As a community of learners and educators, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences pledges to:
- Engage in an anti-racist, transformative process to better understand the roots of racial injustice
- Initiate and sustain our own growth work around power and privilege
- Examine and change how our structures perpetuate inequity
- Hold each other accountable for actions and structures that harm vulnerable members of our community
Diversity: Diversity refers to all aspects of human difference, social identities, and social group differences, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, creed, color, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual identity, socio-economic status, language, culture, national origin, religion/spirituality, age, (dis)ability, military/veteran status, political perspective, and associational preferences.
Equity: Equity refers to fair and just practices and policies that ensure all campus community members can thrive. Equity is different than equality in that equality implies treating everyone as if their experiences are exactly the same. Being equitable means acknowledging and addressing structural inequalities — historic and current — that advantage some and disadvantage others. Equal treatment results in equity only if everyone starts with equal access to opportunities.
Inclusion: Inclusion refers to a campus community where all members are and feel respected, have a sense of belonging, and are able to fully participate and achieve their potential. While diversity is essential, it is not sufficient. An institution can be both diverse and non-inclusive at the same time, thus a sustained practice of creating inclusive environments is necessary for success.