In October 2020, we (CET and our parent company Academic Travel Abroad [ATA]) shared our Anti-Racist Action Plan (ARAP)—a 10-year roadmap to becoming a more equitable and inclusive organization that better serves our students, travelers, employees, and communities. This initiative was created in solidarity towards the Black Lives Matter movement and in recognition of the extreme prejudice directed at Black, Indigenous, and People of Color for centuries. Our ARAP aims to challenge and transform our workplace, programs, and industries through concrete, measurable goals over a decade.
The Auditing Process
Each department at ATA contributes long-term action items and goals that are annually reviewed by our JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion) leadership and anonymous, internal advisors. Feedback is then returned to directors by December 31st to change or clarify their goals for the following audit cycle.
What We Accomplished in 2021
Much of CET’s work in this inaugural year focused on establishing a baseline from which we could build longer term initiatives upon. Here are a few examples of what we accomplished in 2021:
Actions to Transform our Workplace
- Of the 4 US-based positions we recruited for in 2021, 2 hires identified as Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Color—meeting the minimum baseline of our hiring goal. Our retention efforts are further behind, with 4 out of 9 total departing staff members identifying as Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Color.
- We are changing the way we recruit and hire. Unnecessary education and background requirements have been eliminated, salaries are posted on all US job descriptions, rubrics to reduce bias have been introduced, external searches are performed for all positions, and managers undergo a thorough training on the hiring process.
- We hosted four organization-wide discussions on JEDI themes, as well as offered a number of additional, focused trainings (e.g. intentional program design, staff competencies, etc.) and related resources to all employees.
Actions to Transform our Programs
- Our Programs team launched the Curriculum Review project—a 3-year initiative in which CET reviews all syllabi and field-based/co-curricular components—with a view to identify and interrogate structures of difference, power, and equity. In 2021, we developed queries and training materials to orient a comprehensive review, carried out a training session for on-site and US-based staff, and each program site established its own work plan complete with actionable goals, anticipated challenges, and a timeline.
- The Marketing and Institutional Relations teams doubled the HBCU grant amounts (now $2,000/semester, $1000/summer, $250/virtual program) and completed an annual audit of marketing materials to ensure inclusive and appropriate representation in visual and written materials.
- The Student Services team focused on how best to prepare students for their terms abroad by refining the advising experience—particularly regarding scholarships—and creating “Perceptions of Race in [each country]” slides for student Pre-Departure Guides.
Actions to Transform our Industries
- Our Finance and Accounting teams conducted a thorough vendor review of our US banking partner—including an examination of their litigation history, Corporate Social Responsibility plan, and DEI action plans—to ensure we are partnering with/supporting companies that are similarly committed to a more equitable and inclusive future.
- As an organization, we continued our financial and in-kind support of Fund for Education Abroad (FEA)—an organization focused on providing scholarships and ongoing support to students who are underrepresented among the U.S. study abroad population.
Looking Towards 2022
Here is a look at a few things we’re focusing on this year:
Actions to Transform our Workplace
- We will conduct a comprehensive compensation audit to ensure equity across titles and positions within the company.
- We will also update the Career Pathway—an internal mapping of career growth within the organization.
Actions to Transform our PROGRAMS
- The Programs team plans to stay the course for its current established Curriculum Review timeline (Summer 2021 to Summer 2022). This includes individual meetings regarding local progress reports, the second Curriculum Review training workshop, and making revisions to local work plans according to discussions held during the workshop.
- For Marketing, a major goal is de-centering whiteness in our marketing materials and student resources with a careful examination of our usage of terms like “diverse,” “underrepresented,” etc., establishing a new standard for use going forward, and implementing those changes throughout our website, materials, and other related platforms.
- The Student Services team and Institutional Relations are working together to prioritize strengthening the enrollment pipeline for Black students, Indigenous students, and other students of color to create an applicant pool and CET student communities that—at minimum—match the demographics of the broader US higher education population.
Actions to Transform our Industries
- Continue to review ATA’s vendor relationships individually and assess whether or not action needs to be taken.
- Continue our financial and in-kind support of the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA).
In Summary
Of all 2021 goals set by directors: 8 were complete, 9 had significant progress (but still considered incomplete), and 5 were incomplete. 19 of the 29 set items in the Anti-Racist Action Plan had at least some progress made. An additional 24 goals have been identified for 2022.
Priorities and goals shift as realities change. 2021’s COVID-related obstacles in the travel industry meant that some of our goals and action items (e.g. enrollment, hiring, etc.) were particularly difficult to achieve. Additionally, many of the ARAP goals and action items cannot be checked off in a single year. Even those marked as “completed” in 2021 will still need to be reviewed and addressed regularly to ensure progress continues to be made. Particularly with anti-racism work, oftentimes the more you dig into an issue, the more layers you find underneath. Though we recognize that this is only the beginning and the work will never be “done,” we are proud of what we accomplished in our first year and are invigorated to continue the work as we move forth towards a more equitable future.