Sustainable Inclusive Excellence (SIE): Goals and Progress, University Marketing Communications

University Marketing Communications is taking a robust approach to achieving its Sustainable Inclusive Excellence (SIE) goals. Recognizing that the work is more than checking off boxes, team members are focused on improving personal cultural humility and understanding as they work to meet divisional goals around sustainable inclusive excellence.

As part of the division’s plan to set and meet varied SIE action goals, it is mapping editorial and promotional content and campaigns to align with university-wide efforts to build and sustain an inclusive, aware, and respectful campus culture. University Marketing Communications is also focusing on professional development so each team member gains more information and understanding to increase the effectiveness and value of the work.

University Marketing Communications created three separate working groups to address these broad categories:

• Creative Photography/Video
• Editorial Content
• Website Accessibility

The creative team is continuing existing efforts to accurately represent the diversity of WPI’s community including students, faculty, and staff, with candid and planned photography and videography. Periodic assessment of existing images on the web will replace older images.

The editorial content team, composed of PR, strategic comms, content strategy, and publications, is strengthening efforts to ensure accurate pronoun use of interviewees and to increase the quantity and types of diversity across all platforms (for example, Student Voices—short, personal vignettes shared on WPI’s website, social media, and other platforms—where students may talk about their lived experiences based on different areas of diversity). The team will strategically use the WPI Journal to tell stories that celebrate the diversity of the WPI community. Other efforts include specific tags on content to track how content related to DEI is used and placed on wpi.edu. A revised style guide is in development—it will include new and expanded information about diversity topics and usage.

The website team is continuing its ongoing work to post and monitor content that meets WCAG website accessibility standards and to educate website editors through training and accessibility tips in the quarterly Drupal newsletter.  The team worked with IT and the Office of Accessibility Services to send out a Web Accessibility Survey and fixed all identified issues. University Marketing Communications and IT also collaborated to enable a Workday profile field where users may enter a phonetic spelling to help others pronounce their name correctly.

As a division, the team is committed to continual personal and professional learning.

• As a DEI-focused professional development goal, the division shares DEI events to boost awareness and asks that each member attend at least one DEI event every year on or off campus (seminar, educational event, or cultural event).

• The team works closely with DEI and accessibility partners on campus to ensure information is accurate and culturally appropriate and to increase the visibility and reach of DEI events and information.

• The division is developing targeted promotions and advertisements to help attract and retain a diverse student population—undergrad, graduate, online, and on-campus.

• The division will use data from these measurable goals to evaluate progress and implement any needed changes to make sure expectations are met.