Campus Context

This sort of programming would work on many campuses, but we want to stress the context of our university and why we felt like this sort of program would resonate at UW Tacoma.

First, data from a panel on student experience indicated that students did not see themselves reflected in the relatively homogenous, primarily white demographics of staff and faculty, and that this presented a barrier to learning and a lack of spaces to discuss experiences. UW Tacoma’s self-reported ethnicity of faculty and staff shows over 60% white, with another 13% that did not report.^[1]

Second, departments and campus units are relatively siloed at UW Tacoma, which acts as another barrier towards dialogue.

How could we optimize for program success in this environment? What sort of programming was needed at UW Tacoma in particular? What sort of framework would help optimize for success?