As the U.S. experiences increasing demographic diversity, higher education institutions are placing greater emphasis on promoting equitable student learning outcomes by cultivating inclusive learning environments. As articulated by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), diversity involves recognizing the contributions of individual and group differences to diverse thoughts, knowledge, and experiences; equity entails providing equal opportunities for minoritized students to achieve comparable outcomes; and inclusion involves deliberate and continuous engagement with diversity throughout the curriculum, co-curriculum, and communities (McNair et al., 2020). At California State University, Dominguez Hills, the University Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Committee (USLOAC) has been formulating guidelines for academic programs to seamlessly integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into their assessment processes. We contend that programs should embrace a comprehensive approach that utilizes program data to gauge outcomes. This presentation will initially explore the need to explicitly incorporate DEI goals into program assessment frameworks, ensuring alignment with the university's values and strategic plans. Subsequently, we will leverage data from both direct and indirect measures to identify disparities in student learning outcomes, employing culturally inclusive assessment methods. To conclude, we will provide specific, actionable recommendations for programs to attain equitable outcomes.

Existing literature posits that learning is a social endeavor, and that a sense of belonging underlies a number of positive academic outcomes from graduation rates to student satisfaction. Within this space, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) are noted as catalysts for belonging for Latinx students. Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, however, course offerings have increasingly moved online, raising the question of how belonging manifests in the online setting. Guided by the literature in social constructivism, this study explores the sense of belonging and community of STEM students, specifically taking online courses, at a mid-size HSI in a large metropolitan area. Study findings indicate that traditionally underrepresented students feel a stronger sense of belonging in STEM online education, as evidenced by various indicators. The role of HSIs in fostering this sense of belonging is discussed, along with a comparison of student belonging across several categories.