Renga Consulting is at the forefront of DEI for higher education institutions. Through the use of a proven rubric and process called Project Inclusion, Renga provides a framework to assess and implement achievable, transformative DEI goals within the complexities of academic settings – a process endorsed by the American Association of Colleges and Universities. AACU article
The purpose of Project Inclusion is to support colleges and universities to systematically assess campus diversity, equity and inclusion across the institution and develop strategic action to address identified gaps. This process is guided by the University of Massachusetts Boston New England Resource Center for Higher Education (NERCHE) Rubric for the Institutionalization of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Education (henceforth referred to as “the Rubric”).
NERCHE’s Rubric was developed by a coalition of higher education leaders who participated in the NERCHE Multicultural Affairs Think Tank in 2011. It is divided into six dimensions, each reflecting a key area of college and university life. The Rubric offers teams of students, staff, and faculty an opportunity to assess the status of the institution and identify meaningful evidence of these assessments.
Contact us to learn more about the Rubric
As a Visiting Scholar at NERCHE, Dr. Alane Shanks, Renga’s president and lead consultant, worked with NERCHE colleagues to write a successful grant and received funding from the Balfour Foundation to pilot Project Inclusion in four New Hampshire campuses.
Contact us to learn more about the successful NH pilot
Benefits of Project Inclusion
There are many benefits of Project Inclusion, both explicit and implicit. Some of the explicit benefits of conducting Project Inclusion on your campus(es) are to:
- Identify your institutional commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity.
- Agree upon a campus-wide definition of diversity, inclusion and equity.
- Enhance knowledge regarding the many benefits of diversity and inclusion toward organizational excellence and competency regarding underrepresented populations in academia, and best preparing all students for a diverse world
- Develop skills to engage and equip members of the community to affirm and support diversity, inclusion, and equity in your colleges, classrooms, departments, and places of work.
- Promote an inclusive environment where diversity, inclusion and equity are viewed as the key to maximizing organizational effectiveness, in creating engaging classrooms, and in providing a campus climate that fosters and supports every participant.