In May of 2020, George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police officers brought students within CSPR from across a number of cohorts together driven by a desire to discuss racism within our community. Unfortunately, as we saw from Amir Locke’s murder very recently (2022) and the countless murders occurring in between the two, we recognize that this is an ongoing issue in our community.

This collaborative effort spurred conversations about our experiences as diverse and allied students in the program, and students were able to name a number of different areas in which diversity and equity within the program could be improved.  This led students to collaboratively send an open email to faculty members, demanding action to improve diversity and equity within the CSPR program. 

Over the following months, between faculty-led discussions, alumni input, and surveys of students’ most urgent interests, CSPR faculty agreed to the creation of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee (DEIC). The committee appealed to students as a first step to creating changes within CSPR by bringing together faculty, students, and staff to examine and attempt to address systemic inequalities within the field of psychology at large and within our program specifically. 

This committee continues to function primarily due to the tireless effort of our students. Our accomplishments thus far, including, though not limited to, the development and dissemination of a guide for equitable research practices, multiple annual community-building social events, workshops on diversifying course content for instructors, a panel discussing ways to build and maintain community partnerships through research processes, and evaluations of our curriculum and training opportunities, are indicative of our dedication and hard work.  Our programming events are widely attended by adult-track and developmental-track clinical graduate students, graduate students from the psychology department broadly, and faculty members. Our leadership (Chair and Co-Chair) undergoes a full transition each year, with a transition in Chair each semester to ensure varied perspectives and initiatives. 

The work of our DEI Committee is deeply rooted in the conviction that diversity is not only a reflection of our society, but also an essential source of strength, innovation, and social progress. As we foster a more inclusive and diverse environment, we aim to have a profound and lasting impact on the academic and social landscape of your departments.