Office of Equity & Inclusive Excellence

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Mission

Our mission is to create and foster a community that closely reflects society at-large and to build a culture where differences are recognized and valued. It is vital that the legal profession provides diverse perspectives, identities, and experiences representative of the people we serve. We commit to diversity, equity, and inclusion guiding discourse and decision-making at all levels.

Credo

INCLUSION: We strive to create an environment where persons of differing backgrounds are welcomed, where different perspectives are respectfully voiced and respectfully heard and where every individual is valued & included.
CIVILITY: We treat people with unconditional respect and an assumption of good faith, giving meaningful consideration to the ideas, beliefs, and feelings of others as a matter of professionalism and self-discipline.
INTELLECTUAL RIGOR: We challenge ourselves and others to critically examine facts and ideas meticulously and from diverse perspectives.
JUSTICE: We strive to attain equal justice under law, and to assure that justice benefits everyone across our society.

Other Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) Definitions

EQUITY: The elimination of privilege, oppression, disparities and disadvantage by historically-included and historically-excluded group memberships. A state of being in which one’s societal or cultural group memberships do not act as the most powerful predictor of how one fares in terms of successful outcomes and life chances.
DIVERSITY: Differences regarding "who we are"; it is a descriptive term used to refer to a broad range of differences; the different cultural groups represented in the community and / or workplace (e.g. gender; race; age; sexual orientation; socio-economic status; faculty; staff; students; religion; language; immigrant status; physical, mental, emotional, learning ability / difference; gender identity / gender expression; military status; 1st generation student; etc.).
ACCOUNTABILITY: Assuming personal responsibility to take action for problem-solving that affects positive change and achieves results in the area of equity and inclusion within the domain of one's sphere of influence and / or control.

Upcoming Events / Activities

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Student Advisory Council Meeting
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Barco Room # 118

Support Resources

University Support Resources

Disability Resources and Services: accommodations and support for anyone with a registered disability.
Student Health Center: appointments and walk-in medical appointments.
University Counseling Center: mental health counseling and therapy services.