NEW PROGRAM REQUEST
FROM TEMPORARY TO PERMANENT APPROVAL – DRAFT 5 December 2003
BACKGROUND
1. Name of Institution:University of Illinois at Chicago
2. Title of Proposed Unit:Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy
3. CIP Code (6-digits):
4. Proposed Date for Initiation of Unit:Fall 2004
5. Contact personDr. Charles Evans
3.1 Telephone(217) 333-3079
3.2
3.3 Fax(217) 244-5763
SUMMARY - PERMANENT PROGRAM REQUEST
INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH ON RACE AND PUBLIC POLICY
College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs`
University of Illinois at Chicago
Permanent approval for the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP) at the University of Illinois at Chicago is critical to achieving Illinois Board of Higher Education goals relating to access, diversity, andquality. IRRPP is an innovative effort by UIC to better address pressing public policy challenges associated with growing racial and ethnic diversity within the university itself, the Chicago metropolitan area, the state of Illinois and beyond. Despite reductions in state funding, IRRPP programs and impact have grown over the past three years to better meet the needs of African Americans, Latinos and other historically underrepresented groups of color. IRRPP has attracted external funding and has helped UIC to better serve the citizens of Illinois while also increasing its visibility on campus, in the community and at the national level.
Since its initial approval in 1998, IRRPP has become the central locus on the UIC campus for promoting, coordinating and conducting research on a range of race, ethnic and public policy issues in contemporary urban contexts. Along with the Great Cities Institute, IRRPP has become a critical resource as UIC seeks to become the nation’s leading public research university striving to achieve the land-grant mission in an urban setting. The new institute is based in the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs (CUPPA), but works very closely with a variety of UIC academic units to promote policy-relevant, multi-disciplinary, collaborative research among scholars across campus.
The central goal of producing basic and applied research of the first rank is complemented by related education initiatives to enhance “academic excellence” and a range of service activities with both “urban” and “policy” relevance. These three major goals – of research, education and service -- provide the foundation for institute-based research projects, research training and service activities as well as strategic internal and external partnerships. Internalpartnerships between IRRPP and various UIC colleges, departments and programs build on unique institutional strengths to enhance capacity and interdisciplinary synergy. Campus partnerships also promote strategic research networks, working groups, proposal writing teams and collaborative projects. External partnerships further expand funding prospects and opportunities for policy-relevant public service to the citizens of Illinois and beyond.
Ten core priority areas guide the development of interdisciplinary research programs, curricula innovation and policy-related outreach and public service activities:
POLICY-RELEVANT SCHOLARSHIP ON RACE AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY
- Comparative Research on Race and Ethnic Diversity
- African American Research and Public Policy
- Latino Research and Public Policy
ENGAGED RESEARCH ON PRESSING RACE AND PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES
- Race, Empowerment and Urban Policy
- Workforce Diversity and Economic Development
- Race, Attitudes and Public Policy
- Race, Education, and Human Development
- Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health
- Race, Gender and Family Policy
- Race, Crime and Social Justice
Within each priority area, IRRPP researchers have begun to formalize strategic partnerships with both UIC instructional units and partners outside the university. These strategic partnerships function to: (1) expand the quantity, quality and relevance of research on pressing race and public policy issues; (2) promote capacity building within various UIC academic units and external partners to achieve even greater levels of excellence; and (3) mobilize a growing network of campus administrators, faculty, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, undergraduates, and external partners in a collective effort to better achieve the institute’s mission, goals and objectives. The basic strategy is to leverage core IRRPP resources to produce measurable outcomes by:
- Increasing external funding for policy-relevant research on racial/ethnic disparities
- Increasing related scholarly productivity and interdisciplinary collaboration
- Building campus-wide research capacity to address complex diversity challenges
- Coordinating multi-ethnic exchanges in research, education and service activities
- Promoting the recruitment, retention and development of underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities at the undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral and faculty levels
- Bridging research with public service, external outreach, and community engagement
The institute’s core facilities are located in CUPPA Hall and include offices for administrative staff, faculty fellows, and research project staff including a research support laboratory and a multi-media laboratory. The research support laboratory contains IBM compatible desktop computers equipped with a variety of data analysis software, including SPSS, SAS, STATA, HLM, LISREL, and Atlas Ti to support both quantitative and qualitative research. All lab computers have advanced Pentium processors and are connected to the university’s network servers. The media support laboratory contains IBM-compatible computers that support multimedia work, scanners, a digital camcorder and other equipment. A variety of geographic information systems software is also available through CUPPA technical support. The Library estimates that it currently spends approximately $23,000 per year for resources that support the study of race and public policy. IRRPP and Library faculty find that current resources are adequate, so no additional library funding will be necessary.
The institute’s core staff includes the Director, Assistant Director for Research and Assistant Director for Operations. Through internal partnerships, IRRPP also maintains collaborative arrangements with other campus units that support the key leadership roles played by Executive Board members, Faculty Affiliates and a Strategic Policy Analyst. Both undergraduate and graduate student trainees provide administrative support and gain valuable research and leadership training through involvement in a range of basic and applied research projects. In addition, institute affiliates from outside the university also support IRRPP initiatives through external partnerships with other educational institutions, local agencies and community-based organizations, state government departments as well as national and international organizations.
The establishment of IRRPP has begun to pay off in increasing numbers of scholarly publications by faculty and student trainees, externally funded projects and a range of innovative education and service activities. Because of IRRPP, research at UIC on race, ethnic and public policy issues has expanded and become better organized around a coherent set of core priority areas. More coherent programs of research provide a solid foundation for IRRPP to continue to play a critical role in UIC’s ongoing efforts to improve its standing in comparison to other Research I and Committee on Institutional Cooperation universities. Equally important, IRRPP increasingly demonstrates that the university is making visible progress toward its commitment to access, equity, and opportunity for underrepresented people of color within a racially, ethnically and culturally diversifying campus, city, state, nation and world.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH ON RACE AND PUBLIC POLICY
PAGE
SUMMARY –PERMANENT PROGRAM REQUESTii
PURPOSE: OBJECTIVES, MISSION, & PRIORITIES1
UNIT OBJECTIVES AND CONTRIBUTIONS1
What are the goals & objectives of the new unit?1
Mission1
An Integrative Model1
Major Goals and Related Objectives: 3
Research, Education and Service
Goal 1 -Basic and Applied Research: Related Objectives3
Goal 2 - Education and Training: Related Objectives4
Goal 3 - Service and Outreach: Related Objectives4
Strategic Vision and Core Priorities5
The Executive Board and Campus-wide Leadership6
Emerging Campus Partnerships: Core Priority Areas and Initiatives6
Policy-Relevant Research on Race and Ethnic Diversity6
Engaged Policy Research on Pressing Race and Policy Issues8
What is the relationship of the unit to the university’s mission and priorities? 10
Is the unit involved in instruction, and if so, to what extent? 10
Curricula, Courses and Supervised Research 10
IRRPP-based Research Training and Development 11
What specific needs and measurable contributions will the unit
make to statewide priorities and needs? 12
Access and Diversity 12
Recruitment, Retention and Leadership Development 12
Affordability and Quality of Education 13
Economic Growth and Community Development 14
What is the demand for the unit’s services? 14
What clients or populations do the unit serve?
ORGANIZATION 15
Describe the proposed unit’s organizational structure? 15
Explain how the unit is organized to meet its objectives?
UNIT OUTCOMES17
What targets have been set to assess the proposed unit’s
success in achieving its objectives? 17
Faculty Fellows, Scholars and Associates17
Core Networks and Working Groups19
Faculty Development and Postdoctoral Training Initiatives19
Graduate and Undergraduate Training Initiatives20
Growing Impact of the Institute -- Internal and External Partnerships21
Internal Partners and Co-Sponsors21
External Consultation, Collaboration and Partnerships22
Local Institutions, Agencies and Organizations22
State of Illinois23
National Networks and Organizations23
International Networks and Organizations23
External Funding and the Citizens of Illinois24
Programs of Research and the Quality of Life 24
Economic Well-Being and the Illinois Economy26
Economic and Community Development:
Latinos, African Americans and Beyond26
Bridging Research and Public Service28
RESOURCES29
QUALITY ASSURANCES PROCESSES31
APPENDICIES
A.Recent Publications and Research ReportsA-2
B.Conferences, Symposia, Lectures, and PresentationsA-15
C.Funded Projects and Research NetworksA-32
D.Professional Development and Training ActivitiesA-38
E.Internal Partners and CollaboratorsA-41
F.Research Supervision, Courses and Guest Lectures A-42
G.Selected Co-Sponsored Events and ActivitiesA-46
H.External Partners and CollaboratorsA-47
I.Selected Workshops, Consultation and LeadershipA-48
J.Research Faculty and Staff: Biographies, Interests and PrioritiesA-54
K.Director’s Curriculum VitaA-75
L.Early Historical Chronology A-90
PURPOSE: OBJECTIVES, MISSION, & PRIORITIES
6.UNIT OBJECTIVES AND CONTRIBUTIONS
6.1 What are the goals & objectives of the new unit?
Mission
The mission of the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP) at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) is to promote, coordinate, and conduct innovativeresearch at the intersection of race, ethnicity and public policy. The institute represents a strategic commitment by UIC to better address growing racial and ethnic diversity within the university itself, the Chicago area, the state of Illinois, the nation and the world. Based in the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, this university-wide institute has a special focus on historically under-represented people of color as they are effected by, and as they seek to affect, public policy. The institute has developed a comprehensive multiracial, multiethnic and multicultural agenda that includes African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans and other groups of color confronted with systemic racial and class barriers. Truly great cities, states and nations must better understand the challenges posed by shifting patterns of diversity to forge more responsive public policies within viable multiracial, multiethnic, and multicultural democracies.
A central aim is to increase the quantity, quality and relevance of research on racial and ethnic groups that face persistent inequities, inequalities and disparities. To promote greater access and diversity, a primary agenda is to improve both the understanding and conditions of under-represented racial and ethnic groups that continue to experience major difficulties within contemporary urban settings. Toward this end, IRRPP strives to be a central locus for a range of policy-relevant research, education and service activities guided by a set of strategic priorities.
An Integrative Model
The Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy is organized around a unique research model, three major goals and related objectives as well as a set of strategic priorities. The IRRPP integrative research model combines: (a) policy-relevant scholarship on racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity issues within the social sciences and humanities; with (b) engaged policy research to address pressing diversity issues within professional fields and community-based best practices. The IRRPP policy-relevant scholarship agenda is similar to that of research institutes at major universities nationally that have successfully promoted external funding, research productivity within basic disciplines, interdisciplinary collaboration, the reputation of academic departments, and the quality of research training for graduate and undergraduate students (i.e. Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University). In addition, the IRRPP engaged research agenda is consistent with that of the UIC Great Cities Institute and other research centers nationally that are dedicated to more “urban” and “policy” relevant studies with collaboration between external partners and university-based experts in a range of professional fields (urban planning, education, public health, social work, criminal justice, business, public administration, public policy studies, etc.).
As illustrated in Figure 1, the unique IRRPP model promotes interdisciplinary collaboration to systematically bridge innovative scholarship within “basic” academic disciplines
with more “applied” policy research within a range of professional fields and community-based settings. The integrative IRRPP model seeks to expand theory-based knowledge to improve both the understanding and quality of life among underrepresented racial and ethnic groups; particular attention is placed on people of color who have been historically underrepresented in the policy process and face persistent inequities, inequalities and disparities. Building on this integrative model, the central IRRPP strategy is to efficiently mobilize resources both within and outside the UIC campus around a set of core priority areas. In the following sections, IRRPP goals and related objectives are delineated. Next, the strategic vision and core priorities are highlighted along with the leadership roles of the IRRPP Director, Executive Board and Faculty Researchers. In the context of IBHE guidelines, specific strategies will also be highlighted for leveraging core state support to not only increase external funding but also to build research capacity throughout campus, to encourage educational innovation, to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, and to provide specialized research training as well as external outreach and public service.
Major Goals and Related Objectives: Research, Education and Service
Guided by this integrative model, the three major IRRPP goals are to bridge innovative research (basic and applied) with related education and service activities through collaboration with a wide range of relevant campus units and external partners. The three interrelated IRRPP goals of integrating its primary research efforts with innovative teaching and service activities are at the heart of the fundamental land-grant priorities of the university. This more integrative focus also supports the Great Cities Commitment to bridge high quality, multidisciplinary research with engaged teaching and service activities that are urban-oriented and policy-relevant. Moreover, the unique mission and goals of the new institute provide the opportunity to make the core land-grant and great cities values more responsive to the pressing problems facing racial/ethnic groups of color that have been historically underserved. The institute can address related public policy debates within an integrative research agenda that is consistent with both foundational land-grant and great cities traditions. The three major goals and related objectives that guide the institute’s core activities are highlighted below:
Goal 1 -Basic and Applied Research:
At the core of its mission, IRRPP is primarily committed to promoting, coordinating and conducting basic and applied research on a critical set of racial, ethnic and public policy issues. The integrative research focus is on both policy-relevant studies in basic social science and humanistic disciplines as well as more engaged studies relevant to professional fields such as urban planning, education, public health, social work, criminal justice, business, and public administration. In collaboration with internal and external partners, IRRPP seeks to play a central role in the university’s efforts to address growing racial/ethnic disparities in urban settings through three related research objectives.
Related Objectives:
- Increase the quantity, quality, and policy relevance of both basic scholarship as well as engaged research in core priority areas (See Appendix A).
B. Increase interdisciplinary exchanges among scholars and students through research
conferences, symposia, and presentations in core priority areas (See Appendix B).
- Increase research funding, coordinate collaborative working groups to develop new research proposals and widen the dissemination ofresearch in core priority areas – to government officials, community leaders and the public (See Appendix C).
Goal 2 - Education and Training:
To complement core research activities, IRRPP is also committed to related education and training innovation. This goal focuses on both: (a) building collaborative partnerships with UIC instructional programs interested in improving research capacity as well as curricula offerings on race, ethnic and public policy issues; and (b) developing more specialized training and development activities to increase the quantity, quality and policy-relevance of research on racial and ethnic diversity issues.
Related Objectives:
A. Develop specialized IRRPP-based training and development activities for faculty,
postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, undergraduates and others interested in
research at the intersection of race, ethnicity and public policy (See Appendix D).
- Build internal partnerships with several academic units that share a strong commitment to innovative education and training activities to address specific priority areas related to race, ethnicity and public policy (See Appendix E).
C. Provide curricula innovation and coordinate working groups to develop proposals for