Diversity

(approved by Faculty vote, March 2020)

The BCMB department is committed to advancing and maintaining a collegial academic environment that is inclusive and welcoming of all. Our goals are:

Create and sustain a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive departmental climate.
Attract and retain greater numbers of individuals from under-represented populations into faculty, staff, and administrative positions.
Attract, retain, and graduate increasing numbers of students from historically under-represented populations and international students.
Develop and strengthen partnerships with diverse communities in Tennessee and globally.
Prepare graduate students to become teachers, researchers, and industry leaders in a diverse world.
Ensure that departmental curricular requirements include significant intercultural perspectives that span ethical and societal perspectives on diversity and inclusion.

The charges of the council are advisory to the head and the faculty and include the followings:

Conduct and review diversity and inclusion-climate surveys directed at faculty, staff, students in the department- prepare an annual report to the Head (Spring semester).
Identify hurdles, and solutions to issues concerning students from underrepresented groups that will enable their voices to be heard.
Suggest initiatives the department should be engaging with in order to increase and sustain an inclusive climate that welcomes all.
Track diversity and inclusion-related events conducted within the department and/or at the initiative of faculty, staff or graduate students.
Coordinate messaging and broadcasting of diversity- and inclusion-related events within the department through social media (interaction with social media ambassadors).

The BCMB Department is interested in hearing general thoughts about the diversity-related climate and environment in the department.

University

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