Inclusive Excellence Action Team Report

Inclusive Excellence Action Team Report

Executive Summary

The Inclusive Excellence Action Team (IEAT) worked from June 2011 through April 2012 to study issues of inclusion and climate in Cooperative Extension. The team reports the following recommendations.

1.  Develop, administer and monitor a consistent workplace climate evaluation system relevant for Cooperative Extension that will build capacity for assessment, indicate where improvements need to be made and measure improvements over time.

2.  Create a performance development framework that will strengthen performance development systems and facilitate the ability of colleagues to raise concerns, engage in finding solutions and resolve interpersonal workplace climate issues.

3.  Align Cooperative Extension systems and structures in support of equitable policies, practices and procedures that will contribute to a respectful workplace climate throughout Cooperative Extension.

1. Create an Inclusive Excellence Learning Network that is advisory to the Dean and Director and charged with encouraging inclusion in educational programming through building the capacity of colleagues to work effectively with diverse individuals and communities.

Background

The resources and literature examined by IEAT influenced the recommendations in this report, some were strong influences and provided fundamental guiding principles.

·  The first product of IEAT was “Inclusive Excellence in Cooperative Extension: Working Definitions of Term for Common Language.” created to encourage use of a common language of diversity, inclusion and equity in our organization. The definitions come from the Multicultural Awareness Program and numerous diversity and inclusion resources.

·  The UW Colleges/UW-Extension Inclusive Excellence framework provided the structure for the second product of IEAT, “Working Document to Infuse Effective Inclusion Practices into Cooperative Extension.” This tool defines the six dimensions of inclusion. The six dimensions are: leadership and governance; recruitment, retention and success of colleagues and learners; climate; community engagement; scholarship; and curriculum, co-curriculum, programming and pedagogy. IEAT added suggests for effective practices to achieve inclusion and data sources to measure progress toward that goal. IEAT used the tool to inform other action teams of ways they could infuse inclusion actions into their recommendations.

·  Workplace climate surveys from 1997, 2004, 2007 and 2011 were of particular significance as IEAT formulated recommendations. The Qualitative Analysis of Workplace Climate, June 2011” by Kerry Zaleski and Jeffrey Lewis identified themes from the narrative responses of the 2011 survey. The themes of elitism and classism were themes reminiscent of early survey results. Other themes were hierarchy, bullying and intimidation, feeling “stuck,” low salary, poor leadership/ and lack of leadership accountability.

·  “The Path from Exclusive Club to Inclusive Organization: A Developmental Process” by Frederick A. Miller and Judith H. Katz authors of “The Inclusion Breakthrough,” were instrumental in clarifying the direction that the IEAT recommendations would take. Miller and Katz stress that achieving a successful, inclusive, equitable and diverse organization requires fundamental changes including new styles of leadership, mindsets, engagement, problem solving and strategic planning. It requires new organizational structures, policies, practices, behaviors, values, goals and accomplishments. These changes cover all four levels of change—personal, interpersonal, institutional and cultural, which are taught in the UW-Extension/UW Colleges Multicultural Awareness Program. IEAT sees its role as being a catalyst for systemic and structural change at the institutional level.

The IEAT recommendations address classism by supporting inclusion and equity. The existence of classism as a significant component of CE's organizational culture was noted in 1997 and has again been identified through the 2005 Strategic Alignment Survey and the 2011 UWEX Climate Survey. Classism negatively impacts our work environment. This condition works against efforts to create an inclusive workplace where everyone works at their full potential.

Educational efforts through programs such as the UW-Extension/UW Colleges Multicultural Awareness Program have had some success in building capacity for inclusion at the personal and interpersonal levels. However, just as oppression happens at all four levels, to be sustainable change must happen at all four levels.

This is how oppression plays out at the four levels. The personal level involves our attitudes, beliefs and feelings (believing that input from men is more important than input from women). The interpersonal level involves our behaviors and practices (including only some employees in the office on the mailing list for messages about office logistics). The institutional level is rules, systems, policies, and procedures (a policy that requires a probationary period for some categories of employees and not for other categories.) The cultural level includes group norms, what we hold dear, maintain and enforce that favor and include some groups more than others (English is the national language, ethnic cleansing).

The IEAT recommendations touch all four levels with a stronger focus on the institutional level of rules, systems, policies and procedures.

Recommendations

Recommendation One – Develop, administer and monitor a consistent workplace climate evaluation system relevant for Cooperative Extension:

I.  IEAT recommends the design and implementation of an evaluation system for Cooperative Extension that builds the capacity at various levels in the organization in a participatory and local way to provide a distributed tool kit that can be applied to consistent monitoring of climate as well as support for solving climate issues.

II.  As part of this ongoing assessment and evaluation system--Create, resource, implement and evaluate a workplace effectiveness team system based on principles consistent with CE’s organizational culture, i.e., personal responsibility/accountability, peer /colleague support and the importance of engagement at the level where conflict/disputes occur.

Recommendation Two – Performance Development Framework: Literature on strengthening inclusion in the workplace draws a direct link between the quantity of inclusion and the quality of an organization’s performance development systems. Toward this end, Cooperative Extension can strengthen the outcomes of its performance development systems by examining what is working well, and what isn’t, and by identifying ways in which existing systems lack alignment with Cooperative Extension’s Purpose, Vision and Values. The IEAT believes improvements can be realized by creating and implementing a framework that facilitates a meaningful performance review experience for all colleagues; ensures development of personal and interpersonal competencies; provides ongoing opportunities for inclusion concerns to be raised and acted upon; and promotes personal responsibility and engagement among all colleagues in finding solutions to interpersonal workplace climate issues in a timely fashion.

A fully supported performance development framework includes the following:

I.  Develop or otherwise adjust existing practices with regard to annual performance reviews and performance improvement plans to:

a.  Align performance expectations and performance measures with Cooperative Extension’s Purpose, Vision and Values and Strategic Directions. Assure that the performance evaluation process is meaningful and useful to individuals and to the organization in promoting effective performance.

b.  Coordinate and integrate performance development practices and support that are consistent and inclusive across all of CE’s unclassified and classified job categories; (including temporary hires such as LTE’s, ad hoc’s, students);

c.  Ensure that administrative procedures respect, support and integrate with existing faculty and academic staff policies and procedures that already exist, e.g., rank, promotions, title prefix reviews;

d.  Ensure greater transparency and role clarity in those situations where performance does not meet expectations so that appropriate performance development, management, and coaching plans are developed, implemented, monitored and evaluated.

e.  Build the capacity of supervisors and hiring authorities to evaluate behavior, provide and receive constructive feedback, and coach for performance. Collaborate with the Office of Inclusion to build the competencies of managers in compliance areas such as training to prevent unlawful discrimination.

II.  Create a coordinated and integrated competency development framework in support of an inclusive culture including areas such as:

·  professional self-leadership;

·  emotional intelligence and relationship-building skills;

·  building respective workplaces; multicultural awareness and inclusion;

·  intercultural communications;

·  giving and receiving constructive feedback;

·  crucial conversations;

·  conflict/dispute resolution.

Recommendation Three – Align CE’s Systems and Structures in Support of Inclusive Excellence: CE must commit to aligning our institutional structures with our purpose, vision, and values – particularly the value of inclusion.

Wisconsin Cooperative Extension has built organizational structures that have contributed to valuable impacts in the lives of individuals and communities. These structures also have had unintentional consequences in the Cooperative Extension work environment and climate. Inequities in areas such as those listed below should be aligned:

·  Hiring and orientation of new employees

·  Supervision and autonomy of employees

·  Allocation and distribution of resources

·  Promotion and compensation

·  Budgeting

·  Mentoring

·  Competency and professional development

·  Communication of expectations

·  Administrative leadership structures and accountability

·  Inclusion in decision-making

·  Perceptions of value

·  Orientation, onboarding and welcoming colleagues

Recommendation Four—Create an Inclusive Excellence Learning Network focused on building capacity in educational programming: The network will be advisory to the Dean and Director and program areas and will be charged with the creation and implementation of specific projects such as:

·  Sharing best practices in educational programming and outreach

·  Searching for or securing professional opportunities to build capacity in inclusion

·  Facilitation of dialogs about inclusion and related topics

·  Searching for and securing resources in areas such as demographics, mapping, and evaluation with a focus on expanding access to underrepresented audiences

·  Opportunities for immersion into diverse cultures and communities aimed at building understanding and comfort for building relationships with underrepresented audiences

·  Opportunities to explore areas of academic study such as intercultural communications, participatory action research, intercultural communications, emotional intelligence.

·  Work with diverse audience to create new models for Extension educational programming

References

Ayers, K. (2008). The passion pyramid: Integro Leadership Institute.

Ayers, K. (2004). Strategic alignment survey report. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Extension - Cooperative Extension.

Cross, T., Pace, K., & Pizano, D. Cultural competency continuum. Unpublished hand-out. Michigan State University Extension.

Curtis, T., & Hinz, J. (2012). Inclusive excellence in Cooperative Extension: Working definitions of terms for common language. Unpublished hand-out. UW-Extension - Cooperative Extension: Inclusive Excellence Action Team.

Deller, S. C., & Jones, A. M. (2004). Values design team survey report. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Extension - Cooperative Extension: Values Design Team.

Inclusion fosters excellence, recommendations for implementing inclusive excellence at the University of Wisconsin Colleges and University of Wisconsin Extension. (2011). (Full Report by the Cross-Institutional Task Force on Inclusive Excellence). Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Colleges/University of Wisconsin-Extension.

Jones, A. M., Lewis, J., Zaleski, K., Hinz, J., & Horton, Y. R. (2012). Unpublished PowerPoint presentation to Cooperative Extension Administrative Committee. Workplace climate: The highlight reel. Madison, WI. Inclusive Excellence Action Team.

Miller, F. A., & Katz, J. H. (1995). The path from exclusive club to inclusive organization: A development process. The Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group.

Multi-cultural awareness program. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Colleges/University of Wisconsin-Extension. Visions, Inc.

Pace, K., & Pizano, D. (2012). Creating a healthy organizational climate through more inclusive approaches. Unpublished hand-out. Michigan State University Extension.

Rankin, S. (2011). Executive summary and complete report of the UW-Extension survey of workplace climate. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Extension.

UW-Colleges/UW-Extension framework for inclusive excellence. (2011). (Task force report). Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Colleges/University of Wisconsin-Extension.

Visions, Inc. (1997). UW-Extension diversity profile. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Extension.

Working document to infuse effective inclusion practices into Cooperative Extension. (2012). Unpublished Hand-out. UW-Extension - Cooperative Extension: Inclusive Excellence Action Team.

Zaleski, K., & Lewis, J. (2012). Qualitative analysis of open-ended questions from UW-Extension survey of workplace climate. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Extension - Cooperative Extension.

9/24/12

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