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How this feedback process aligns with our mission, values, and vision

In order to advance science and build global leaders, all our students, staff and faculty need to know that they are supported on an individual level. Providing a transformative education to our students necessitates our careful attention to each of our community members' experiences and an opportunity for everyone to provide constructive feedback that allows the College of Science to grow and make positive change in response to their experiences.

Goal

The aim of this feedback form is to provide all students, faculty, staff, alumni, and guests with a mechanism to provide both positive and negative feedback to the College of Science related to their experiences as well as to submit suggestions, ideas and concerns and information related to Equity, Access and Inclusion (EAI) in the College. This kind of input provides the College information that helps us create meaningful change.

This is part of a larger process, not just a feedback survey. This will enable the community to make real change in the College, starting with submitting a simple webform. This is a place to share experiences, describe problems, propose solutions and recognize successes. These can be about any ideas you’d like to share and/or observations related to any courses, research labs, departments or persons in the College of Science. This is not a place to share feedback about other offices, other colleges, or the University as a whole.

What this process is for

Submitting suggestions, ideas and concerns and information related to equity, access and inclusion in the College
Alerting the College of instances of bias and discrimination in the classroom, in advising, with other students, in departments, etc.
Feedback about college systems and/or procedures which oppress students, faculty, staff and guests of minoritized identities.
Feedback about the College’s courses, instruction, advising, research and other academic topics.
Concerns related to one’s role as an employee of the college, whether as an undergraduate student worker, a graduate assistant or postdoc, a research or administrative staff member, or a faculty member.

What this process is not for

Emergencies – please dial 9-1-1 if you are experiencing an emergency that needs to be addressed immediately.
Grade disputes related to correct vs. incorrect answers on assignments or exams – speak with your instructor, then the department head. However, if you need assistance, reach out to your advisor or our Science Success Advisor.
Feedback or concerns about other colleges – for students with such concerns, please reach out to the head advisor of that college, and if you need assistance, reach out to your advisor or our Science Success Advisor.

Report intake team members

When fully staffed, the intake team comprises three College of Science (COS) faculty and staff members, one COS graduate student employee, one COS undergraduate student employee, and two people outside of the College, including at least one person on OSU’s Bias Response Team. Members will have training and a demonstrated interest in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the College. The College of Science EAI director will receive the form to screen for confidentially identifiable information that may need to be redacted prior to sending to the team. The team will address issues together with the exception of cases where specific committee members cannot participate for legal reasons or due to conflicts of interest. Team members will be rotated every three to four years.

Thus far, current members include (with more to join):

Kameron Kadooka
Director for Equity, Access and Inclusion

Dee Denver
Integrative Biology Department Head

Jen Olarra
Associate Director of Undergraduate Student Recruitment

Teresita Alvarez-Cortez
Acting Assistant Vice President, Strategic Diversity Initiatives

Process for reports

A member of the intake team will reach out to the submitter (if contact info is provided) with a personalized message thanking them for providing their input.
The intake committee will consider the submission and decide how to best respond, typically sharing the submission with a relevant COS leadership group for their consideration, along with the contact information of the submitter (if provided) for possible follow-up.

When the dedicated team member receives a report, they will reach out to the submitter (if contact info is provided) with a personalized message thanking them for providing positive feedback.
Relevant COS leadership will be notified about the positive feedback.
The subject of the positive feedback will be notified of the appreciation, if appropriate.

When the designated team member receives a report, they will notify the rest of the team that they’ve received a submission. They will assess whether or not the report can be shared with all members of the team (i.e. student team members). They will also assess whether or not the form pertains to bias and inform OSU Bias Report Team members (Teresita Alvarez-Cortez) and request guidance going forward.
This team member will send an email to the person who submitted the report (if contact information was provided) to acknowledge receipt of the report. It will not be a personal message (not a standard email), though a consistent list of key points may be shared.
The team will meet regularly (weekly or bimonthly) to create response timelines and solutions. The team will go through each received report. Each team member may be expected to read each new report before meetings. This team will collectively decide for each case what is the best path forward (action items, further communication, more info gathering, etc.).
If appropriate, one of the team members will follow up to gather more information. This follow up may be with the person who initially submitted the report as well as any people mentioned in their report.
A team member will send an email to the original submitter (if known) that the request has received. If the reported concern falls outside the work of this committee, the submitter will be directed to the appropriate resources.
The team will reach out to the relevant units and professionals to address the issue brought up in the report. The team will provide resources and recommendations for action.
The team will follow up with the unit(s) or professional(s) overseeing the matter to ensure that action was taken. If necessary, the team will remind them of resources and recommended actions and decide on a time for a next check.
Report back to the person who submitted the report after action has been taken. Information on the nature of the action cannot be shared. They will invite the submitter to reach back out to the team if an issue persists.
The team will reach out to the submitter after one month and see how they are doing and to see if the changes were made. If not, the team will check back in with the unit(s) or professional(s).
The team will keep track of reports and outcomes in a spreadsheet.
The team will meet with the dean regularly (at least once a term, including the summer) to discuss the issues that surface and provide data and reinforcement to make systemic change within the college.
The team will produce yearly summary reports about the feedback they have received and the outcomes of each case. This will allow the team to look at the process in the long-term to identify needs for additional resources.
The team’s functionality will be assessed every five years. This will include a review of the previous years’ activities, focus groups and satisfaction surveys.

Actions will be initiated within the team and COS leadership as much as possible in order to address the issues as quickly and fully as possible.
Issues that explicitly fall under the scope of other OSU offices will be referred to them.
Faculty concerns will need to involve the OSU Faculty Senate and Faculty Union.
Example actions:
- Education and training
- COS leadership speaking directly with faculty members about incidents (advocacy)
- Coaching students on having the conversations (empowerment)
- Facilitating connection to an ombuds to mediate a conversation between relevant parties.

Things we keep in mind when receiving a feedback form

Power dynamics are at play.
Data (submissions) will be used for reports.
Information disclosed about an OSU employee will not be shared with the public, but only with supervisors who have a need to know.
If students are involved, FERPA regulations must be followed.

Other resources on campus

Credits

Special thanks to College of Science student workers Madeline Bloom, Steve Dobrioglo, Ashley Francis, Sara Kim, Robyn Norman, Connor Tate and Rhea Sellitto for suggesting this need and for their work in developing this feedback form and its process. Thanks also to Henri Jansen, Jen Olarra and Scott Vignos for their work and professional expertise.

Submit a feedback form