6.1 Action Item: Continue to work with the Texas Exes to reach out to alumni through special events and community service projects.

 Status: In Progress

Summary:

• The Texas Exes partners with different divisions in the University to support UT Night at Trail of Lights, a large community event which engages a diverse population in the Austin area.
• The Longhorn Center for Community Engagement is working with the Texas Exes to engage alumni in The Project, UT’s largest day of service in February of each year.
• The Division of Diversity and Community Engagement (DDCE) partners with the Texas Exes Alumni Association, Texas Exes Asian American Alumni Network, Texas Exes Austin Chapter, Texas Exes Black Alumni Network, Texas Exes Dallas Chapter, Texas Exes Hispanic Alumni Network, Texas Exes Pride Network and Black Ex-Students of Texas (B.E.S.T) on year-round alumni outreach events and programming.
• The DDCE and the Black Texas Exes Network partnered in 2016 to honor the first black undergraduates who entered UT in 1956. The division also partners with the network each year for Evening of Honors to present the Heman Marion Sweatt Legacy Award.
• For the past five years, DDCE and the Texas Exes Pride Alumni Network have partnered to host the reception for Lavender Graduation and honor a leader in the LGBTQ community. The DDCE, Pride Alumni Network, Dell Medical School, Pride and Equity Faculty/Staff Association and Texas Athletics also partner on activities and sponsorship support for annual Austin Pride Events.
• The DDCE and the Texas Exes Hispanic Alumni Network partner on annual activities and events of the Scholarship and Fiesta Committees.

6.2 Action Item: Enhance multicultural philanthropy and educate development officers and Texas Exes Networks in ways to reach out to different community populations, and create opportunities to engage diverse populations.

Status: On Target

Summary:

• The DDCE is brainstorming additional scholarships with the Texas Exes and continues to connect diverse Central Texas alumni through the Community Leadership Awards event which is hosted by the Office of the President and the DDCE.
• TEXAS Development is finalizing a comprehensive diversity and inclusion strategy for its team of 400 staff. Every team member will be encouraged to attend an introductory training that provides an overview of the topic of diversity in the development field, which will include training on unconscious bias. Additional trainings will be provided throughout the year on a variety of topics and best practices related to engaging diverse constituencies.
• The above has been completed. Texas Development has established a diversity and inclusion committee for its team of 400 staff. The committee is comprised of three subcommittees focusing on recruiting, hiring, and retaining diverse staff, training existing staff, and reviewing donor population and practices.

6.3 Action Item: Continue outreach to underserved communities.

Status: On Target

Summary: 

• Dell Medical School works with nine grassroots leaders and advocates working with underserved communities to rethink strategies to meet health needs of underserved communities in Austin and Travis County.
• Nearly every college and school offers academic service-learning courses that connect students with underserved populations.
• Through UT OnRamps, UT Outreach Centers, the Neighborhood Longhorns Program, UT-University Charter School System, and Advise TX, University Interscholastic League thousands of Texas elementary and secondary school students in underserved communities are connected with the University each year.
• The School of Law offers numerous pro-bono legal clinics each year helping immigrants, migrant workers and students who are registered through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). It also coordinates the Texas Law Expunction Project, helping those who cannot afford an attorney file paperwork to expunge or seal criminal records.
• The Division of Diversity and Community Engagement has more than 400 community partnerships, most of which work to assist populations in underserved communities on issues related to social justice, equity, and access to healthcare, economic development and education services.
• The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health provides funding for needed research and services in the mental health field around the state of Texas, especially in the areas of recovery, integrated health care, bilingual providers, and children’s mental health.

6.4 Action Item: Continue efforts around Historically Underutilized Businesses

Status: In Progress

Summary: 

The HUB office continues its efforts to increase contracting opportunities for Historically Underutilized Businesses.  A biennial action plan was created to include objectives and goals for FY17-18 and FY18-19. In addition, PMCS has initiated HUB work sessions for a number of specific projects to help potential firms understand and engage in the process more fully.

6.5 Action Item: Continue to engage with local, city, county, and state government agencies as well as neighborhood associations, alliances, and other civic groups to be a responsible and engaged neighbor and collaborative partner.

Status: On Target

Summary:

• The University has engaged collaboratively with more than 400 community organizations, associations, and governmental agencies over the past decade engaging faculty, staff, and students through interdisciplinary initiatives such as Restore Rundberg and the Colony Park Sustainable Neighborhood Initiative; pro-bono legal and health clinics through Texas Law and School of Nursing; and addressing integrated health care and medical concerns of multiple populations throughout Travis County with a partnership between Central Health and Dell Medical School and the work of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health.
• The DDCE has had partnerships with numerous agencies throughout the years and maintains strong partnerships with the City of Austin through our City Hall Fellows program, our Housing Hub Initiative with the City’s Housing Authority, and other projects that include working with Youth and Family Services, Public Health and Parks and Recreation. As well there are initiatives with county agencies such as Travis Co. Justice and Public Safety and the Travis County Commissioners. Our state partnerships include working with the State Employee Charitable Giving Campaign and the Governors Office on the Barbara Jordan Media Awards. The Governor’s Office most recently partnered with the Moody College of Communications on the awards.
• Students continue to engage in the community through service-learning courses and experiences offered by the Longhorn Center for Community Engagement which facilitates numerous student-engagement opportunities through The Project, Alternative Breaks, Google Scholars and Austin City Hall Fellows.
• Numerous UT Austin faculty and staff serve on boards of organizations including I Live Here, I Give Here, Community Advancement Network (CAN), the Austin Travis County Hate Crimes Taskforce Steering Committee, the Texas Diversity Council, and the Greater Austin Area My Brothers’ Keeper Initiative.
• The University’s Community Engagement Center continues to facilitate community discussion and action around challenges in the East Austin community. The center also continues to assist emerging non-profit organizations in finding necessary resources to carry out their missions.

Continue to 7. Pre-K–12 Partnerships and Education Pipeline