Diversity and Equity - Division of Academic Affairs Task Force
Issues pertaining to diversity, equity, and justice are integral to creating and sustaining an open and inclusive learning community at The University of Rhode Island (URI). The Diversity Task Force of the Division of Academic Affairs is committed to serving as the "conscience" of the academic community around issues of tolerance, respect, and equal opportunity with respect to learning and discovery within the university. The Task Force will promote a broad understanding and appreciation of diversity issues - engendering in our selves and the faculty, staff, and students of the university the wisdom to listen to and respect voices and ideas different from our own.
As a Diversity Task Force seeking to encourage a community of inclusion, we aspire to promote an atmosphere that celebrates diversity and respect, supports learning, and encourages understanding, integrity, and justice. With a rapidly changing demographic profile of our nation, this endeavor becomes urgent and vital. Attracting and retaining people from diverse backgrounds and experiences are critical issues to URI and our Division. Equally important is to create an inclusive, equitable, and truly pluralistic learning environment for all. This will require reviewing what and how we teach and ensuring that issues of multiculturalism, privilege, and differential opportunity are incorporated into the curriculum.
Specific Goals of the Diversity Task Force:
- To raise consciousness about privilege, bias, and mutual respect in the URI community.
- To gather and use data on access, retention, institutional receptivity, and quality of experience to enhance the diversity of the URI community by promoting and supporting active recruitment and retention programs throughout the Division.
- To promote a welcoming and respectful community that encourages understanding and appreciation of difference.
- To lead efforts to ensure that the academic and co-curricular experiences of all students reflect understanding of multicultural perspectives and the value of diversity.
