Diversity & Inclusion

The Department of English Diversity and Inclusion Statement

The rich spectrum of human difference and experience, including race, ethnicity and national origin, gender and gender identity, sexuality, disability, class, and religious tradition, sustains and enriches the English Department as an intellectual and creative community. We are committed to increasing the representation of populations that have been and are yet excluded from equitable participation in U.S. higher education. We work against racism and discrimination in all its forms. 

The inclusiveness and equity of our academic culture are not the responsibility of a few; they are the collective and collaborative responsibility of the entire departmental community, including faculty at all ranks, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students. To that end, we are increasing the frequency, reach, and transparency of our anti-racist and anti-discriminatory pedagogical practices and training, and we are continuing to challenge and critique institutional structures of discrimination, including those within our own organizations and communities.  

Our engagement with language, literature, rhetoric, and culture enjoins us to address considerations of power, community, and difference. We work to overcome our own limitations, and we aim to use the power of language to help each other communicate responsibly and respectfully when we encounter differences, disagreements, and challenges. We are committed to teaching the literacies and skills necessary for full participation in advocacy, democracy, and social justice, both locally and globally. 

Our Diversity and Inclusion (D + I) committee comprises seven members, including the Associate Chair of the department. The committee will elect its chair. This committee guides the department toward concrete actions to strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion as core values of our instructional, research, creative, and governance missions, and it participates in College structures devoted to matters of diversity and inclusion.