Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
"In Chemistry, as in other fields, innovation is propelled by teams comprised of people from diverse backgrounds and interests in which all voices are heard. We seek to foster an environment for listening and considering all ideas from a diverse group, with respect for all participants without regard to gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, or any other aspect of how we identify ourselves other than as fellow Haverford community members engaging with chemistry. We appreciate that students come into our classes, research laboratories and shared spaces with varied backgrounds and experiences, and we are dedicated to supporting all students in meeting their individual goals. We recognize that building an increasingly diverse and inclusive learning environment hinges on making thoughtful decisions in regards to our curriculum, pedagogical approaches, spaces, and staffing."
– Vision, Chemistry Department Inclusion and Diversity Statement
d.E.I. Strategic plan
In Spring 2020, the Chemistry Department developed a diversity strategic plan with the overall goals of:
Offer a curriculum and pedagogies that attract, educate, encourage, and challenge a diverse student audience.
Build a departmental faculty and staff that better reflects the diversity found in our student body and broader society.
The strategic plan outlines strategies the department will use to achieve these goals, methods for holding themselves accountable, and plans for assessing the progress of each goal. The DEI strategic plan also includes a statement acknowledging the flexibility of the plan and the department's ability to shift when necessary to meet the needs of students.
Department ANTI-RACISM INITIATIVES
“We apologize for the harm we have caused, actively or passively, and acknowledge that our department has much work to do to support Black students and other students marginalized because of their ethnicity and race. Our goal is to dismantle the harmful and hostile learning environment we have created, and to shape a learning environment that is welcoming, respectful, and supportive. It is time to turn words into action, and ambition into reality, to address this injustice.” - Chemistry Department Response to the Open Letter
In response to the Open Letter to the Bi-College Community, Haverford’s chemistry department responded with 13 commitments to address anti-black racism within the department. The commitments are linked below, as well as the timeline for the department's commitments.
Chemistry Department Response to Bi-Community open letter (June 2020)
Anticipated Timeline for Department Commitments (ongoing, updated document)
Fall 2020 HC Strike
During the Fall 2020 semester Black students organized and executed a campus wide march in response to the murder of Walter Wallace Jr. and the Haverford College administrations insensitive response. Following the march organizers lead a 2 week strike calling for the ceasing of all activity contributing to Haverford Colleges benefit. Linked below is the chemistry departments responses to the strike and further commitment to BIPOC students on campus.
Chemistry Department Responses to Student Strike (October-November 2020)
Chemistry / stem programs committed to D.E.I.
KINSC Mentorship Program: This program is a student-led and KINSC supported effort to provide peer-mentorship to students taking STEM classes who are from First-Gen, Low-Income (FGLI) backgrounds and/or other minoritized communities.
Page created by Elizabeth Mari '23 -- Fall 2020