Office for Inclusive Excellence

This office works in support of the University’s mission and in compliance with federal affirmative action policies. The charge of this office to foster and sustain practices that achieve inclusive excellence begins with faculty, yet this work toward active, engaged inclusivity extends outward to encompass the entire campus community. Support resources are provided on this web page and in our Office for: Department Chairs; Search Committees; Faculty; and other campus constituencies.

Why Inclusive Excellence is Significant

Seeking an excellent and diverse faculty contributes to our community of scholars, helps remove barriers to participation for well qualified candidates by fostering access and equity, and enhances the educational experience of our students. The Office for Inclusive Excellence shares the University’s commitment to cultivate an inclusive campus culture that sustains quality interactions and mutual support among faculty, students and staff/administrators.

Campus climate involves the perceptions and attitudes of all constituencies within the university or college structure, encompassing the full range of their campus interactions whether academic, professional or interpersonal. The goal of universities and colleges is to create a positive campus climate that is inclusive of and responsive to a diverse campus community by ensuring that all feel valued, respected and welcomed. A growing body of empirical literature demonstrates the enhanced educational benefits of diverse learning environments (refer to links in “Library”).

Achieving an inclusive organizational culture is premised on valuing and respecting the diversity of views, norms and accomplishments of all campus constituencies in their respective roles as students, faculty, staff and administrators. The positive effects of diversity and inclusion within a university system are evident in the patterns of civility and engagement found among the campus community.