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As an academic department responsible for the
education of students and the advancement of knowledge, we are motivated by our
commitment to four central values:
- Methodological pluralism
- Interdisciplinarity
- Diversity
- Excellence
Our values strongly influence how we pursue our
goals and how we measure excellence. Methodological pluralism,
interdisciplinarity and diversity mean we value research of all kinds, as long
as it demonstrates excellence and contributes to the discipline. Some of us do
work widely considered mainstream, others do work that might be considered more
niche. Respecting diversity and methodological pluralism means valuing both
kinds of work, recognizing that the distinction between “mainstream” and “niche”
is itself is largely a matter of taste, that diversity of perspectives
inherently means including less popular or common ones, and that this
distinction may in part reflect discrimination (unconscious or otherwise)
against the perspectives or concerns of racial, sexual and other
minorities. Many of us also believe that searching for intersections
between more “niche” and “mainstream” considerations is the way to achieve
creative success.
We value the many and varied experiences of our
colleagues and students, and seek to incorporate and extend this diversity in
all that we do. We have adopted a plan focused on a set of core principles on which
we intend to continue to build on this diversity in many ways. These principles
are:
- Principle I: Recruiting, developing, retaining and promoting a diverse faculty and staff.
- Principle II: Continuing to create and retain a
diverse student body at both graduate and undergraduate levels.
- Principle III: Being attentive to issues of
diversity in the curriculum, encouraging regular reflection on the courses,
authors and subjects taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
- Principle IV: Committing to ongoing professional
development to improve our ability to provide a welcoming educational space.
- Principle V: Contributing to the intellectual
discussion around diversity issues by engaging with university projects and
paying greater attention to diversity in the selection of speakers and events.
- Principle VI: Working to increase our broader
community engagement, particularly as the university is considerably less
diverse than the surrounding community.
