Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The College of Arts and Sciences at UNO is dedicated to fully recognizing and actively addressing the challenges in our community and our world regarding issues of diversity, equity, access, and inclusion. We are firmly committed to pursuing research, education, and advocacy and to support our faculty, students, and staff in this ongoing effort to confront the very real and destructive forces of hatred, bias, neglect, and ignorance.

Racial injustice, social inequity, and other forms of systemic discrimination are often, though not always, obstinate and violent. Recent historic events including the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Zachary Bearheels, and James Scurlock, and the ensuing protests; the prolonged economic and racial disparities highlighted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; the ongoing xenophobic immigration and refugee crises; and the divisive rhetoric of a contested national election and the violent responses to the election results have brought new context to our understanding of racial, socioeconomic, and other inequalities in our communities. While the issues underlying these events are not new, a renewed and concentrated focus on awareness, ethical growth, and reform has emerged in this time and our role as educators is a pivotal part of these processes.

We, as educators, researchers, and mentors, continue to seek out ways to address these ongoing issues through our work with each other, with our students, and in connection to our communities—both locally and globally. In our efforts to build a more diverse and inclusive educational environment, we strive to promote policies and programs that address and engage with issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, ability, and socio-economic status as well as with racism, sexism, ableism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of discrimination and oppression. It is our hope that creating an understanding of historical and current contexts can play a role in combating these issues and create a more well-informed and diverse community as a result.

David Boocker, Ph.D. Dean, College of Arts and Sciences		Alecia Anderson, Ph.D. DEAI Faculty Fellow, Associate Professor of Sociology & Anthropology		Ramón Guerra, Ph.D. DEAI Faculty Fellow, Associate Professor of English