Inclusive Excellence: Promoting Diversity and Embedding Values

The University of Denver has long been committed to diversity. That commitment is reflected in policies, in programming, in faculty research and in the classes offered students.

In 2006, DU refined its definition of diversity, going beyond the traditional model of simply counting numbers to embrace Inclusive Excellence, a program that strives for a seamless and campuswide integration of the University’s many populations.

Developed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, Inclusive Excellence is an organizational philosophy in which inclusiveness is embedded throughout every aspect of the institution. It engages students, faculty, staff and administrators, who work together to achieve and maintain a multicultural consistency that extends beyond campus and connects the University with society’s demographic reality.

Seven years ago, DU created the Center for Multicultural Excellence to help the University’s many units understand and implement the concept of Inclusive Excellence. According to Jesús Treviño, associate provost for multicultural excellence, Inclusive Excellence at DU is about each area examining every component of its practices—everything from policies and procedures to marketing materials and internal communications—to determine whether each is inclusive. If not, units may target those deficient areas for changes and thus begin developing the habits of inclusiveness. “It’s a new way of thinking about inclusiveness and a new way of conducting business,” Treviño said.

Because Inclusive Excellence can be daunting to analyze and implement, the center developed a tool kit that, by posing a series of questions, helps units on campus evaluate their policies and practices.

As Treviño sees it, DU has responded assertively to the program. The Office of Admission, for example, began practicing Inclusive Excellence immediately. Many of the academic units also embraced the concept. The Morgridge College of Education not only developed core values and program goals related to Inclusive Excellence, it also created an Excellence Committee to review curriculum, staff and staff training. The Daniels College of Business formed an Inclusive Excellence Task Force in 2008, bringing together faculty, staff and students for an examination of policies, teaching and financial aid. Meanwhile, the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics also created an Inclusive Excellence Committee to identify its own areas for improvement. “It’s an exciting time at the University,” Treviño said.

Thanks to efforts like these and Treviño’s leadership, the University has emerged as a pioneer in Inclusive Excellence. In fact, Treviño has fielded countless calls and visits from higher education administrators curious about DU’s efforts. “They have been looking at the model we have to figure out how they can duplicate it on their campuses,” he said. “We are definitely a leader in the work that we’re doing.”

Preparing Professionals for a Multicultural Society

The nation’s changing demographics require that the coming generation of doctors, lawyers, educators, entrepreneurs and leaders possesses a host of different skills.

With that in mind, the University is preparing its graduates to succeed and contribute in a marketplace characterized by diversity. For example, the Sturm College of Law has created a Lawyering in Spanish program that helps students represent Spanish-speaking clients or work with Latin American and Spanish lawyers. With Spanish the second most widely spoken language in the United States, such preparation ensures that future attorneys will be able to serve clients effectively. And with Spanish one of the three most commonly used languages in the world, it positions lawyers for a vital role in the global arena.

The program immerses law students in language, culture and law. Courses are taught in Spanish by experienced legal professionals expert in everything from labor law and immigration law to business transactions. In addition, the program offers internships that place students with law firms in Latin America and Spain, where they work closely with a mentor to gain experience in drafting legal documents, conducting international business transactions, interviewing clients, completing research and going to court in a civil-law jurisdiction.

Mobilizing to Educate Legislators and Shape Policy

In September 2008, the DU Latino Center for Community Engagement and Scholarship, along with Azteca America and Groupo Salinas, delivered a report to members of the U.S. Congress titled The State of Latinos 2008: Defining an Agenda for the Future. The report recommended creation of a presidential commission on Latino issues to increase Latino access to vital educational, health, economic and civic opportunities. The report noted that failure to reform immigration laws widens disparities and limits progress for members of the Latino community and for the nation as a whole.

Debora Ortega, associate professor of social work and director of the center, hopes Congress will use the report’s curricula recommendations as a model for educational change throughout the United States. Specifically, the report recommended focusing resources on early education for Latino children, while engaging their parents in the process.

That report led to a white paper, presented in summer 2009 to the International Center for Journalists and delivered to the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Congress, as well as to various Latino policy centers. The paper, The State of Latinos: Census 2010 Defining an Agenda for the Future, outlined the challenges facing the Census Bureau as it seeks to collect accurate data on the Latino population.

Recommendations to the Census Bureau included implementing advertising and broadcasting campaigns encouraging Latinos to participate and educating them about how census information is used. A 30-minute program prepared for Spanish-language television in Denver featured Chancellor Robert Coombe. In addition to educating viewers, the program raised DU’s visibility among the Latino community.

“The impact that we have as a very small center is enormous,” Ortega said. “Our policy research has gained exposure on the state, national and international levels.”