Summary and Closing Report
Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Respect
June 2025
The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) in 2020 developed a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Respect (DEIR) Strategic Plan which represented an effort to ensure that the college is a place where all perspectives are respectfully considered and where faculty, staff, and students are empowered to reach their full potential. The plan goals were as follows:
Goal 1: Foster a college that respects diversity and encourages equity and inclusion.
Goal 2: Recruit, retain, and develop a diverse community of faculty, staff, and students.
Goal 3: Fulfil the land grant mission by providing programs to audiences across the state of Maryland and by building/strengthening myriad external partnerships as part of AGNR’s outreach efforts.
Goal 4: Provide communication and technology supports college-wide to ensure the success of the strategic plan.
Following a comprehensive review, the data indicated that the college has successfully completed nearly all of the goals which led to a natural closing point. This summary is a brief overview of key activities including the progress metrics, workplace culture survey, and the education program.
Measuring Progress
The plan defined both college level objectives and department/unit level objectives including establishing an advisory DEIR Council. The council was active from March 2022 through April 2025 providing oversight and input for the strategic plan. The council staffed four committees: the Data and Survey Committee, the Unit Plans Committee, the Policy Committee, and the Education Committee. In May 2023 and May 2025, the council issued reports to the dean providing a progress update and recommendations.
The council reviewed the progress using three online inventory rubrics: 1) Academic department/ Unit Inventory[1], 2) College Unit Inventory[2], and 3) a Leadership Inventory for directors[3]. Using ten categories that reflected the overall objectives, the results showed progress on key focus areas of the strategic goals. The inventory indicated that nearly all the college level goals were accomplished or established which prompted the closing of the strategic plan.
Workplace Culture Survey
The plan included the administration of a workplace culture survey. A survey was conducted in November 2022 and again in October 2024. Of the 903 eligible employees, a total of 43% responded to the 2022 survey, and for the 2024 survey 49% of the 1,108 eligible employees responded. These are considered to be outstanding response rates. The increase in participation can be interpreted as a “vote of confidence” that the data will inform actions to improve the AGNR workplace culture. Three reports were generated (full data set, 10 departments/units[4], and UME only) and have been shared with the appropriate college leaders, directors, and department chairs:
Unit level data was available for seven units (excluding ENSP, IAA, MAES), and for three UME programs (excluding ENRSG).
Education Program
The education program had dual objectives: 1) to coordinate the Univeristy-wide TerrapinSTRONG onboarding initiative, and 2) to provide college-wide diversity, equity, inclusion and respect focused education. All education program workshops were designed as professional development to increase individual skills and support AGNR’s land grant mission of teaching, research and Extension.
The TerrapinSTRONG onboarding program framework was incorporated into the AGNR orientation for new students, and through additional community building activities for all students throughout the academic year. A total of 28 in-person TerrapinSTRONG workshops were provided for faculty and staff across the state between January and June of 2022, and in 2024 the AGNR staff orientation included a module to introduce the education program.
The education and professional development curriculum consisted of six workshops that resulted in a certificate of completion and a “train-the-trainer” option. The content included topics such as self-awareness, cultural awareness, and interpersonal skills like communication, with the goal of increasing the faculty and staff’s ability to engage in culturally appropriate ways with people across the state of Maryland. The underlying principle being that increasing respect and understanding can improve relationships and help build a positive culture for our faculty, students, staff, and clients across the state.
Piloted in 2022, the program launched in November 2023 as a voluntary professional development activity. Workshops were offered frequently, both in-person and virtually, to make them accessible to all work schedules. Additional topics and discussions were developed upon request from through June 2025 with evaluations indicating that the workshops provided useful resources and insights. A college wide newsletter disseminated information about workshops with a total of 19 distributed from 2022 and December 2024.
The overview above shows that the progress made in achieving the goals of the 2020 strategic plan – evident in both the measurements and the active participation of the faculty and staff – has provided valuable insight into the AGNR culture.
[1] The 6 academic departments, UME, and MAES.
[2] Academic Programs, Administrative Services, AgPas, Communications, Human Resource Management & Compliance Programs, Information and Education Technology, International Relations, Office of External Relations, Office of the Dean.
[3] Academic Programs, Administrative Services, Communications, Information and Education Technology, Office of the Dean.
[4] Agricultural and Resources Economics, Animal and Avian Sciences, Environmental Science and Policy, Environmental Science and Technology, Institute of Applied Agriculture, Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station, Nutrition and Food Science, Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, Veterinary Medicine, and “Administration” which combined the nine units reporting to the dean.