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Our Approach To Inclusive Excellence

Our Commitment

The College of Arts & Science (CAS) is committed to providing a high-quality learning and workplace environment that is intentionally diverse and equitable, built on the Inclusive Excellence Framework, and affirms, engages, and values differences.

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú's Inclusive Excellence Statement

Our Definition of Diversity

In the College of Arts and Science, we view diversity holistically, understanding that the definition is constantly evolving. Our definition of diversity includes but is not limited to race, ethnicity, color, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, class, religion, disability, age, military status, visa status, economic status, geographic location, and language/linguistic ability. Diverse and well-reasoned ideas, approaches, and experiences are also essential parts of inclusion and equity.

Our Guiding Principles and Values

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University is committed to and fully embraces the philosophy and belief that a diverse academic community is among an institution's greatest strengths. As decades of research and experience have shown, every unit and individual on campus benefits from diversity when there is an environment where people from a wide variety of backgrounds learn from one another, share ideas, and work collaboratively to ask and solve questions.

This is especially important given ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú's commitment to excellence in undergraduate teaching and learning. A diverse and inclusive campus enhances the living, learning, and working environment for every student, staff, and faculty member. Together, these benefits help ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú achieve its special mission as a public institution in Ohio, educating students across the state and preparing them to be leaders in a variety of fields who are ready for the demands of the 21st-century workforce. We, therefore, aspire to attract and retain a broadly diverse group of faculty, staff, and students.

Our Role with Building and Supporting Inclusive Communities

CAS faculty are nationally and world-renowned researchers with top scholarly achievements in their fields. CAS commits to being a leader in engaging faculty, staff, students, and the broader university community on the importance of inclusive learning and work environments as well as inclusive global communities.

We are committed to:

Cultivate

Cultivating an inclusive learning environment where intersections of social identities feel welcomed, valued, and a sense of belonging

Engage

Engaging in continuous learning and fostering inclusive leadership through utilization of a diverse curriculum and peer-reviewed, academically validated assessments that strengthen our ability to lead with cultural intelligence in a multicultural, global world

Build

Building community and deepening understanding through engaging in the dialogue and discussion to influence understanding of each other's experiences and cultivate individual and collective agency to effect social change

Enhance

Enhancing student success through the promotion of excellence, accountability, and new innovative retention initiatives

Serve

Serving as a focal point at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú for cutting-edge research, critical pedagogy, and curricular offerings that support a more inclusive local and global community

Support

Supporting equity, inclusivity, and pipeline programs to maximize access to learning for all students including historically underrepresented and marginalized populations

Stand

Standing in solidarity with our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities and serving as advocates and allies working toward more inclusive local and global communities

Strengthen

Strengthening and enhancing internal and external collaborations and partnerships with scholars and leaders committed to inclusive local and global communities

Student Success Efforts by Program

LEADS Institute

The LEADS Institute is an Academic Excellence and ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúhip Accelerator in the College of Arts and Science (CAS) lauched to better address high-achieving diverse students' academic, professional, cultural, and social interests, Major initiatives include HASS Scholars, STEMM Scholars, and a pre-professional Arts & Science Multicultural Association (ASMA).

Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation

The Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) is an honors STEM program funded by the National Science Foundation that aims to significantly increase high-achieving historically underrepresented student recruitment, retention, and attainment in STEM degrees and careers, and graduate school.

First-Generation

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú's First-Generation initiative seeks to build a community of first-generation college students and their allies while celebrating their resilience, tenacity, and achievements.

CIQS Day

CIQS (Careers Involving Quantitative Skills) Day invites young high school women to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University to explore prospective fields and majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Faculty and students lead engaging workshops and panels throughout the day.

Student Citizens is a new summer scholarship program and two-week residential experience focused on the humanities and designed for rising seniors who attend high schools in southwest Ohio (a 50-mile radius of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú's Oxford campus).

Our ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúhip

Director of Inclusive Excellence Strategies and Initiatives

Carolyn S. Craig, MBA, CDP, ACCQP is the inaugural Director of Inclusive Excellence Strategies and Initiatives for the CAS. She provides leadership in developing and implementing comprehensive strategies and initiatives aimed at promoting inclusive excellence and engaging faculty, staff, and students in the college community. Carolyn partners with the dean, university administrators, and others to lead inclusive excellence initiatives designed to remove barriers and increase participation by historically underrepresented communities in higher education, including serving as Director of the CAS LEADS Institute ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú [e.g.,  (HASS), Dean's STEMM Scholars Program, and Arts and Science Multicultural Association (ASMA)]. Carolyn also serves as Lead Principal Investigator (PI) and Program Director for the   (LSAMP) STEM Program, a National Science Foundation initiative, at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University. She conducts training and professional development workshops, collaboratively develops and implements strategies for recruitment and retention initiatives to further the College's Inclusive Excellence Strategic Plan and serves on various diversity and education councils.

Special Projects Assistant (Graduate Assistant)

Destinee Henderson is a graduate student in the College of Education, Health, and Society pursuing her Master of Social Work. Destinee obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University as well. As the Special Projects Assistant in the College of Arts and Sciences, Destinee plans to utilize her passion for social justice and empowering scholars from marginalized communities to help her make a difference and have a major impact in the role. Destinee is also currently interning with Catalyst Counseling doing school-based mental health at Riverview Elementary School. This aligns with her passions for mental health and social justice by lifting barriers to access to proper mental health care in high-need communities. Destinee is excited to be working in roles that align with her yearning to develop more equitable communities.

 

We want to hear from you. Please submit feedback, suggestions, or ideas related to CAS inclusive excellence efforts and initiatives via casdiversity@ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúOH.edu.

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The College of Arts and Science

Representing nearly half of all students, the College of Arts and Science (CAS) is ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University's largest division and the centerpiece of liberal arts — the wide range of subjects in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities crucial for the development of key professional skills desired by employers.

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