Diversity & Inclusion

UA AGREED–   Allies for Gender/Sexuality, Racial & Ethnic Equality & Diversity

Modeled after a program Diane co-developed at UCAR/NCAR, she has developed a group to facilitate diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM at UA:

The course has been modeled as a community of practice, where faculty, staff and students will meet to discuss the science behind barriers limiting diversity in STEM (e.g., unconscious bias, privilege, intersectionality, gender and sexuality, etc.) and discuss specific solutions/recommendations for lowering these barriers.  In each session, participants read and discuss articles and participate in hands-on activities on each topic facilitated by the “lead learners” (Professor Thompson, sessions 1-3; Becky Bell from “Step Up” for session 4).  The program consists of 4 sessions over the course of a semester (Introduction, Gender & Sexuality, Race & Ethnicity, Bystander Intervention Training).

The aim of this community is to create a group of diversity practitioners (or allies) to help promote a diverse and equitable culture at our institution and beyond.  The effectiveness of this program in increasing awareness and facilitating intervention in problematic situations is assessed through pre- and post-participation surveys (developed in conjunction with UCAR/NCAR partners and our institutions’ assessment offices).  The surveys assess attitudes towards diversity, comfort level in talking about issues surrounding diversity and intervening in problematic situations, and general knowledge of topics surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion.  The results will be compared across institutions to assess and improve the effectiveness of these programs and provide evidence-based recommendations for extending such programs to additional institutions or programs. This program was offered as a seminar in both Spring and Fall 2021. UA-AGREED has already had a notable impact on the UA geosciences graduate and undergraduate communities, with measurable impacts on participants’ viewpoints related to major DEI issues and a positive impact on participants’ behaviors toward colleagues within the UA Geosciences community.