Inclusive Excellence

The Department of Communication and Journalism’s staff, faculty members, and graduate students work to educate and prepare Aggies for an increasingly diverse world. Consistent with Texas A&M’s vision and strategic plan, which welcomes and seeks to serve persons of all racial, ethnic, and geographic groups as it addresses the needs of an increasingly diverse population and a global economy.

The Department of Communication and Journalism embraces the development of a socially and culturally diverse intellectual community that is grounded in an awareness of the political and social structures embedded in the process and study of communication. As scholars and students of human communication, we must reflect on the myriad ways in which racism, sexism, heterosexism, trans-antagonism, ableism, and other forms of discrimination, inequality, and hate are buttressed by repetitive messaging — sometimes easily identified as “hate speech,” other times more heavily coded and too readily dismissed. In that reflection, we must seek to critically engage and systematically challenge the everyday communicative expressions that enable varied forms of social exclusion, inequality, and injustice. Hate is not an Aggie value. To that end, we embrace the freedom of expression and intellectual inquiry. We recognize that free and responsible communication is central to a flourishing democratic society and we advocate for ethical communication practices that include truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, integrity, respect, and reason. Moreover, we affirm the importance of diversity and recognize the necessity of including the voices of members of historically marginalized communities in our research, teaching, and service. Following the National Communication Association’s Credo for Ethical Communication, we “condemn communication that degrades individuals and humanity through distortion, intimidation, coercion, and violence, and through the expression of intolerance and hatred.”

The Department of Communication and Journalism’s Climate and Inclusion Committee therefore promotes the values of diversity and inclusion throughout the life of the department: undergraduate and graduate instruction, research and scholarship, and service and engagement. These values include respect and encouragement for people of diverse backgrounds, including, but not limited to, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, or veteran status.