DEI Definitions
We Grow Every Day!
Join Us on Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Journey!
Hood College builds on a long tradition of diversity of thought starting with our founding as a College for women in a time when women were treated as second class citizens. In the 1970s, the College became co-educational to welcome more diversity of thought and opportunity for our students. Our trustees developed the first statement on the College’s commitment to diversity in 1989. Many efforts have been geared to having a diverse student body that is served by a diverse faculty and staff.
Hood College recruits students from within the United States and throughout the world. Hood undergraduates hail from 28 states and the District of Columbia and 9 countries; 41 percent of students are either members of underrepresented racial or ethnic populations or are from foreign countries.
Our graduate students are leaders in many critical fields such science, education, healthcare and business. Our undergraduate students develop the skills in the humanities and specific disciplines to effect change. Our diversity rate, or percentage of our employees who are minorities, for our faculty and staff is 13.8 percent. We have been making progress and are working on new strategies to make more strides in this area. We know the challenges ahead and are ready to face them head on.
We are focusing educational efforts for our faculty and staff on addressing and resolving issues of racism and other types of social inequality. The President and the Senior Team are giving voice, monetary resources and time to provide training from outside diversity thought leaders and our own internal subject matter experts.
Together, we are better! Hood College faculty and staff support a number of philanthropic efforts to put our compassion into action for our students and the surrounding community. We continue working together to become a highly vibrant community in which we appreciate our differences and welcome a variety of points of view. The College is committed to ongoing education for the growth of our people, in caring for all the members of the Hood community, and for adding to the various fields of knowledge. We have not yet arrived to the final destination; but, the College is committed to staying on the journey to become the best versions of ourselves in a holistic place where everyone feels valued.
When you join the Hood College Team, you have the opportunity to grow every day!
Explore the links below to learn how we define and demonstrate key concepts in having a respectful, dynamic and compassionate community:
Definition: Individual differences which can include, but are not limited to, race, national origin, ethnicity, class, gender and gender expression, learning styles, life experiences, religious beliefs, political beliefs, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status and status as a veteran.
Action: Hood College involves all faculty and staff in building the strategic and operational plans to achieve the College’s mission. The College participates in the Great Colleges to Work For Survey to identify and respond to issues related to underrepresented groups and work groups based on employee feedback. One of the outreach efforts by the Senior Team was to have the whole College go through diversity and inclusion training. The Faculty and Staff are provided multiple educational opportunities to build cultural competence and to capitalize on our collective power from our diverse groups of employees.
Definition: Creation of opportunities to address historical trends of ways underrepresented groups have been impacted at the workplace
Action: Hood College has an affirmative action plan. We use data from that plan to drive HR business plans to make the employee base more reflective of the students we serve and the community in which we are located. To make progress toward our diversity hiring goals, Hood College posts job opening in online forums that increase applicants of color.
The Staff Council also provides ongoing feedback on policies and procedures to ensure that HR is striking the appropriate balance toward equity for all employees.
Definition: An active and ongoing intentional acknowledgement and outreach to our diverse employees to engage them in the life of the College and to achieve the important mission.
Action: Hood College faculty and staff are provided with ongoing feedback and communication opportunities to provide individual points of view and collective wisdom. The College also sponsors a variety of cultural events, lectures, training and workshops to improve our individual and collective cultural competence.
Members of community are very active in civil rights causes such as The March on Frederick, The Frederick Center, Voting Rights, Heartly House, etc. As equity and diversity issues are identified, HR and the Senior Team works with faculty and staff on initiatives to respond and build toward a future in which employees feel valued and respected, with the opportunity to grow every day!
Using inclusive language is an essential component of respectful communications. To help foster equitable and inclusive dialogue on campus, we have created this helpful guide outlining key terms and best practices.
Hood College Inclusive Language Guide
Updated August 2024
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