Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

Department of Psychological Sciences

We strive to create a culture of inclusion, where all people feel welcome, empowered, and free from obstacles that may limit their academic experience. We stand against systemic racism and institutional inequities that harm marginalized persons. We respect and value the many dimensions of human diversity, inclusive of culture, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, neurodiversity, religion, creed, socioeconomic status, age, body type, nationality, citizenship status, and language. We are committed to promoting justice and advocacy for marginalized people, and the sharing of diverse perspectives. This is consistent with our mission to prepare students to be culturally responsive as they engage in the science and practice of psychology.

Therefore, the faculty and the Department of Psychological Sciences are actively working towards the following commitments:

• Supporting students from marginalized backgrounds through advising, mentorship, and other academic opportunities;
• Amplifying the voices of marginalized and underrepresented students by including student membership on our DEI committee;
• Listening with open-mindedness about students’ needs, hopes, concerns, and perspectives;
• Learning best practices to engage students and others to facilitate difficult conversations about issues of oppression, privilege, social justice, ideology, and anti-racist work;
• Providing an inclusive curriculum that presents voices and viewpoints to reflect a diversity of histories, experiences, ideologies, and cultures;
• Focusing our efforts to recruit and retain outstanding and diverse faculty, staff, and students;
• Identifying and challenging our own individual biases, as well as institutional barriers, to promote student success; and
• Learning best practices to engage in inclusive teaching.

Furthermore, the DEI committee will collect information on the department’s progress on these initiatives and report back to faculty, staff, and students.