The College’s philosophy is dedicated to advancing learning through a welcoming and productive environment that is inclusive of all members of its community, nondiscriminatory on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, or veteran status. This is achieved through a united attempt to increase recruitment and retention of a diverse family of faculty, staff, and students, and to promote open exchanges of ideas in an atmosphere of mutual respect.
Achieving Inclusive Excellence
The College of Liberal Arts values climate and inclusion and believes that these are essential aspects of creating and sustaining excellence. The College’s goals for improving climate and diversity are integrated into the 2015-2020 College of Liberal Arts Strategic Plan. These strategies include, but are not limited to:
- Recruiting and retaining students, faculty, and staff who represent a diverse set of experiences and perspectives
- Assessing and enhancing the positive climate in the College through interactive meetings with the Dean and developing blueprints for climate improvement
- Continuously evaluating the effectiveness of initiatives to improve climate and responding to concerns by updating departmental and college inclusive excellence
- Maintaining a permanent committee with representation from faculty from each department apart from staff, undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-docs from around the college
- Supporting lectures, performances, workshops, exhibits, and discussions about climate and inclusion
- Developing and implementing effective mentoring programs for faculty and staff
- Aggressively pursuing university-level diversity fellowships for graduate and undergraduate students
- Promoting diversity training and professional development opportunities for staff, faculty, and students