R.I.D.E. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

A R.I.D.E. plan is an annual strategic document that helps you and your department/organization identify, through smart goals, the ways you hope to work towards realizing inclusion, diversity, and equity in your area. This document features your unit’s annually selected target areas, and subsequent goals and strategies that you expect to achieve within the year. R.I.D.E. plans can be developed at any time throughout the academic year, but are assessed biannually in September and May.

We recommend that leaders begin their R.I.D.E. process by signing up for our “R.I.D.E. Plan Development” workshop. This is a 60-minute session intended for leaders and those with responsibility for leading diversity, inclusion, and equity efforts within their organization or department. Our video, “Getting Ready to R.I.D.E.: Inclusive Excellence at WFU” is not required, but viewing is strongly encouraged prior to attending this workshop. 

You can also check out the R.I.D.E. Action Plan Template as an additional resource. The R.I.D.E. Roadmap offers an overview of the planning process.

There are many ways that your unit can go about selecting your annual R.I.D.E. priority target areas. No matter the process, a facilitated discussion with your team is essential. Two commonly used approaches include the target survey and/or a facilitated discussion amongst the team. 

The target survey is administered by the ODI team and is an anonymous survey that will assist your team and department (i.e., academic unit; administrative unit; student organization unit; school or College) in establishing a baseline for R.I.D.E. targets, identifying priorities, and discussing strengths and opportunities for organizational development. Following the completion of the survey, your team will have insight into the priorities of the department and can begin moving forward with the action planning process. The target survey data is shared in summary form with the department. We recommend the target survey for teams of at least 10 people. Please note that the target survey is approximately a 4-6 week process. 

For more info about ways to get started, take a look at our roadmap. 

Our office provides a myriad of workshops, standard definitions, planning templates, and even specific consults to help your unit in the creation of your R.I.D.E. plan. To view our full list of services, take a look here.

We ask that all departments complete the annual Fall R.I.D.E. survey by September 30 every year; however, R.I.D.E. planning should take place with your team throughout the year. Each May, departments will receive the annual Spring R.I.D.E. survey to share updates on the implementation of their plans.  To make our submission timeline more clear, we have created the Rhythm of R.I.D.E.

Yes, all units that complete the annual R.I.D.E. survey by the due date will receive feedback from the ODI team or a designee from the Dean’s Office (academic units). The feedback provided is optional as you decide how to progress towards the annual goals set by your team.

Currently, all academic units within the Undergraduate College are required to submit a R.I.D.E. plan annually. 

Administrative units are strongly encouraged to submit R.I.D.E. plans annually. Cabinet level members determine what units under their purview they consider to be functional units (i.e. requiring their own R.I.D.E. plan). If you are an administrative unit, please consult with your area leader to determine if your unit needs a R.I.D.E. plan.

Departments can develop their R.I.D.E. plan throughout the year.  At the latest, departments should begin planning for next year’s R.I.D.E. plan in June. This allows time for facilitation and selection of target areas to be submitted annually in September.

The data collected from annual R.I.D.E. plans are used to compile an annual summary report for institutional leadership. Plans are then archived. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion also uses R.I.D.E. plans as a reference to create consultative resources for the Wake Forest community. 

Please note that plans are only reviewed by the ODOC or ODI/ IE team.

In May, all unit leaders will receive a follow-up survey to share progress on their goals set for the year.