Chair/Lead:  Sarah Quimby

Members: Audrey Gunn, Natalie Berg-Wall, Tim Isom

The Problem

LITS procedures, policies, and practices were written through the lens of equality — everyone is treated the same. However, equality often does not equate to being fair to everyone and can present barriers to some. Assessing fines and fees is one example of a potentially unfair practice. All individuals pay the same fine for a late book. Most students can afford to pay the fine without significant negative consequences. For a student with limited means, paying the fine could mean going without numerous meals. The policy treats everyone equally, but perpetuates the barriers low income face when trying to obtain a college degree. 

Actions Taken

LITS will begin a review of all procedures, policies, and practices to ensure that they are fair to all and are free from hidden barriers. Procedures, policies and practices will undergo a cursory review to place them into three categories: high impact, medium impact and low impact. Small groups of LITS staff will be assigned to review the high impact procedures, policies, and practices first, medium second, and then the low. A general tool was developed by the LITS Leadership team to help the groups review them all and to formulate recommended changes. LITS will seek out external reviewers from among the St. Olaf community to help us with this work. Because this work is new and expertise does not exist, LITS commits to setting a regular cycle of review for our procedures, policies, and practices to take advantage of advances in the field.

Accomplishments so Far 

1. A matrix of questions has been developed to help us analyze the procedures, policies, and practices.