Biology Committee on Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity
Our statement:
The Department of Biology at Tennessee Tech believes that inclusion, diversity, and equity are fundamental elements of a successful educational environment. All three work together to facilitate learning, generate new ideas, and provide a greater understanding of our world. As biologists, we recognize there are many parallels between our own species interactions and those we observe in natural systems.
Biodiversity — described as the incredible variety and variability of life — is an essential aspect of ecosystem health. With increasing biodiversity, natural communities become stable and can adapt to the changing conditions around them. Likewise, the concepts of inclusion and equity can be extended to natural systems.
In the last 40 years, scientists have learned that ecosystems experience higher productivity when interactions among different species are maximized, allowing them to flourish. These interactions highlight the individual needs and strengths of each species, constantly balancing as the system evolves.
Our Department understands the importance of increasing inclusion, diversity, and equity because it is based on the very same principles as the natural systems we study in our own research and teaching. We acknowledge and value the uniqueness of all individuals, and we celebrate the commonalities as well as the differences within our department. We seek to enhance diversity by recognizing and embracing differences in age, ideas and perspectives, physical abilities, color, creed, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, veteran status, national origin, race, religious and spiritual beliefs, sex, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic and geographic composition of our students, staff, and faculty.
The Department of Biology will work towards:
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- Fostering and maintaining a safe environment of respect and inclusion for students, staff, faculty, and members of the communities we serve.
- Providing educational resources for faculty, staff and students relating to diversity, inclusion and equity.
- Ensuring fair and inclusive access to our facilities, programs, resources, and services, and ensure that all of our practices are inclusive and equitable.
- Building our department by assessing hiring practices and evaluation procedures to attract, retain, and develop a talented faculty, staff, and student body from diverse backgrounds.
Campus Resources
For Faculty, Staff, and Students:
› Intercultural Affairs’ R.A.C.E. Mentoring Program
› The Women’s Center’s Commission on the Status of Women
› Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence’s Women and Gender Studies Program
› Commission on the Status of Blacks
