OEB DEI Values Statement
Members of the Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (OEB) graduate program recognize the injustices that continue to arise from systemic racism and other structural barriers to inclusion in our discipline. We affirm our commitment to work toward dismantling inequitable systems, including those that impact the recruitment and retention of a diverse OEB student body. We embrace diversity in all its many facets – race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnicity, national origin, socio-economic status, political views, physical abilities, neurodiversity, and age. We strive for inclusive practices in our courses, our labs and research groups, and in the program as a whole. Full representation and the empowerment of diverse viewpoints in our community make us better. This in turn strengthens our science and its potential for positive impacts on the world, opens us to discovery and innovation, and enables us to better prepare the next generation of scientists and global citizens.
In 2020 the OEB DEI Committee was formed to promote DEI values in the program.
Vision
Our vision is that the OEB program serves as a space where students, staff, postdocs, and faculty feel empowered and reach their full potential. We hope to promote grass-roots change and create a more accessible, diverse, inclusive, just, and united program in the long term. By working with the OEB community and administration, our goal is to grow the program in a way that reflects the global and collaborative nature of science to enhance the experiences of all OEB members.
Mission
As a committee, we acknowledge that in the current social environment—specifically within academia—inequalities persist that affect the experience of individuals in the OEB community. We are committed to openness and accessibility. As such, we provide pathways to resources, safe spaces for listening, and advocacy for the OEB students, prospective students, postdocs, staff, and faculty.
Please use this link to bring any concerns/issues to the attention of the OEB DEI Committee, or to provide anonymous feedback/suggestions.
Other resources:
OEB seminar - JEDI community slide deck
UMass NSB DEIJ link
Michigan State University - DEI Vision Statement, Definitions and Clarifications, Goals, and Feedback
