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Recent events have increased our self-reflection as a department. We acknowledge that we, like many institutions, have room for growth as we strive to enhance unity. We commit to continued reflection and increased effort "to address injustice and to truly love one another." With this action statement, we dedicate ourselves to helping all students, faculty, and staff thrive in belonging.

Students
Faculty

Undergraduate Students

  • We will ensure that psychology majors have training in diversity and inclusion by including a module on prejudice, biases, discrimination, and racism in all introductory PSYCH 111 courses.
  • We will provide required courses that directly focus on cultural diversity and gender issues:
    • PSYCH 305: Multicultural Psychology (previously 390R). Course Description: Examination of multiculturalism from a psychological perspective, with a focus on the impact of culture on psychological theory, research, and practice.
    • PSYCH 306: Psychology of Gender (or GWS 222: Intro to Global Women’s Studies). Course Description: Biological and social contributions to sex role development, sexual self-concept, and complementarity of sex roles.
  • We will offer a faculty-mentored Psychology Research Program, which prepares students from diverse backgrounds for graduate school in psychology.
  • We will support a student-led Belonging & Diversity Committee tasked with increasing our awareness of student concerns, with special (subcommittee) emphasis on education, intersectionality, and peer mentorship.

Graduate Students

  • We will develop comprehensive admission criteria to reduce bias and decrease homosocial reproduction (i.e., reduce the likelihood of only admitting those who are like us).
  • We will provide a graduate course that directly focuses on cultural diversity and gender issues:
    • PSYCH 645: Cultural Diversity and Gender Issues. Course Description: Clinical issues in the context of cultural diversity and contemporary social trends.
  • We will pursue a diversity course for non-clinical Ph.D. programs, which will address issues of racism, self and social awareness of stereotypes, prejudices, biases, microaggressions, and societal factors involved in racism, to prepare students for entering a diverse workforce.
  • We will require a one-hour course (or twice-yearly seminar) for all graduate students in the major to address diversity, inclusion, and bias of all kinds.
  • We will commission ongoing training from experts on a variety of diversity issues, using multiple venues and delivery methods (including faculty meetings, select readings, and group retreats).
  • We will provide instruction on implementing learning outcomes and curriculum related to diversity, inclusion, and equity.
  • We will produce scholarship on diversity issues, endorsing the contributions of several faculty members whose research is directly focused on racism, multiculturalism, and gender studies.
  • We will collaborate with the FHSS Belonging & Diversity Committee to promote the recruitment, training, retention, and mentoring of underrepresented groups.
“We know there is work to do, on campus and throughout the nation, for us to better come together, to address injustice and to truly love one another. It will take sustained effort from all of us to make things better. We remain committed to doing that.”
~ President Kevin J. Worthen