Progress Updates
IMSA’s strength comes from the diverse people and perspectives in our community. This pillar focuses on recruiting, retaining, and developing staff and faculty with diverse identities and experiences. It also highlights the importance of cultural competence in teaching, leadership, and everyday interactions, ensuring all adults at IMSA can support and inspire students from every background.
Second Quarter 2025-2026
This quarter, we advanced our work toward cultivating a staff and faculty community that mirrors the diversity of our students and is equipped with the cultural competence needed to support, challenge, and inspire every learner. By strengthening our recruitment practices, deepening our professional capacity, and creating meaningful spaces for shared reflection, we continue to build an adult community that models the equity we want students to experience. Highlights include:
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Expanding Our Reach to Attract Diverse Talent
IMSA participated in multiple national trainings focused specifically on recruiting and attracting a broad spectrum of talent. These opportunities sharpened our strategies and expanded our networks, supporting more inclusive hiring practices. -
Embedding HR Best Practices Into Talent Management
We continued implementing best-practice guidance from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), strengthening our approach to talent acquisition, retention, and development. Simultaneously, we are assessing additional opportunities to refine and improve our processes. -
Refining Equity-Aligned Interview Practices
Work is underway to ensure interview questions are aligned with position responsibilities and consistently reflect IMSA’s beliefs and commitment to equity. A new slate of standardized questions will be finalized for upcoming leadership and faculty searches, helping ensure a fair, transparent, and mission-centered hiring experience. -
Deepening Understanding Through Dialogue & Meaning-Making
The DEIU Leadership Team has been planning a Staff DEI Climate Survey Results and Meaning-Making Think Tank session for the February Community Day, offering a safe, facilitated environment for staff to reflect on their experiences, clarify survey responses, and contribute recommendations. This process helps ensure that our next steps are grounded in authentic staff voice. -
Building Capacity Through Community Think Tanks
Additional DEIU Leadership Team–led Think Tanks are planned for February Community Day, including Equity in STEM, STEM Ambassador Program, Students’ Sense of Belonging in Mathematics, Faculty, RC, and support staff connections, and Advancing Cultural Wealth in the Workplace. These sessions will encourage participants to move beyond identifying issues and into creative problem-solving, idea generation, and actionable pathways to strengthen trust, representation, and belonging across the academy. -
Celebrating Staff Identity and Creativity
The Fine Arts team sponsored an Art Show in Art Alley, featuring diverse creative works by IMSA staff. This exhibit not only showcased the wide range of talent within our community but also celebrated the identities and stories expressed through art.
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First Quarter 2025
HR is in the process of evaluating industry trends and aligning with best practices, including applying gender neutral language to all job postings and utilizing more inclusive language in working conditions and physical requirements section on job postings.
All colleagues have completed Canvas hiring training and new employees have completed Title IX and VI training. There are also plans to update all job descriptions with equity statement. All new employees sent link to complete Canvas Cultural Competence course. Most new employees have completed Title IX and VI training.
OIR, DEI, and HR are planning to host focus groups to discuss the Staff Diversity Climate Survey as part of Community Day. Also as part of Community Day, the DEIU Leadership Team is planning virtual expert panel and internal staff share DEI work, and Cabinet-led break-out groups during Community Day. They are also working on establishing a DEIU Award for staff, faculty, and students.