Tufts CEEO DEIJ Action Plan is a roadmap for the actions CEEO will take to become a more diverse, equitable, inclusive and just organization. Tufts CEEO DEIJ Action Plan was initially developed over the course of the 2021/2022 academic year and summer. The strategies and initiatives were identified through several mechanisms including: conversations and feedback at all CEEO members meetings, an externally administered CEEO Climate Survey, work with external anti-oppression consultant Regan Byrd, work done by Tufts CEEO DEIJ Committee meetings and during CEEO Coordination and Logistic meetings, advising from Tufts Associate Director of Diversity & Inclusion Programs Mafalda Gueta and iterative revisions by Tufts CEEO DEIJ Committee and Coordination and Logistics meeting group. The plan maps actions that will advance CEEO on its path to be an anti-oppressive organization by:

Creating structures that support all CEEO members having a shared understanding of anti-oppressive work and community practices (Strategy 1).

Creating structures and accountability in our workplace to make it welcoming and inclusive (Strategy 2).

Creating connections and networks that diversify our collaborators, partners, and communities (Strategy 3).

Tufts CEEO DEIJ Action Plan is not a static document.  It will be monitored for action and progress during the year by Tufts CEEO DEIJ Committee and Tufts CEEO Coordination and Logistics group.  The document and its will be revisited annually each May, during an extended DEIJ focused retreat, to refine the initiatives and assess the progress. New initiatives will be added and all initiatives will be reviewed for resources that can be allocated to produce outcomes for the following year. This first version of the Action Plan and its annual focus tasks name initiatives that  advanced making CEEO a welcoming and safe place in anticipation of adding future initiatives that focus on compositional diversity.

Below we share initiatives that are currently embedded within our existing work (Ongoing Work), initiatives that are slated to produce action and deliverables this academic year (2023/2024 plans), and initiatives that are slated for action in subsequent academic years (2024/2025).

Action items that are in progress
  • Initiative 1-1: Develop a continuous training schedule that will share CEEO DEIJ values and practices for new people, and an evolving series of DEIJ training sessions for existing CEEO members to support their work. In addition to developing these trainings, we will decide which CEEO members will need to participate in each of the different types of training sessions.
  • Initiative 2-6: Define and implement transparent reporting for our outreach, financial and research activity.
  • Initiative 3-3: Create and sustain community equitable partnerships (local and global) with other organizations, ensuring that CEEO is providing resources/outreach and that diverse organizations can participate in CEEO research, consulting, and testing.
2023-2024 Priorities
  • Initiative 1-2: Create Best Research Practices documents and processes to support CEEO members in incorporating best DEIJ practices in research operations.
  • Initiative 2-1: Define CEEO onboarding requirements for different CEEO member groups (e.g. faculty, staff, students) and a timeline for completion for CEEO members. This initiative will identify the different CEEO member groups and outline what onboarding requirements are necessary for each group and the timeline for completion of onboarding requirements.
  • Initiative 2-4: Create conflict resolution, bystander intervention, and reporting systems and processes that includes addressing sexism issues in addition to anti-racism.
  • Initiative 2-5: Make internal CEEO resources available to faculty, staff, and students, including funds for personal training, training to support other goals, and bringing in speakers. This also includes financial support for housing and transportation for summer interns, and a liveable wage payscale.
  • Initiative 1-3: Create Best Outreach Practices documents and processes to support CEEO members in using best DEIJ practices in outreach.
  • Initiative 1-4: Develop DEIJ trainings for those supervising or managing others within CEEO to become a more DEIJ-aware and anti-racist managers. Training should include ethical supervision, DEIJ and management, non-violent communication, and conflict resolution/transformation. Focus will be on proactive measures as well as incorporating conflict resolution strategies. 
  • Initiative 3-1: Create guidelines for our public facing information (e.g web, marketing, communication with new collaborators) that convey our values and culture.
  • Initiative 3-2: Expand CEEO’s research network by developing deeper relationships and communication with BIPOC scholars, organizations, external evaluators, and other stakeholders that are part of  the engineering education ecosystem. 
  • Initiative 3-4: Support our network of alumni to connect with current Tufts (or CEEO) students.
Action items that are completed
  • Initiative 2-2: Establish CEEO DEIJ Committee composed of CEEO members that will meet regularly.
  • Initiative 2-3: Develop CEEO-wide community-building activities and schedule, including a series of events and activities for the internal CEEO community that are designed to counteract “competitive” culture and build an inclusive community.