Support

"Increasing diversity, equity and inclusion is an ongoing objective of our Center. This will continue to be a mindful pursuit that our Center continually strives to improve upon, especially in regards to the various forms of diversity. Below are some examples of how our Center aims to make progress toward increasing diversity, equity and inclusion; however, we know that this is an ever-evolving mission that entails consistent collaboration from a variety of individuals and sources."

- Nicole Terranova                     

Education and Diversity Director          

On July 12th, 2020 BioXFEL held an open town hall forum to discuss the issues of racial equality and appropriate actions as it relates to our Center. In response to this, we have drafted a set of guidelines and actionable items to assist our members and partners in creating a more fair, equitable, and inclusive environment. This set of guidelines has been approved by the BioXFEL Education and Diversity Committee and Steering Committee.

1. Increasing Diversity - What more can we do at all levels to support this?
   a. Ask individual University departments to set aside funding to support new inclusive initiatives to address challenges specific to their situations.
   b. Ask all departments to coordinate their anti-racism efforts to address institutional racism by assisting, educating, and motivating the community toward greater social justice.
   c. Commit to a pedagogy that interrogates unconscious bias and systemic racism and provides funding, training, mentoring, and support for these efforts.
   d. Redistribute and share resources to create a more equitable environment
2. Creating inclusive environments - How do we do this and what does it mean?
   a. Respect the customs and traditions of other cultures and make the necessary changes to accommodate these differences.
   b. Make other feel welcomed and a part of the team from the very start.
      i. Talk to them and connect with them on a personal level
      ii. Ask for their input on decision making and problem solving
      iii. Offer assistance and create an open working relationship
   c. Provide additional support to help those who are more disenfranchised
      i. Support can come in many forms including: financial, emotional, professional development, educational, sponsorship and mentoring. Determine what is most needed by talking to them first.
3. Support for underrepresented faculty should be considered at all levels.
   a. Create a support network within your circle (labs, departments, etc.) that will provide additional resources to support our underserved colleagues.
   b. The first step to this is recognizing what the specific challenges are, start by talking to faculty members and asking them how you can help. They may be facing challenges you are unaware of.
4. Create a process to deal with systemic and overt racism, including micro and macro aggressions.
   a. Have a plan in place before these situations arise so your lab, departments and institutions can have a coordinated response.
   b. Include potential consequences in the action plan
   c. Make this policy readily available to all of those who fall under its jurisdiction and ensure they have read and understood it
5. Systemic racism is a problem everywhere.
   a. Learn to recognize it, respond to it, and correct for it.