Skip to content
Home

Unit Contributions to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion 6544

Fri, 10/13/2017 - 14:49 — shelley1
Academic Years: 
2017-2018
Department: 
Biology Department
Division: 
Natural Sciences
Academics
1. Faculty: 
  • Faculty search efforts (with new diversity plan)
  • Participation in our Summer Undergraduate Research Program, which focuses on URMs
  • NIH-funded R25 grant, which funds URM students for undergraduate research from both within and outside UO
  • Application to NSF for renewal of REU grant for $360,000, which funds 10 undergraduate students for SPUR each summer running from April 1, 2018 – March 31, 2021. This program provides an opportunity for 10 week summer research experiences in biological sciences, with emphasis on recruitment of underrepresented groups, for 10 students from other campuses per year (30 interns total)
  • Membership on our departmental Diversity Committee
2. Staff: 
  • Search efforts (with new diversity plan)
  • Training -- ODT classes
3. Graduate Programs: 
  • Host “Preview Oregon,” an annual visitation program for URMs who are interested in applying to PhD programs
  • Employ an administrative GE to assist with URM recruitment and retention
  • Recruit students who participated in SPUR (see above), as well as McNair Scholars
  • Submit the maximum number of nominations allowed each year for Promising Scholar Awards
  • UO provides one stipend/tuition/insurance package for one URM student associated with each of the department's NIH-funded T32 training grants. For AY2017-18 there are three such slots.
  • Biology faculty attend SACNAS and ABRCMS, science research conferences for URM undergraduates (one faculty member goes through entire abstract book and tries to attend posters of all students doing projects that are relevant to faculty research labs at UO). Usually two faculty attend, including one undergraduate advisor and one TTF. Two graduate students will also be attending in 2017.
  • Some students, including all who attend ABRCMS or SACNAS, are eligible for an application fee waiver through the Graduate School.
4. Undergraduate Programs: 
  • Participation in SACNAS/ABRCMS
5. Outreach and Partnerships: 
  • Jana Prikryl, Career Instructor, has established a UO chapter for SACNAS.
  • Jessica Wilson and Patrick Phillips are currently working with graduate students to create a social support network, bridging all UO departments/schools, for URMs in graduate programs (in addition to building a stronger and safer community, which should help with graduate recruitment and retention).
Staff
1. University Service: 

All Biology OAs and staff may serve on UO committee(s), including those related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Reasonable release time from OA and staff positions is granted for this service.

2. Departmental Contributions: 
INCLUSION
The Department of Biology OAs and staff work together with the UO Accessible Education Center to ensure accessibility for all students as it relates to classroom instruction.
All Department of Biology OA and staff searches incorporate issues of equity, implicit bias, and cultural understanding via participation in implicit bias training and gender neutral review of applications.
DIVERSITY
The Department of Biology has a full time graduate program manager who actively seeks and implements national best practices for the recruitment and retention of graduate students. The department's graduate program also pursues URM/promising scholar funding for eligible students.
3. Community Service and Outreach: 

N/A

4. Professional Development and Training: 
All Biology OAs and staff may attend professional development opportunities related to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Reasonable release time from OA and staff positions is granted for these opportunities, however departmental funding assistance is limited.