Theme 4

Theme 4: Workforce Diversity and Inclusion

Valuing and engaging a variety of perspectives to create and sustain a pluralistic, diverse and mutually inclusive workforce.

Awareness

K-State has continued to show improvement in efforts to recruit a quality, diverse workforce — a key outcome of the K-State 2025 Visionary Plan. Led by the Division of Human Capital Services, K-State routinely advertises job vacancies with affinity networking organizations such as Insight to Diversity magazine, higheredjobs.com and DiversityJobs.com. We recently added Job Elephant as a recruitment advertising agency that will help Talent Acquisition and all of K-State ensure that the best adverting resources are being utilized. The 2014-2019 snapshot of faculty and staff demographics shows that the representation of each underrepresented demographic increased for faculty, except Native American. All underrepresented staff demographics, except for Asian, also increased in representation. The following are the percentages of increase for faculty(f) and staff(s): African American – 6.3%(f), 11%(s); Asian – 11.3%(f), -1.5%(s); Hawaiian – 100%(f), 100%(s); Hispanic – 52.3%(f), 18.7%(s); Multiracial – 27.3%(f), 53.3%(s); Native American – 0%(f), 26.7%(s); and White – 3.7%(f); 4.9%(s).

Women faculty increased 2% during the same period. During this period, women staff increased 0.9% from 57.4% in 2014 to 58.3% in 2019. The total representation of veterans and individuals with disabilities is unknown.

While efforts to improve the diversity of our faculty and staff are readily apparent, the fact remains that the diversification of our workforce does not mirror the student body nor the availability of qualified individuals in the state and national labor markets. In the faculty ranks for example, the 2014-2019 snapshot shows that each faculty and staff demographic reflecting a historically underrepresented and underserved population experienced significant attrition from the base point for 2014: faculty(f) and staff(s) – African American – -22%(f), -49%(s); Asian – -30.5%(f), -71%(s); Hawaiian/Pacific Islander – 0%(f), -50%(s); Hispanic – -34%(f), -55%(s); Multiracial – -36%(f), -33%(s); Native American – -29%(f), -33%(s); White – -23.3%(f), -41.4%(s).

These data indicate that K-State is experiencing a revolving-door phenomenon. Moreover, due to budget cuts since 2015, particularly for staff, K-State has seen its largest employee departure from the university. Finally, in preparation for the 2020 University Climate Survey, the Vice President for HCS and the CDIO held numerous listening sessions with various employee and affinity groups throughout the university landscape. Among the recurring thematic concerns was a demand for enhancing professional development — educational workshops, training, etc., that help employees do their jobs better (Action Plan Step 11) — and career development — educational workshops, training, etc., that support employees with lateral and/or upwardly mobile career advancement — opportunities. These concerns were also prevalent in the university climate survey data.

Alignment

K-State is a public land-grant research university committed to teaching and learning, research and service to the people of Kansas, the nation and the world. We strive to foster a work environment that values diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. We affirm our commitment to the Principles of Community. K-State is committed to fostering an intellectually diverse faculty and staff workforce that is rooted in respect and fair practices (K-State 2025 Visionary Plan: Theme 5). The 2025 theme goal: Foster a work environment that encourages creativity, excellence, and high morale in faculty and staff, responds to changing needs, embraces diversity, values communication, and collaboration, and is respectful, trusting, fair, and collegial for all.

Aim 4A

Talented, high-performing, and diverse workforce recognized for excellence and award-winning faculty and researchers.

 

Aim 4B

Achieve representation parity in hiring and promotion of underrepresented populations across the university at all levels, including senior leadership roles.


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