Goal: Recruit, promote the success of, and foster a sense of security and belonging for a diverse student body, faculty and staff. 

Diversity and Inclusion Framework Report, 2017

1. IChange

In 2019, fifteen public research universities— including Montana State University — were selected to participate in the first cohort of a three-year effort to transform recruitment, hiring and retention practices. The Aspire Alliance’s Institutional Change (IChange) network — funded by the National Science Foundation — aims to ultimately increase the participation and success of undergraduate STEM students from underrepresented groups. MSU’s IChange Team is led by a diverse group of faculty members and administrators who have worked for the past three years to analyze the university’s current offerings, identify priorities, and develop an action plan for advancing MSU’s recruitment and retention practices. 

Accomplishments include: 

  • The Center for Faculty Excellence developed a new faculty website that reflects the university’s commitment to inclusion, highlights opportunities for new faculty to find belonging at MSU, and connects new faculty to resources for deepening their understanding of diversity topics. 
  • The Office of Diversity and Inclusion developed community-building networks to foster supportive environments for faculty with underrepresented identities. 
  • The Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering launched an effort to generate guidelines for conducting inclusive faculty searches (see feature, page 7) for more effective hiring and retention of diverse faculty. 
  • A variety of new workshops were offered by the Center for Faculty Excellence to support faculty in handling challenging situations in the classroom, understanding student identities and experiences, and using inclusive teaching strategies. 

2. GEAR UP

GEAR UP MSU is designed to provide students from rural schools in Montana with support to successfully transition from high school through their first year of college, aiming to help them thrive academically and become connected to the Bobcat community. By engaging with students before they arrive at MSU and providing individually tailored support — including mentoring, financial literacy resources, cultural activities, and more — GEAR UP MSU provides a coordinated network of care for students. Because many participating students are from American Indian communities, GEAR UP MSU closely collaborates with American Indian/ Alaska Native Student Success Services to provide holistic and culturally-relevant support. 

GEAR UP MSU is a grant-funded program administered by Montana’s Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education and is jointly managed by MSU’s Division of Student Success and the MSU Office of Academic Affairs and Provost. 

 

Sloan Scholars kneel as they plant seeds into the ground.

Sloan Scholars

Montana State University graduate Sloan Scholars and American Indian students participate in a native corn, beans and squash planting in 2021 at MSU’s Towne’s Harvest Garden. The Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership Scholarship Program is funded by the A.P. Sloan Foundation to support Indigenous graduate students pursuing degrees in STEM. 

Headshot of Lyla Brown.

Student Leadership

Lyla Brown—MSU alumna, graduate student, BIPOC planning team member, and former president of the Black Student Union—led an effort to restart the Black Student Union after the organization had been inactive for several years. “(The Black Student Union) is a resource for black students, and it’s a safe space to come and talk and create community. It’s also great way for students to come and learn and sit down and listen,” said Brown in an interview with MSU News Service.