On Diversity & Inclusion

My contributions and commitment to diversity are strongly reflected in my core values and beliefs regarding teaching. My course design itself, is crafted towards creating a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for my students. I clearly communicate my commitment to principles of diversity and inclusion within the learning environment by including diversity and disability statements in my syllabus. I have faced students with a wide variety of learning abilities, styles, strengths and backgrounds. I have also had students at different levels in the program—freshmen to seniors, students from all types of majors - engineering, liberal arts, business etc. including students from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Connecting with my students at a personal level and building mutual trust, rapport and respect, is a way I try to promote an engaging and exciting classroom experience for my students. I make sure to know who my students are by using index cards on the first day to collect information on their background, reasons for enrolling in my course. I take extra care to learn their names which I believe instills in them a sense of being valued and thus feeling comfortable to freely express themselves in the classroom. I also ensure plenty of availability from my side and encourage students to meet with me outside of classroom. Most importantly I incorporate principles of "Universal Designs" when designing my course in order to further enhance an inclusive learning environment. This includes self-reflection of course (on the effectiveness and success of teaching style, teaching strategies and student assessment), showing more flexibility in the way I present content (using visual supplements to my lecture) and the way students are assessed (for e.g. giving them ample opportunities to make-up for their test grades using extra-credit assignments).

As a professor and mentor, concerns regarding diversity and inclusion are a key focus in my teaching and mentoring and service. I try to include more of inclusive teaching strategies and learning activities to further incorporate considerations of diversity. I attempt to bring in diverse perspectives within course readings and other course materials and also bring in fun activities (such as classroom experiments) and more of collaborative learning techniques (group discussions and projects) to create opportunities to build rapport among students and help them share ideas and participate fully in the classroom. I believe these can serve as great ways to foster an inclusive learning environment and at the same time ensure student engagement in the course. In the future, I intend to become involved in efforts to identify and recruit students who represent diverse backgrounds from historically underrepresented or marginalized groups. I will ensure hearing every students’ experiences and perspectives including their research interests with an open mind and introduce them to others with shared interests. My goal will also be to take special care to ensure the active involvement of historically underrepresented groups in social and academic activities and provide them with a sense of community within the department.

I also wish to promote an inclusive and welcoming work environment by having a complete knowledge and understanding the diversity goals and visions of my organization; ensuring active involvement in diversity related events and activities in the organization; taking the time and effort to get to know my colleagues and learn about different cultures, races, religions and backgrounds they represent and being sensitive to their boundaries and expectations; embracing the creativity that comes with diversity by welcoming ideas and perspectives of that are different from my own and supporting my fellow co-workers and  last but not the  least recognizing and enhancing the diversity elements in the form of knowledge, experience, contributions and creativity that I can personally bring to add value to my organization.