American University plans to invest $61 million in “diversity and inclusion initiatives” in 2019, following a $60 million investment in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in 2018.

The allocation will go towards the maintenance of previously established diversity and inclusion initiatives, as well as financial aid, according to The Eagle.

Ensure “that all community members feel safe"

In a progress report released by AU President Sylvia Burwell, the university laid out several goals for “building an inclusive campus culture.” Some of the goals included an emphasis on campus climate to ensure “that all community members feel safe,” as well as “equity” in the recruitment and recognition of faculty and administrators.

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AU reported that 14 faculty members received training in “inclusive teaching practices” and subsequently taught 500 of their peers. The report also highlighted 100 percent freshman enrollment in a new mandatory core curriculum class titled “AUx”, which addressed bias and discrimination.

Most of AU’s $60 million 2018 diversity and inclusion investment went toward financial aid, while the school spent $7 million on programs like AUx.

“We're seeing some promising signs of progress, but we still have work to do. We are on this journey together, and we're learning together,” tweeted President Burwell.

AU came under fire in 2017 following a racially-charged incident on campus involving the hanging of bananas. The progress report was released following a university survey that found 55 percent of students felt that their peers are dedicated to fostering a sense of belonging on campus, while only 36 percent of black students said that they felt the university is committed to fighting bias and discrimination.

The school reported that the percentage of freshman students who stated that they felt they belonged on campus went up from 63 percent in 2017 to 69 percent in 2018.

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American University did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Campus Reform.

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