At the University of Oregon’s College of Arts and Sciences, we embody diversity across many dimensions. Our differences – including race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, region, and more – are celebrated and explored, and the goal is for our community to come together rather than separate. For us, diversity, equity, and inclusion all must be foundational to our educational approach. 

These characteristics are critical to striving for academic excellence. Without them, we – as individuals and as an institution – cannot effectively understand or address the important issues our society faces—social unrest around racism, climate change, and global health among them. Yet, the reckoning around racism we are seeing in the world points out that many voices still are not heard; some continue to be threatened. It is hard for us not to feel torn apart by difference.

All our faculty and staff have a responsibility to challenge themselves every day to create an environment that is fair, equitable, inclusive, and respectful as we help students reach their academic and personal goals. We believe listening to each other, interrogating our own assumptions and biases, and striving to make sure all voices are included all are vital to our collective success.

At the same time, we must take a stand and renounce hate speech and violence toward anyone. Too often it feels more comfortable to avoid the hard work and difficult conversations than to risk opening ourselves to each other’s experiences and perspectives. But the promise of higher education is the promise of understanding, learning, listening, and growing. By interacting over our differences, we make progress, and we become stronger together.

We understand that making progress on diversity and inclusion requires actions and accountability. Our College has completed a three-year Diversity Action Plan, which led to progress on a number of fronts. Last year, and continuing this year, our focus has primarily been about diversity and inclusion with respect to student success. We are pleased to see new programs in Black Studies and Latinx Studies, and we are working with the Office of the Provost and other partners across campus to find tangible actions that address academic opportunity gaps, particularly in the STEM fields.

The leadership of the College of Arts and Sciences is located in Tykeson Hall in the heart of campus, a fitting place for the liberal arts hub of the university. Our team is committed to persistent, proactive, and continuous efforts to make our campus equitable and inclusive for all. Entering Tykeson through the north entrance, you can see an inscription from W.E.B. Du Bois, the legendary US civil rights activist and scholar: “Education must not simply teach work, it must teach life.” At our College, we are committed to fulfilling Du Bois’s faith in education. Academic lessons must teach us lessons for life by helping us understand our world, our science, our history, our cultures, and each other.