The Diversity Committee is one of the 5 standing committees of SILS. This committee was recently renamed the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) committee.
The SAID Committee meets twice a year, has a dedicated fund and liaison to the Diversity Committee.
SILS takes advantage of campus-wide initiatives to recruit students (e.g., graduate school fellowships such as Weiss, ALA Spectrum) and faculty (e.g., VITAE program).
The Mae Rodney Fund and Irene Owens Fund both support underrepresented students.
There is a SILS Diversity statement poster in Manning Hall Lobby signed by SILS faculty.
SILS offers a Diversity Certificate and recipients are honored in the commencement program.
SILS faculty and staff hosted a half-day Racial Equity Institute training workshop (groundwater) on October 2, 2020.
SILS removed the GRE requirement for all SILS graduate programs.
We have included diversity and inclusion training in all staff performance goals for 2020-21. All staff and faculty must include a statement of DEI effort in their annual reviews.
We have completed a renovation in Manning Hall to add a gender-neutral bathroom.
SILS staff hosts a DEI book club with a monthly book discussion.
SILS recruited a leading scholar who studies race and information technology. Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom was recruited as associate professor with tenure to SILS and is already having significant impact in applications to our program from underrepresented populations (in addition to winning a MacArthur award!).
