
  • Social Justice Impacts and Engagement
  • Communications
  • Diversity Data

Equity Framework Design

Charge

Umbrella equity framework that ties Diversity Action Plan (DAP) efforts under a unified approach; reorganizing structures, policies, practices that allows for equitable learning, drives our intended next level of DEI. This group will:

  1. Investigate equity frameworks based on best practices
  2. Design for culture of success, equity and excellence
  3. Strategies to eliminate equity gaps; success impacts
  4. Learning experiences are DEI integrated, culturally relevant

Membership

  • Joel McCarthy, Residence Life (chair)
  • Phitsamay Uy, Education (chair)
  • Joseph Argueta, Student Conduct 
  • Adam Baacke, Facilities Management
  • Peter Murray, Campus Recreation 
  • Naomi Wernick, Biological Sciences 

Student Experience and Success

Charge

Investigate best practices in addressing recruitment, enrollment, on-boarding, student life and engagement, persistence/retention utilizing an equity lens.

Membership

  • Nicole Champagne, Health Sciences (chair)
  • Kavitha Chandra, Engineering (chair)
  • Ruben Sanca, Student Affairs (chair)
  • Shirley Adubofour, Student 
  • Joanne Dunbar, Student Activities and Leadership 
  • Matt Hurwitz, English
  • JoAnn Moriarty-Baron, Physical Therapy and Kinesiology 
  • Erin Smith, Biological Sciences
  • Kevin Soleil, Campus Recreation
  • Tony Szczesiul, English

Teaching and Learning Environment

Charge

Investigate best practices for inclusive curriculum, pedagogies and research; advance the understanding and learning experiences through greater cultural considerations, reflections and responses in learning; models of successful teaching and learning programs, initiatives and practices.

Membership

  • Sue Kim, Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (FAHSS) (chair)
  • Fred Martin, Sciences (chair)
  • Ann Dean, English
  • Michelle Hunt, Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences
  • Ainat Koren, Nursing 
  • Sumudu Lewis, Education 
  • Kevin Petersen, English
  • Thao Tran, Mathematics 

Culture and Climate

Charge

DEI as campus priority, owned by all and evidenced through collective responsibility, accountability and actions. Data informs strategies/methodology; opportunities to advance skills, knowledge-base, etc. Team will investigate best practices to:

  1. Infuse ‘sense of belonging’, culture of respect and justice, safety on campus
  2. Aspirational:  each UMass Lowell (UML) member to demonstrate will and skill to lead systemic change towards equity
  3. Pull in Diversity Data strategies
  4. Utilization of instruments (National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), SEA Change, etc.) to inform future strategies
  5. Informs Communication Strategy

Membership

  • Peter Brigham, Facilities Management
  • Danny de la Cuesta, Residence Life
  • Lori Dembowitz, Information Technology
  • Adam Dunbar, Student Affairs
  • Justin Gerstenfield, College Based Professional Advising
  • Meg Sobkowicz Kline, Plastics Engineering

Social Justice Impacts and Engagement

Charge

Investigates best practices in workforce development and opportunities; advance UML impact and catalysts for change; identify opportunities/best practices for personal and professional growth for faculty and staff such as mentorship, DEI advocates/champions and initiatives to promote/advance workforce.

Membership

  • Francine Coston,  Enrollment Services 
  • Garelnabi Mahdi, Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences
  • Maia Gil’Adi, English 
  • George Joseph, Accounting 
  • Jen Keene-Crouse, College-Based Professional Advising 
  • Troy Lazaro, Enrollment Management 
  • Karen Lin, Management 
  • Amy Liss, Multicultural Affairs
  • Shaima Ragab, Provost Office
  • Marina Ruths, Chemistry
  • Larry Thompson, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Communications

Charge

Develop a campus DEI communications plan and strategy; articulate a unified and continuous DEI theme that informs brand, identity, etc. and conveys prioritization of DEI culture at UML; drives the new values statement deeply; elevate DEI visibility; share campus DEI actions throughout process.

Membership

  • Brenda Evans, Student Affairs (chair)
  • Sal Mazzone, International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) (chair)
  • Suzanne Dulude-Potter, University Relations
  • Lisa Edwards, History 
  • David Kimetto, Student
  • Justin Lawler, Hospitality and Event Services
  • Leanne Peters, Facilities Management
  • Lauren Rojas, Hospitality and Event Services 

Diversity Data

Charge

Identify & streamline how we data-mine, report, inform evidence-based strategies on DEI efforts, establish diversity data-mining parameters and opportunities (what/where we collect).

Membership

  • Mai Nguyen, Registrar (chair)
  • Sheri Barich, Data, Analytics and Institutional Research