United States Coast Guard Academy Conducts Assessment of Its Diversity Efforts

The United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, is the first service academy to undergo the Equity Scorecard process developed by the Center for Urban Education at the University of Southern California.

The process involves setting up a team of faculty, administrators, researchers and students to examine an educational institution’s diversity efforts. The Equity Scorecard process involves a cycle of action inquiry, which includes: the identification of racial and ethnic gaps in educational outcomes, inquiry into instructional and academic support practices, purposeful changes in practices and policies based on the results of systematic inquiry, and evaluation of the implemented changes.

The Equity Scorecard for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy revealed that there were racial gaps in graduation and retention rates, grade point averages, and that Black cadets were disciplined more often than White cadets. Over the past few years, no African American cadets received honors in the five core courses taken during their first year on campus.

On a positive note, the study reports that the Class of 2018 will have the highest number of Black graduates in the academy’s history. And the academy now has more African Americans enrolled than at any time in its history.

Rear Admiral James Rendon, superintendent of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, stated that “this project is part of the Academy’s long-term commitment to examine educational outcomes and formulate improvement strategies. We will review the data in the report, along with that from other assessments, identify root causes, examine our policies and practices, and take action to improve them. In the years ahead, we will continue our broad effort to use data to assess and improve our programs.”

Related Articles

1 COMMENT

  1. Interesting Article; Did JBHE follow up with the superintendent of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy to ask What are the efforts that they “will continue our broad effort to use data to assess and improve our programs?” Who will conduct the review of “the data in the report, along with that from other assessments, identify root causes, examine our policies and practices, and take action to improve them (the company that produced the report? another outside entity? or will the Coast Guard do this review internally like they’ve always done)?”

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

Morehouse School of Medicine Launches Free Program to Advance Fertility Care for Black Women

Healthcare professionals who participate in the new FertilityEquity e-learning modules at Morehouse School of Medicine will learn about the unique experiences of Black women seeking fertility care and how to better support them.

New Faculty Positions for Three Black Scholars

The faculty appointments are Lauren Bullock at Temple University in Philadelphia, Margo Brooks Carthon at the University of Pennsylvania, and Munene Mwaniki at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

Fort Valley State University Establishes Partnership With an Electric Vehicle Manufacturer

Imola Automative USA, an electric vehicle manufacturer, has signed an agreement with historically Black Fort Valley State University in Georgia to create opportunities for students in the electric vehicle industry.

Monic Ductan Receives Inaugural Tennessee Book Award in Fiction

Monic Ductan was honored for her first book, Daughters of Muscadine: Stories. She currently teaches creative writing and literature at Tennessee Tech University.

Featured Jobs