As part of the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement (DDCE), Inclusive Campus Support is a centralized resource for the development of an inclusive campus climate. This unit provides an online anonymous experience form for university community members to share their campus climate experiences that are concerning and helpful. Peer support is provided through consult without referral (unless required by law such as Title IX) and by sharing university and community resources. Proactively, Inclusive Campus Support aids with organizational and departmental planning efforts. Categorized general information regarding submitted experiences is shared with the university community to expand transparency and to inform education and practice, enhancing sense of belonging for students, staff, and faculty.
Inclusive Campus Support was developed after a process undertaken by the DDCE in seeking alternative ways to foster discourse about campus climate issues, following the discontinuation of the Campus Climate Response Team (CCRT) on December 22, 2020, due to a lawsuit settlement agreement. Recommendations were provided after analysis of themes that emerged from survey data, data from focus groups, and conversations with students, staff, faculty, and community members. The planning team and working group recognized a gap that resulted from the discontinuation of the CCRT and the prevailing need for the university community to be able to share their campus climate experiences with a university entity, separate from existing employee or student issue-specific offices, as well as the need for educational information about university policies and support resources, transparency in communication about positive and negative campus climate experiences, and focus on providing a system of care without referral (unless required by law such as Title IX, etc.), investigation, adjudication, or discipline. Inclusive Campus Support was officially launched as a unit within the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement (DDCE) on October 5, 2021.