Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

 
The Graduate Degree Program in Ecology (GDPE) is committed to providing an environment in which our diverse community of graduate students and faculty can thrive. Our goals are to foster a more equitable and inclusive climate and culture between and among graduate students and faculty, as well as improve justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in recruiting and admissions.

GDPE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan

Here you can find our full Strategic Plan and current progress in meeting our goals.
Our efforts are in accordance with Colorado State University’s Principles of Community. Our definition of diversity is inclusive and we are following the guidance provided in the Multicultural Organization Development framework, which includes commitment from university leadership, forming an inclusive change team, conducting a comprehensive cultural audit, identifying promising practices, and developing and implementing a strategic plan that includes accountability.
INCLUSION
We create and nurture inclusive environments and welcome, value and affirm all members of our community, including their various identities, skills, ideas, talents and contributions
INTEGRITY
We are accountable for our actions and will act ethically and honestly in all our interactions.
RESPECT
We honor the inherent dignity of all people within an environment where we are committed to freedom of expression, critical discourse and the advancement of knowledge.
SERVICE
We are responsible, individually and collectively, to give of our time, talents and resources to promote the well-being of each other and the development of our local, regional and global communities.
SOCIAL JUSTICE
We have the right to be treated and the responsibility to treat others with fairness and equity, the duty to challenge prejudice and to uphold the laws, policies and procedures that promote justice in all respects.
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Colorado State University acknowledges, with respect, that the land we are on today is the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute Nations and peoples. This was also a site of trade, gathering, and healing for numerous other Native tribes. We recognize the Indigenous peoples as original stewards of this land and all the relatives within it. As these words of acknowledgment are spoken and heard, the ties Nations have to their traditional homelands are renewed and reaffirmed.

CSU is founded as a land-grant institution, and we accept that our mission must encompass access to education and inclusion. And, significantly, that our founding came at a dire cost to Native Nations and peoples whose land this University was built upon. This acknowledgment is the education and inclusion we must practice in recognizing our institutional history, responsibility, and commitment.


Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
This committee, co-led by a faculty member and graduate student and consisting of GDPE graduate students and faculty, plays a leadership and coordination role in implementing action items in the strategic plan, as well as advising Ex Comm on DEI topics.