FSU Biology - Diversity Statement

Department of Biological Science

at Florida State University

Department of Biological Science Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement

The faculty, staff, and students of the Department of Biological Science are committed to making our department and discipline more inclusive. We share a collective responsibility towards each other's well-being, with an understanding that the relevance and ingenuity of biological science depends on greater inclusion of under-represented groups. For this reason, we are dedicated to preventing all forms of discrimination that unfairly disadvantage some, privilege others, and run counter to our values of equity and justice. We strive for a cohesive and collaborative culture focused on excellence in research, teaching, mentoring, and service. We are committed to valuing, celebrating and leveraging the differences and similarities within our community to create a fertile environment for problem-solving -- one that is both inventive and compassionate*.

*Language from the Department of Biological Science's Diversity Statement is adapted from FSU's Strategic Goal 111.

Department of Biological Science Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee

The Department of Biological Science Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee (DEIC) is a committee composed of students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, and staff who are united by an interest in making the department a better place for everyone.

History:

In 2017/2018 an ad hoc Diversity Committee was formed to draft a departmental Diversity Statement; that statement was approved by unanimous faculty vote and is now featured at the top of our department’s diversity and inclusion webpage. The committee launched in fall 2018, with three members (two faculty and one graduate student) and has grown greatly since then. The committee consists of volunteers rather than elected members to ensure the broadest possible participation (everyone is welcome to join) and that all members are actively participating in moving specific projects forward. The Department Chair will use appointments or call an election to make sure that the DEIC continues to be active if the volunteer model is not maintained.

Organization:

The DEIC is open to everyone in the department. Participation is organized around working groups focusing on specific tasks. A steering committee oversees the DEIC to ensure that working groups remain active, provide feedback on project proposals, and complete organizational tasks for the committee. The organizing committee does not tell people what to do, but rather facilitates and keeps track of what people want to do, as well as participating in some of the working groups.

Working groups are organized around strategic goals, such as inclusive graduate student mentoring or departmental community-building. These groups develop proposals for actions they want to see happen in the department, with feedback from the larger DEIC. Proposals are then taken to the appropriate policy-making or policy-implementing entity (e.g. faculty, department chair, the graduate student organizations). The DEIC welcomes the formation of new groups and is always accepting ideas. The process for how this works is shown in the graphic below.

How to join:

If you want to join or have questions about how to join, email the DEIC: deic@bio.fsu.edu. The DEIC welcomes undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, faculty, staff, and other members of the department. Interested individuals can either join an existing working group or start a group focused on a new project. Joining a working group means committing to spending time working on the issue, and we request a commitment of a year, or until that particular project is finished. If you want to help but have only a small amount of time to give, we suggest focusing that time on educating yourself, on sending us suggestions or resources, and especially on participating in departmental events held by the DEIC. Educating ourselves and engaging with your colleagues are essential for making our department inclusive – this is high priority work.

Major ongoing working groups:

Departmental Dialogues

This group organizes intergroup dialogues with the overall goal of achieving new levels of understanding and action within the department. Members have received training in dialogue facilitation from the FSU Center for Leadership and Social Change and other organizations. Department wide dialogues were initiated in spring 2021 and continue approximately once or twice per semester. Leads: Monica Paniagua Montoya (graduate student) and Penelope Ales (graduate student).

Welcome Team

This group plans and hosts welcome events and training opportunities for incoming graduate students to ensure they have support before, during, and after their arrival on campus. Leads: April Wooten (staff), Brittany Kraft (faculty), and Melanie Medina (graduate student).

Supporting Mental Health/Wellbeing

This group provides resources and support for mental and emotional health of all department members by disseminating information and organizing mental health trainings. Leaders: Emily DuVal (faculty) and Alexa Guerrera (graduate student).

Graduate Mentoring

This group is focused on improving faculty mentoring, clarifying mentor-mentee relations, providing professional development for a variety of careers, and improving student mentoring experiences. This group has designed and implemented a professional development course for graduate students, organizes graduate student and faculty training opportunities, and encourages best practices for mentor-mentee relationships. Lead: Jonathan Dennis (faculty).

Undergraduate Inclusion

This group works to improve recruitment, inclusion and success of undergraduates from minority backgrounds. Current projects include collaborating with instructors to develop inclusive teaching materials for Biology 1 and 2, leading the SEEDS group for undergraduates, and collaborating with TCC to improve outcomes for transfer students in an HHMI funded initiative. Lead: Nora Underwood (faculty).

Secretarial and Organizational

This group works to ensure that the DEIC runs smoothly, manages the DEIC email and website, acts as liaison between the DEIC and student groups, and fulfills other essential tasks. Members: Brittany Kraft (faculty), Alexa Guerrera (graduate student), Jane Benoit (graduate student).

DEIC steering committee

This group organizes monthly meetings of the DEIC, provides the point of contact for the DEIC, makes sure that working groups continue to function, collects updates from working groups, invites participation by new members, provides feedback and support for working groups, etc. Lead: Nora Underwood (faculty) Members: Dan Okamoto (faculty), Brittany Kraft (faculty), Alexa Guerrera (graduate student), Jane Benoit (graduate student).

Current DEIC members as of spring 2023:

April Wooten, Brittany Kraft, Melanie Medina, Johanna Imhoff, Alexa Guerrera, Emily DuVal, Nora Underwood, Jonathan Dennis, Joe Travis, Kay Jones, Brian Inouye, Alice Winn, Kevin Dixon,Jen Kennedy, Andrew Rasweiler, Sarah Lester, Monica Paniagua-Montoya, Fatima Alcantara, Penelope Ales, Scott Burgess, Hank Bass, Jane Benoit, Brian Moe

Feedback and Ideas

Please use this form to share your ideas and concerns about diversity, equity and inclusion within the Department of Biological Science. Feedback will be read by the department's Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee only. Comments can be anonymous, but please include your name if you are willing and able to work on any issues or ideas that you share.

Contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more: deic@bio.fsu.edu

Resources