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The Brockport Promise 

SUNY Brockport promises to engage our students each day in cultivating their capacity for intellectual, physical, and creative accomplishment. 

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The Goals of Building a Better Brockport 

• To be a Great University at which to Learn 
• To be a University Engaged with its Community 
• To be a Sustainable and Thriving University for the 21st Century 
• To be a Great University at which to Work 

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Message from the President

Dear Colleagues:

Through intentional efforts, our student body is becoming increasingly diverse, and we are making efforts to diversify our employee base as well. While acknowledging that we have concerted work ahead, we also have a firm foundation upon which to build, and for this I want to recognize the large number of our colleagues who have, often for many years, been engaged in equity, diversity, and inclusion work on this campus. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to continuous improvement.

Improving our efforts around diversity in its many definitions will provide a richer, more transformational educational experience for our students while they are at Brockport. It will also prepare them to contribute to and make a difference in their communities after graduation. In putting forward this plan, we have asked ourselves where we can make the greatest impact with existing and future resources. We have attempted to align our strategies with Building a Better Brockport as well as with SUNY initiatives. I am confident that the well thought out goals and strategies found herein will guide us through the next five years and beyond. The 2024-29 Strategic Plan for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion will help us realize this vision. I look forward to working with all of you as we undertake these important initiatives.

Heidi R. Macpherson, PhD

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Message from the Chief Diversity Officer

I am pleased to share with you SUNY Brockport’s 2024-2029 EDI Strategic Plan. Building on the progress made from the 2016-2021 plan, this new plan is designed to provide guidance to make SUNY Brockport a more diverse, equitable and inclusive University. While we have made progress under the previous plan, there is still more work to be done. This plan provides a roadmap for doing so. 

Grounded in the mission of the University and our five values, Community, Engagement, Excellence, Transformation and Inclusion, this plan re-enforces our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. It can be viewed as our response to the changing circumstances on the campus, state, and national levels. 

The new EDI Strategic Plan has three overarching goals that focus on campus climate and sense of belonging; the recruitment, retention and engagement of diverse students, faculty, and staff; and accessibility and community engagement. Specific strategies have been developed that will be executed to achieve these wider goals and serve as measures of our success. This plan should be read in conjunction with the University’s Strategic Plan Building a Better Brockport, our Strategic Enrollment Management Plan, our Academic Strategic Plan, our Affirmative Action Plan and SUNY’s 25 Point Action Plan for DEI. 

I want to thank all those involved in this endeavor; the members of the EDI Strategic Planning Committee, proofreaders/editors, and our shared governance bodies, Brockport Student Government, Brockport University Senate, College Council, and the President’s Cabinet. Many thanks to you for giving your time and talents in this process. This plan would not have become a reality without you. 

Finally, EDI is value added to our academic enterprise and community. As equity, diversity and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility I invite all student, staff and faculty to join me in moving this plan forward. 

Damita A. Davis, PhD

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Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategic Planning Committee

• Damita A.Davis, Chief Diversity Officer
• Lorraine Acker, Vice President for Student Affairs
• Melis Kural, Program Coordinator, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Pilapa Carroll, Associate Professor, Anthropology
• Janet Roy, Associate Director, Marketing
• Tyler Moesle, Associate Director for Institutional Research
• Christiana Ortiz-Schmanke, Affirmative Action Officer/Diversity Recruitment and Retention Specialist

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EDI Strategic Plan 2024-2029

Our new EDI Strategic Plan builds on the progress made in our previous plan, which covered the years 2016-2021.1 The focus of that plan was on reducing barriers to access, inquiry, engagement, and completion for all students, and increasing social equity for all members of the campus community in alignment with the four values of SUNY Brockport’s larger Strategic Plan: Community, Engagement, Excellence, and Transformation. Since that date, the university has added Inclusion as a fifth value.

Brockport’s new strategic (2024-29) plan builds on the work that predated it, continuing our commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) efforts, and responding to changing circumstances at campus, state, and national levels. We will also align our work closely with SUNY’s work on DEI.

The 2024-2029 plan has three goals:

1. Cultivate a positive campus climate and foster a sense of belonging.
2. Recruit, retain, and engage students, faculty, and staff of all identities, backgrounds, and experiences.
3. Provide engaging and accessible experiences on campus and in the community.

Strategies have been developed that will be executed to achieve these wider goals and serve as measures of our success. As equity, diversity and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility, the plan also outlines the department and/or division that is responsible for implementing the various strategies associated with each goal. This plan should be read in concert with Building a Better Brockport, our Strategic Enrollment Management Plan, our Academic Strategic Plan, and our Affirmative Action Plan.

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Key Terminology

Goal 1: Cultivate a positive campus climate and foster a sense of belonging

A great university at which to work and learn has a healthy campus climate and a culture of excellence where its members have pride, enjoy working/learning, and have trust in the institution and each other. At Brockport, our goal is to have our culture characterized by honesty, credibility, respect, fairness, pride, camaraderie, and an appreciation for equity, diversity, and inclusion as underpinning principles for all that we do. Cultivating a positive and supportive campus climate at SUNY Brockport is a shared responsibility that requires active engagement and commitment from all members of our community; faculty, staff, and students must play a pivotal role in nurturing and maintaining a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Goal 2: Recruit, retain, and engage students, faculty, and staff of all identities, backgrounds, and experiences.

SUNY Brockport is committed to elevating DEI efforts through strategic recruitment and retention efforts for faculty, staff, and students. Expanding and refining pathways for strategic outreach, recruitment, and retention of historically underrepresented and underserved students, faculty, and staff entails the deliberate cultivation of a supportive ecosystem that comprehensively attends to the academic, personal, and professional needs of all members. This approach is crucial for fostering active engagement and a deep sense of belonging across the university community and its members.

Goal 3: Provide engaging and accessible experiences on campus and in the community.

An engaged university actively participates in and contributes to the social, economic, cultural, and intellectual life of its surrounding communities, residents, businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit/community organizations. Through research projects, community service/service-learning initiatives, economic development efforts, and cultural enrichment programs, Brockport is a driver of community enrichment and collaboration. These partnerships are mutually beneficial and enrich the student experience at Brockport.