AUA’s Mission Statement enshrines its commitment to diversity:
“The American University of Armenia aims to have an impact on students and the community as a center of academic excellence, innovation, inquiry, and diversity that contributes to the further development and advancement of Armenia, the region and the world through teaching and scholarship, fostering creativity, leadership, integrity and community service.”
In pursuit of this mission, we are committed to building a culture that promotes diversity, inclusion, and equity (DEI) at AUA and beyond. We define these terms as follows:
Diversity: Diversity is the wide variety of shared and different personal and group characteristics among human beings.
Equity: Equity is fairness and justice in access to opportunity, resources, and participation for all people and identifying and dismantling barriers that prevent this access.
Inclusion: Inclusion is the continuous process of creating an environment and culture where everyone feels welcome, valued, respected, and is able to fully participate.
In service to our community, to Armenia, and to our shared future, AUA acknowledges that these principles are indispensable for fostering an environment in which the pursuit of knowledge can reach its full potential.
DEI Plan
The university furthers this aspect of its mission statement through the implementation of its two-year DEI plan. This plan was created by a working group comprising faculty, staff, and students. The working group developed the plan in 2023 as part of the university’s reaffirmation of its WSCUC accreditation, of which DEI was a thematic component. The goals and actions of the plan represent broad-based input from across the AUA community.
AUA DEI Plan 2023-2025
| GOAL | ACTIONS | PERSON/ UNIT RESPONSIBLE | MEASURE OF SUCCESS |
| 1. Improve DEI coordination | Designate a duty to coordinate DEI-related activities at AUA | Executive Team, with DEI Working Group Input | DEI coordinator duty assigned and communicated to the community |
| 2. Improve tracking of DEI-related data | Discuss with OIRA the most relevant demographic data to collect across the board, faculty, staff, and students | DEI Coordinator | AUA surveys and other data collection tools streamlined to collect standardized demographic data from all groups |
| Harmonize and align the survey questions to measure key DEI indicators on faculty, staff, student, and climate surveys | Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, DEI Coordinator | Staff, faculty, climate, and student surveys include both standardized DEI-related questions and DEI-related questions relevant to that particular group | |
| Develop, collect, and report key DEI related statistics in next factbooks through surveys | Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, DEI Coordinator | Important metrics determined and reported in next Factbook | |
| Develop standard reporting measures for the aggregated number of students with disabilities and veteran students; develop procedures to share information that can help support these students while respecting their confidentiality | Working Group, Disability Support Services (Student Affairs) | Reporting measures identified and developed for future use, procedures for sharing information developed and shared within the community | |
| 3. Increase community’s knowledge and skills on DEI-related topics | Develop a mandatory online training module(s) for faculty, staff, and students on harassment, discrimination, and implicit bias. It can include information on identifying discrimination and harassment, implicit bias, respectful behavior, community guidelines/codes of conduct, and reporting procedures | DEI Coordinator | Module developed, piloted, and ready for 2024-2025 academic year |
Develop a training schedule for faculty, staff, and students. Training can include (but are not limited to) the following topics: – Inclusive pedagogy and inclusive assessment (faculty) – Understanding (everybody) and using tools available through DSS (relevant faculty, relevant staff and students) – Incorporating DEI into program goals and SLOs (faculty) – Handling diverse viewpoints in the classroom and the work environment (faculty, students, staff) – How to include DEI in policy development and implementation (administration) – Inclusive recruitment (HR, unit heads, program chairs) – Interpersonal communication (students, staff, faculty) – English for non-English speaking staff (Cafeteria, security, maintenance) | DEI Coordinator | Training schedule developed and published | |
| 4. Improve equity and inclusion in university-wide decision making processes | Create and hold regular, informal forums for staff, faculty, and students to share their input, feedback with different levels of management | Human Resources, Office of Institutional Research and Assessment | Schedule of sessions developed and shared with relevant parties |
| Develop and promote a channel for submitting feedback and input through My AUA Intranet | Administration, Intranet Administrator | Feedback channel developed and operational | |
| Develop a section in My AUA Intranet for the Executive Team to respond to input and feedback and explain administrative actions taken (or lack of) | Administration | Procedure and channel for responding to feedback is in place | |
| Develop a system for periodic feedback on actions taken on survey results | Administration | Schedule of sessions developed and shared with relevant parties | |
| 5. Ensure salary equity and transparency | Conduct pay equity analysis for full-time faculty, staff, and adjunct faculty | Human Resources | Analysis conducted |
| Present results of pay equity analysis to Executive Team | Human Resources | Results reported | |
| Present results of pay equity analysis to AUA community | Executive Team, Human Resources | Results reported | |
| Revise and publicize transparent salary scales for positions at AUA | Human Resources | Salary scales made available to AUA community internally | |
| Revisit policies for salary determination and promotion to clarify them or determine how to better communicate them to employees | Human Resources | Policies revisited | |
| As part of the above hold discussion sessions to increase employees’ understandings of promotion policies and procedures | Human Resources | Information sessions held | |
| 6. Continue to support physical accessibility | Consult with disability experts to determine any points for improvement in accessibility in AUA’s physical environment | Disability Support Services, Facilities, DEI Coordinator, Registrar | Expert engaged |
| Recommend a number of priority physical accessibility improvements to the Executive Team | Disability Services, Facilities, DEI Coordinator, Registrar | Recommendations submitted to ET | |
| Seek funding, if necessary, for physical accessibility improvements | Executive Team, DEI Coordinator | Donor support sought, grant applications developed if needed | |
| Pilot a mechanism to flag physical accessibility concerns through MyAUA Intranet | Web Designer, Facilities | Mechanism developed and operational | |
| 7. Increase and celebrate diversity and inclusion in campus life | Increase student recruitment efforts in the marzes during the upcoming recruitment season | Admissions | Recruitment plans include more support for visits to marzes |
| Increase student recruitment efforts internationally in the upcoming recruitment season | Admissions, Program Chairs | Recruitment plans include more support for international recruitment efforts | |
| Prioritize international faculty recruitment | Program Chairs, Human Resources, Provost | Increased percentage of international faculty | |
| Review recruitment materials to highlight AUA’s diversity, need-blind admissions and financial aid options | Communications, Admissions | Recruitment materials reviewed and modified as needed | |
| Hold international student events and cultural events in collaboration with Student Affairs | Student Council, Student Affairs | Calendar of events includes events for international students and diversity-related events | |
| Request regular “national days” in AUA’s Cafeteria | DEI Coordinator, United Kitchen | Cafeteria calendar includes national cuisine days more frequently | |
| Consider campaign to highlight and celebrate diversity on campus | Communications, Student Affairs | Campaign discussed and initiated, if agreed upon | |
| Discuss options for a graduate student social space on campus | Facilities | Options discussed and decided upon, if agreed upon | |
| Diversify timing and format of AUA community events to accommodate the different schedules of graduate students | Communications, Facilities | More events held at different times and in different formats | |
| 8. Diversify the AUA Boards of Trustees (AUAF and AUAC) and AUA student council | Give consideration to diversity in the selection of new members of the Boards of Trustees | Boards of Trustees | Consideration given to diversity in selection of new board members |
| Work with program chairs, deans, faculty, and students to increase participation of students from different majors and graduate students in AUA’s student council | Student Affairs, Student Council Advisor | Diversified representation of students from different programs and proportional representation of graduate and undergraduate students in Student Council | |
| 9. Assess DEI in teaching and learning | Conduct training for faculty on inclusive pedagogy and inclusive assessment (see above) | Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, Center for Teaching and Learning, DEI Coordinator | Trainings held |
| Conduct review of AUA syllabi from a DEI perspective | Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, Center for Teaching and Learning, DEI Coordinator | Review conducted, results shared with relevant parties | |
| Work with program chairs to include DEI considerations in program SLOs, when applicable | DEI Coordinator, Center for Teaching and Learning | Training/workshop conducted | |
| 10. DEI policy improvements | Update/revise faculty workload policy as necessary | Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, Human Resources, Provost, Faculty Senate | Policy reviewed and revised if necessary, revisions communicated |
| While adopting or updating any policy, review it from the perspective of enabling reasonable accommodation | Office of Institutional Research and Assessment | Policies amended as necessary | |
| Revisit implementation of faculty performance evaluations to make sure that they are conducted annually | Human Resources, Provost, Program Chairs | Faculty performance evaluations scheduled and conducted |
DEI Contacts
DEI Coordinator
For more information about DEI initiatives at AUA, please contact AUA DEI Coordinator, Laura Prokić at [email protected].
DEI Resources
Reporting
If you feel that you have been the victim of bias, discrimination, harassment, you can file a written complaint with the AUA Faculty Senate’s Ethics and Grievance Committee. The committee hears cases brought by any individual, who believes that the AUA Faculty Code of Conduct, Staff Conduct, AUA Statement on Academic Freedom, AUA Policy on Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, AUA Policy on Sexual Harassment, AUA Policy on Substance Abuse, AUA Policy on Main Rights, Duties, and Responsibilities of the Employees, and/or AUA Policy on Main Rights, and Responsibilities of the Employer has been violated by any University Community Member, provided that the complainant has been affected by the violation.
For an overview of the process of reporting violations of the Codes of Conduct for faculty, staff, or students, please see AUA’s Violations of Faculty Codes and Standards Policies and Procedures.
Disability Support Services
The American University of Armenia aims to establish a learning environment which supports diverse student learning abilities and addresses challenges students may face in pursuit of their education. Students with physical, psychological, or sensory conditions, be they chronic or temporary, can access the University’s Disability Support Services (DSS). DSS will assist students who are in need of accommodations in and outside of the classroom.
Counseling Services
Counseling Services are available to all students free of charge. Through the provision of Counseling Services, namely individual and group counseling, periodic workshops, crisis intervention and referral services, Counseling Services provides AUA students with resources to solve problems, overcome possible barriers and find effective solutions to issues impeding their academic, emotional, social, personal wellness and integrity.
AUA Climate Survey Reports
The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment conducts regular surveys of students, faculty, and staff which provide useful statistics related to DEI at AUA.
Related policies
Policy on Equal Opportunity in Employment Policy
Policy on Main Rights, Duties, and Responsibilities of the Employees
