Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Department of English at Carnegie Mellon University
The English Department is dedicated to creating a climate that amplifies and nurtures practices of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), not just through words but through actions. To conduct this work, we have established a DEI committee and set the following three goals for this committee: 1) to understand and address ongoing climate issues that emerge in our community; 2) to enrich our intellectual engagement by supporting department members pursuing work and holding events related to DEI; and 3) to build a long term accountability plan that gives the department multiple opportunities to sustain, reflect on, and continually revise our practices in order to achieve such an environment.
Key Definitions
Diversity is the presence of difference within our department, including but not limited to race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, dis/ability, age, geographic location, religious commitment, or political perspective.
Equity refers to fair and just practices and policies that ensure all department community members have the same access to resources, opportunities, and outcomes. Equity is different from equality in that equality presumes everyone’s baseline to access is the same. Being equitable requires acknowledging and addressing structural inequalities—historic and current—that advantage some and disadvantage others.
Inclusion is the practice of ensuring that people feel a sense of belonging in our workplace, attending particularly to especially historically disadvantaged and under-represented groups and if they feel and/or are welcomed.
