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The University of Maine System Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Steering Committee Charter

Statement of Purpose

(Primary Reason for Existence and the Objectives)

The University of Maine System (UMS) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Steering Committee will be a multidisciplinary team of University and System-based leaders charged with mapping UMS’ path to inclusive excellence, opportunity, and justice. The Committee will provide a structure for cultural renovation that rises to the imperative and is accountable for real progress. It will help ensure that resources and best practices are both shared and leveraged for the greatest possible impact at each university and across the System as a whole. The Committee will work in conjunction with Campus Diversity Councils. The Committee will build on and broaden the work that we must do as public educators to make the University of Maine System an exemplar of an institution that addresses injustice, builds welcoming communities, and treats people with equity and opportunity, including and specifically those populations for whom equity and opportunity might be further constrained or denied in the absence of such efforts.

Membership

(Composition, who appoints, authority to remove, size and attendance)

UMS’ Chancellor will appoint the Committee Chair, Co-Chair and Members, and each will serve a term of three years, and terms are renewable. The Chancellor may fill Committee vacancies and may remove a member from the Committee at any time.

Committee Membership considers the:

  • Matrix organizational structure of UMS
  • Unique knowledge/skills/practices critical for DEI leadership
  • Commitment to measurement/accountability
  • Inclusion of constituent voices
  • Roles whose specialty, access and authority can facilitate progress

The Committee shall have a minimum of fifteen (15) members and a maximum of twenty-five. It is closed to non-members. By design and commitment, it does provide avenues for regular feedback about DEI issues.

Committee composition is as follows:

  • Co-Chairs from Academic Affairs and Human Resources, in alignment with the Chancellor’s Imperative for Change Call to Action
  • Committee members are recommended by their President and/or Shared Service Leader
  • To ensure the Committee’s ability to facilitate and/or enact meaningful progress, membership intentionally includes roles as follows:
    • One Campus President and/or Provost; or Co-Leads
    • One-Two DEI Practitioners from each campus (employees); Members of the Campus’ DEI Council and/or recommended by or affiliated with the Campus Council
    • One member each from the following Shared Services Functions: General Counsel’s Office, Institutional Research, Information Technology, Finance and General Services
    • Three Human Resources roles including the Chief Human Resources Officer, the UMS Director of Equal Opportunity and the UMS Director of Learning & Organizational Development
    • The Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Success and Credential Attainment

The Steering Committee will consider student membership and/or regular, intentional outreach for two-way engagement with students.

Authority

The UMS DEI Steering Committee reports to the Chancellor. The Committee is expected to engage in its responsibilities with intentional latitude to make meaningful progress. Authority must be requested of the Chancellor as it relates to:

  • Project plans and priorities
  • Identify potential budget demands for current and future needs and budget expenditures in support of major initiatives
  • Views expressed publicly by the Committee, since the Committee’s views will be seen to express UMS’ perspectives about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Responsibilities

The role of the UMS DEI Steering Committee is to:

  • Be a collaborative team supporting every UMS campus in leading meaningful, impactful DEI-related work
  • Stay apprised of important and topical DEI news, research and actions (state, national, international) to inform and propose considerations for UMS approach and response
  • Establish an intention toward accessibility as a point of inclusion
  • Introduce a common set of tools that builds our collective ability to make meaningful progress in our unified commitment to inclusion (Ex)
  • Definitions, Diversity Wheel, Principles, Data Orientation, etc.
  • Use data to identify, benchmark and stay tuned to the unique and aggregate DEI dynamics across UMS, including work and impacts in order to share/scale effective inclusion actions and hone into resources and address needs
  • Facilitate a regular and nimble process for DEI data collection and reporting
  • Facilitate and support – by leveraging internal and external talent – a meaningful, well-coordinated, relevant and easily accessible DEI professional development curriculum/offerings
  • Implement collaborative and aligned initiatives to expand and deepen the impact of inclusion work
  • Manage a budget to fund DEI work in such a way that also promotes collaborative sharing and scaling
  • Set appropriate aggregate goals in consultation with Senior Leadership to promote ongoing progress across UMS; use the Objectives and Key Results (OKR) methodology
  • Build and maintain an active, multi-layered communication presence that engages UMS students, employees, and the broader community  and demonstrates our concerted focus and progress; includes collecting and responding to feedback
  • Ensure that the Steering Committee works in conjunction and alignment with Campus Diversity Councils
  • Make recommendations to the Chancellor relative to DEI priorities and resource needs for the collective UMS
  • Report its activities to the UMS Board of Trustees at least three times per year

Meetings and Governance

  • The Committee will meet at least quarterly and more often as needed
    Relative to proposals set forth by the Committee to the Chancellor for consideration of resources and priority, a majority of the Committee shall constitute a quorum
  • The Committee Chair will ensure that a copy of Committee Agendas and Meeting Minutes reflecting any votes or key outcomes of the meeting are self-accessible to Committee members
  • The Committee Co-Chairs may invite any University student, employee, expert or other advisor who is not a member of the Committee to attend; these individuals will not have voting power relative to proposals set forth by the Committee to the Chancellor
  • The Committee will review its Charter at least annually and recommend any changes to the Chancellor for review

Effective Date:  December 21, 2021