Our Culture
Fostering a welcoming and supportive environment for all is an ongoing objective of our Center. We strive to enhance our educational impact, recognizing and valuing different perspectives and backgrounds.
- Nicole Terranova
Education Director
We have developed a set of guidelines and practical actions to assist our members and partners in fostering a supportive and fair environment. This set of guidelines has been approved by the BioXFEL Education Committee and Steering Committee.
1. Supporting Representation - What more can we do at all levels to address this?
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Encourage University departments to address specific challenges within their contexts.
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Promote coordination among departments by assisting, educating, and motivating the community.
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Commit to practices that address unconscious bias and structural barriers.
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Create a balanced environment for all.
2. Building Welcoming Environments - How do we do this, and what does it mean?
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Respect and accommodate the customs and traditions of all.
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Make all members feel welcomed and valued from the start.
- Engage with individuals on a personal level.
- Seek their input on decision-making and problem-solving.
- Offer assistance and build open working relationships.
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Provide additional support to those facing greater challenges.
- Support may include financial assistance, emotional encouragement, professional development, educational opportunities, sponsorship, or mentoring. Start by asking individuals what they need most.
3. Support for Faculty with challenges
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Establish a support network within your groups (labs, departments, etc.) to provide resources for colleagues who face greater obstacles.
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Begin by understanding their specific challenges through open dialogue and asking how you can help.
4. Develop a Process to Address discrimination
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Follow your institute action plan to address these situations, ensuring your labs, departments, and institutions can respond effectively.
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Know what action is appropriate.
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Make the policy accessible to all applicable individuals, ensuring it is understood.
5. Recognizing and Addressing Issues
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Learn to identify barriers, respond appropriately, and work toward correcting them.
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Create an open door policy for all.