Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan

The diversity of faculty and students in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is similar to that of UNF, but does not reflect the demographics found in the state of Florida or the city of Jacksonville. We seek to improve the diversity of our student body, faculty, and staff in our department, while cultivating an inclusive community that welcomes and celebrates all people. In relation to these goals, we have identified a list of priorities and specific actions that can help address these issues within our department.

Priority #1: Resources for Faculty and Staff on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Action Items:

• The Chair will annually provide statistics on the incoming class, current majors, graduates, and faculty/staff demographics to the Department.
• Conduct one faculty meeting a year on Diversity and Inclusion. This meeting could incorporate a workshop and/or a discussion of problems and solutions (see note 1).
• Faculty are encouraged to participate in at least one cultural competency workshop each academic year. These workshops should be included in self-evaluations under professional development (see note 2).
• Chair will annually communicate the policies that address issues of discrimination, bullying, and harassment.
• The Department will annually invite a seminar speaker on diversity and inclusion efforts in STEM.
• The Department Diversity and Inclusion Committee will conduct an annual climate survey of its majors and review exit surveys.
• Create/maintain a resource library in the department with books on women and underrepresented groups in science.
• Continue the efforts of this committee and update this document regularly.

Priority #2: Faculty Recruitment and Retainment

Action Items:

• Continue to discuss, revise, and implement the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Mentoring Plan.
• Create a mid-career faculty mentoring plan.
• Post all faculty searches with diversity-related conferences, blogs, and websites.
• Require Diversity and Inclusion statements from all faculty applicants.
• Include diverse faculty in “informal” portions of new faculty interviews (see note 3).

Priority #3: Student Recruitment and Retainment

Action Items:

• Recruit through outreach activities at regional high schools.
• Recruit from our lower-level introductory courses, e.g., CHM1025/2045/2046 (see note 4).
• Increase the diversity of faculty teaching in both lower-level and upper-level courses.
• Communicate to students about the opportunities and resources available (see note 5).
• Promote scholarships for underrepresented groups, such as the ACS Scholars Program.
• Improve advising strategies for chemistry majors.
• Create initiatives that specifically target the retention of women and diverse students during their final years in the chemistry program (see note 6).