During the 2021-2022 academic year, work groups were formed around action items for the year. In identifying the action items, the council was guided by the strategic plan, campus climate surveys, student satisfaction surveys, the Crisis Response Task Force report, and other diversity, equity and inclusion related committees.

1. Revise Policy 103 to require training for all search committee members (not solely the search committee chairs) for both faculty and staff searches and require candidate pool diversity before a search may progress.
2. Require all performance evaluations to recognize and address contributions to an inclusive and respectful environment.
3. Develop statement to be included in position announcements that demonstrate NDSU’s commitment to build a diverse faculty and staff.
4. Host an annual event to promote DEI and to highlight the units, programs, and spaces that promote community building, collaboration, and a diversity of voices.
5. Develop ways to show NDSU’s responsiveness to feedback NDSU has received from BIPOC and LGBTQ students and other underrepresented or marginalized groups.
6. Develop resources to assist with the recruitment and retention of diverse students.

Additionally, there was a standing committee on campus data.

During the 2020-2021 academic year, its inaugral year as a President's Council, work groups were formed to discuss the university's strategic plan and create action plans for the upcoming year, as noted below.

Awareness and Recognition of Best Practices

Assist with recognizing accomplishments on campus. Explore ways in which to create more awareness on campus about inclusion activities, units, and accomplishments.

Campus Education and Engagement

Explore educational opportunities for faculty, staff, and students, and ways to engage them on campus.

Data Exploration and Reporting

Identify needs for data collection concerning diversity issues and communicate data findings to the Council.

DIR Advocates and Allies

Explore an advocacy and mentoring group for international and underrepresented faculty and staff.

Exploring Best Practices

Explore best practices at other institutions to centralize resources. Compare Council priorities with current and potential policies.

Recruitment and Retention

Explore ideas for increasing efforts in inclusion with recruitment (e.g., during searches) and retention (i.e., efforts to keep more diverse and inclusive employees and students on campus).