ECE Equity Statement

We, the members of the College of Education community, believe that

  1. We are all a part of ecological systems that represent a diverse range of cultures, past experiences, and values. This diversity is a great strength.
  2. Systemic inequity has and continues to pervade our society, including in schools. Historic and continuing oppressions (e.g. racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, colonialism, mass incarceration, anti-Blackness, among others.) are prevalent and affect our thoughts, behaviors, and policies in complex ways. 
  3. Social justice, which includes educational justice, involves transforming systems of power, our individual actions, and our relationships to be more equitable. 
  4. Equity work is grounded in reciprocal and just relationships at many levels that build wholeness. 
  5. It is our responsibility to work toward equity, individually and institutionally.

We, the members of the College of Education community, will

  1. Engage in self-reflective, equitable practice. This means checking our biases, reflecting on our interactions, initiating and responding to feedback, and taking action.
  2. Engage with our community partners and within our own community while being cognizant of power and positionality. We will recognize and work in partnership to center our work on the strengths of our children, youth, students of all ages, families, and communities. We will actively work to support communities, and honor how they thrive on their terms. 
  3. Explicitly discuss systems of unjust privilege and power within and beyond the College of Education, and encourage critique of such systems. We will continuously work toward transforming inequitable systems and interactions by naming inequities, proposing alternatives, and supporting expansive learning by enacting more equitable practices, policies, and procedures.  
  4. Build and maintain reciprocal, just relationships, both when initiating engagement and when working through challenges. We will work actively to disrupt power dynamics in our relationships by centering the voices and agency of those who experience inequity. 
  5. Take responsibility for continuously improving our equity work by being responsive to feedback.