Department Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Philosophy

Mission Statement

The Department of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment is committed to promoting diversity and a climate of inclusiveness in our student body, faculty and staff. A diverse academic environment helps prepare our students to engage and become leaders in the world.

We celebrate diversity in all its forms in every facet of our research, education, mentoring, professional service and social activities in and outside the department. Moreover, we are committed to inclusion and equity for access to services, facilities, equipment, resources and programs, and in all activities, including collaborations with peers and colleagues and interactions with the public.

Each of us is committed to treating others respectfully. Every member of our department and those with whom we interact can expect to be safe from harassment and discrimination while in class, in the field, and all other collaborative and interpersonal settings. This expectation applies without restriction to time, including outside of work hours or location (domestic and abroad), activity (fieldwork and conferences) and whether interacting in person or in all digital forms. Fairness and equity are expected regardless of the nature of one's position, status or affiliations.

Initiatives Completed

  • Established a formal DEI Committee and added the committee to the bylaws (August 2023).
  • Established scholarships through department and SGE for field camps (January 2022).
  • Educated faculty/staff on reporting acts of discrimination and/or receiving consultations through NIU's Active Bystander Training (Aug. 27, 2021).
  • Participated in the Unlearning Racism in Geoscience (URGE) program (spring semester 2021 and 2022).
  • Updated the department's bylaws to include a mission statement (stated above) on our stance against racial and all other forms of inequity in the sciences and academia (April 14, 2021).
  • Coordinated efforts to recruit Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students at local high schools and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) (July 1, 2021).
  • Eliminated the GRE from admissions decisions and moved towards holistic student application reviews (Dec. 7, 2020).

Initiatives In Progress

  • Expanding outreach to community colleges, high schools, and beyond
  • Updating and improving promotional materials to better reflect the department
  • Exploring ways to subsidize and/or reduce the costs of field programs
  • Creating a handbook for graduate and undergraduate students to help guide them more smoothly through their programs and into their careers
  • Establishing shared contributions and ideas for potential inclusion into the Broader Impact statements for Federal, State, Local and non-governmental proposals

Contact Us

Department of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment
Davis Hall, Room 312

815-753-1943 (undergraduate)
815-753-0631 (graduate)

815-753-1945 (fax)
askeae@niu.edu

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