A common problem on college campuses is that the people who most often choose to participate in workshops, trainings, committees, mentorships and other programs aimed at improving diversity, equity, inclusion, and sense of belonging (DEIS) are those same people that are already committed to such efforts. So, participants can feel they’re in an echo chamber, while those who know the least about campus inequalities, how they play out, how they themselves might be contributing to problems, or how to improve inclusion are the least likely to participate. Recognizing that DEIS impacts all of us and is everyone’s responsibility, some universities are beginning to require that all faculty contribute to DEIS in some capacity.
As described in this article, the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana recently announced they will require all faculty members to submit statements on diversity contributions in promotion and tenure decisions. The goals are to provide a clear place for recognizing DEIS work in the promotion and tenure process and to incentivize faculty across campus to contribute to campus diversity efforts in some way. The various ways faculty might contribute are flexible: through teaching, research, or service, in order to make academia more welcoming, inclusive, and supportive of all students, faculty, and staff. How might Michigan Tech recognize and incentivize faculty efforts to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and sense of belonging?
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