What Is Inclusive Excellence?

Inclusive Excellence is a planning process designed to connect a right I.D.E.A. in every aspect of campus life. I.D.E.A. is an acronym for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accountability.

• Inclusion: The active, intentional, and ongoing engagement with diversity—in the curriculum, in the co-curriculum, and in communities (intellectual, social, cultural, geographical) with which individuals might connect—in ways that increase awareness, content knowledge, cognitive sophistication, and empathic understanding of the complex ways individuals interact within systems and institutions.
• Diversity: Individual differences (e.g., personality, learning styles, and life experiences) and group/social differences (e.g., race/ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, country of origin, and ability) as well as cultural, political, religious, or other affiliations that can be engaged in the service of learning.
• Equity: The creation of opportunities for historically underrepresented populations to have equal access to and participate in educational programs that are capable of closing the achievement gaps in student success and completion.
• Accountability: The responsibility placed on an individual or group for their own or others actions, conduct, performance, projects, etc.

Making Excellence Inclusive Initiative

According to the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) (http://www.aacu.org/), "The Making Excellence Inclusive initiative is designed to help colleges and universities fully integrate their diversity and educational quality efforts and embed them into the core of academic mission and institutional functioning." For additional information about The Making Excellence Inclusive initiative, go to: http://www.aacu.org/compass/inclusive_excellence.cfm.