Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The Central Michigan University College of Science and Engineering values and respects Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. We strive to implement thoughtful, practical, iterative and innovative strategies that serve to support the needs of CSE’s broad community of faculty, students, staff and alumni.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice and Belonging (DEIJB) Committee

Values

• Diverse perspectives – Acknowledging and honoring the unique backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of individuals. Collectively, these perspectives are a source of strength. We encourage all to contribute ideas in a safe and welcoming environment to ensure that a diverse range of voices is heard and included in decision-making processes.
• Compassion – Embracing empathy and supporting the needs and challenges of others. We encourage active listening to the College community and appreciate the challenges faced by different individuals.
• Growth mindset – Fostering the ability to grow and assuming best intent. We approach challenges with resilience, seek opportunities for learning, and continue to strive for improvements to support an equitable environment in our College.
• Action – Focusing on taking measurable and achievable actions. We strive to provide opportunities for education and training programs to raise awareness within the College, but also to hold the College accountable for promoting equity and inclusion.
• Transparency – Providing clear decision-making and communications to the College community. We aim to provide open and honest communication about the committee’s activities and decisions with record-keeping and accessible information.
  

Mission

To facilitate a culture in the Central Michigan University College of Science and Engineering (CSE) where Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging (DEIJB) are honored, valued, and integrated into our daily work by implementing thoughtful, practical, iterative, and innovative strategies that support the needs of CSE’s broad community of faculty, students, staff, and alumni.

Charge

• Explore the needs of the faculty, staff, students, and alumni regarding DEIJB.
• Initiate and support activities, programs, and processes facilitating DEIJB throughout CSE.
• Advise the college administration on matters related to DEIJB to allocate resources, identify college goals, and enhance recruitment and retention.
• Foster an environment of culturally educated faculty, staff, students, and alumni.
• Collect and analyze our student population's diversity-related data, such as demographics, recruitment, and retention, and share with college members to better serve all students.
• Communicate the work of the committee to the faculty, students, staff, and alumni through various means, such as the Dean’s Advisory Council, annual college meeting, CSE listserv, newsletter, and websites.

Membership

• CSE Dean or designee
• One to two faculty members from each department/school in the college
• Two or more staff representatives
• Two or more student representatives (ideally at least one undergraduate and one graduate student)
  

Faculty and staff members will be selected at the beginning of the fall semester to serve a two-year term. Vacant positions may be filled at any time. Student members will be selected at the beginning of the fall semester to serve a one-year term.

The committee will be led by two co-chairs: 1) a representative appointed by the CSE Dean and 2) a representative elected annually from the faculty, student, and staff membership.

Meetings

The DEIJB committee in CSE will meet monthly, unless circumstances call for more frequency, to facilitate the charges expected of its membership. 

Working definitions

(from A Call to Action: Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging at Central Michigan University 2023-2028)

“Diversity work seeks to lessen homogeneity to strengthen communities, environments, and ecosystems. Diversity offers choice, options, and more equitable representation across curricula, teaching, policy, and practice. It also nurtures innovation, creativity, and a richness of experience.”

“Equity is a mindfulness towards ensuring that the opportunities and resources made readily available to all, are also cultivated and shared in a manner that takes context, nuance, and specificity into account.”

“Inclusion is involvement and empowerment, where the inherent worth and dignity of all people are recognized.  An inclusive university promotes and sustains a sense of belonging; it values and practices respect for the talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of living of its members.”

“Justice seeks to remedy inequities which stem from systemic oppression and other social issues. From policy implementation to procedural reviews, justice targets bias, discrimination, and stratifications with intentionality and offers corrective action. It involves reflexivity, interrogation, and a willingness to invest in holistic improvements. At CMU, justice is diversity, equity, and inclusion put into practice.”

“Belonging makes considerations for how individuals experience day-to-day interactions with campus and the surrounding community, paying specific attention to those who are most vulnerable within the community. These considerations disrupt policy, practice, and procedures that target or exclude populations, and offers multifaceted support which takes a diverse range of needs into account. We strive for a campus culture where everyone is welcomed and appreciated. We endeavor to achieve these goals through the cultivation of more inclusive practice, curricula, teaching, programs, and policies to ensure a sense of security and belonging throughout campus.”