Mission
Our charge
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Subcommittee is charged to develop concrete steps and metrics of progress for improving diversity and inclusion in Sociology, and for bringing in and supporting students, scholars and staff from under-represented minorities, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) and other marginalized groups. The steps we consider include changes to our educational programming, training for faculty, staff and students, forums for deeper learning about racism, prejudice and discrimination, platforms for anonymous reporting of concerns, initiatives to advance research and engagement to reduce racial inequality, strategies for increasing our diversity, and actionable steps to foster a more inclusive academic climate. It will meet regularly, starting this summer and into the academic year.
Our vision
President Pollack has announced a number of initiatives to promote diversity and racial justice on our campus. Our department aims to become a key player in these efforts. The Super-department re-organization gives us an opportunity to move toward that goal and make diversity, equity and inclusion a building block of our curriculum, our culture, as well as our future hiring and admission decisions.
Our first steps as a subcommittee will include (i) supplementing our recent survey of graduate students with data from our undergraduate students, staff and faculty to assess our department climate, (ii) creating an ongoing workshop for discussions of race/ethnicity, racism and racial justice, (iii) learning from our peers on their diversity, inclusion and equity related efforts and best practices, (iv) advocating for hiring efforts to diversify our faculty, and (v) developing formal mechanisms of support and mentorship that extend across campus. We will use what we learn in this initial stage to develop concrete next steps to be implemented over the short and longer term.
For similar efforts in Policy Analysis and Management, see the PAM Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group.