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Portland State says 93% of Time to Act equity actions completed or in progress; GDI outlines next steps
Summary
Dr. Omay Lambert reported to trustees that the university's Time to Act plan—created after 2020 campus conversations—achieved near-completion on its action items, invested from a $1.5 million racial‑justice fund, and produced a scorecard showing improvements in several student equity measures.
Dr. Omay Lambert delivered the board an update Jan. 24 on Portland State's Time to Act racial‑justice plan, saying the multi-year effort launched in 2021 has produced measurable institutional changes and that most actions are complete or underway.
"We did the darn thing and that of the action items, 93% of them have either been completed or they're in progress," Lambert told trustees.
Lambert framed the project as a long-term cultural and infrastructural effort rather than a short-term spend, and described the process that produced the plan: a large October 2020 summit, subsequent task forces and stakeholder co‑creation, and ongoing implementation through 2024.
Key points and accomplishments cited
- Funding and stewardship: A $1,500,000 racial‑justice fund established in 2020 was managed as a trust; Lambert reported roughly half of that fund had been spent by the end of FY2025 on prioritized initiatives and that some funds had been frozen during a period of broader reserve freezes.
- Participation and co‑creation: The initiative included a summit that registered roughly 1,000 people with several hundred active participants in breakout and caucus sessions. Task forces spanning multiple dimensions produced recommendations that were mapped to prior reports and institutional plans.
- Measurable results: Lambert highlighted concrete equity improvements, including native student retention closing to within the equity band and advances for students over 24 and some persistence measures for Black students. She said the work produced a public-facing scorecard intended to spark discussion and continued accountability.
Why it matters: Trustees and senior leaders said the Time to Act work has institutionalized equity commitments and created structures for future action. Lambert and other leaders emphasized that sustaining change requires continued investment and structural supports rather than one‑time projects.
Next steps and transparency
Lambert invited trustees and the community to a Feb. 27 session for a deeper briefing and celebration of outcomes. She also stressed the need for structural supports to embed equity into institutional decision-making, workforce development and student-facing programs.
Ending
Board chair Ben Berry thanked Lambert for the report and emphasized the board's intention to remain engaged and supportive as the university navigates a challenging external policy environment while implementing equity priorities.
