Georgia university receives thousands of dollars to advance 'equity' in the sciences
Georgia Southern University’s College of Science and Mathematics is using a grant of $493,065 to advance diversity, equity and inclusion
Blanton Tolbert, representative of the funding organization, emphasized that '[s]ustaining advances in diversity and inclusion requires a scientific culture that is centered on equity.'
Georgia Southern University’s (GSU) College of Science and Mathematics is using a grant of $493,065 to advance diversity, equity and inclusion, according to a report from GSU’s Newsroom.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Inclusive Excellence 3 (IE3) initiative awarded the six-year grant to GSU as well as 103 other schools.
The awarded grants collectively total over $60 million.
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The purpose of the grants, according to HHMI, is to “substantially and sustainably build capacity for student belonging, especially for those who have been historically excluded from the sciences.”
Blanton Tolbert, vice president of science leadership and culture for HHMI, emphasized that “[s]ustaining advances in diversity and inclusion requires a scientific culture that is centered on equity.”
The IE3 initiative prompts students and faculty to ask the question, “How can an institution evaluate effective inclusive teaching, and then use the evaluation in the rewards system including faculty promotion and tenure?”
GSU’s grant funds will specifically go toward training faculty and students on “inclusive teaching strategies,” an annual Spring Speaker Series, and “student- and faculty-led initiatives geared toward cultivating inclusive learning environments.”
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The push for DEI in STEM fields has been a growing trend in recent years.
Yale School of Medicine, for example, is running a “voices of DEI” initiative in which staff elaborate on how they incorporate DEI into their day on campus.
In a similar vein, Bergen Community College in New Jersey recently received $15,000 ”to support student diversity initiatives in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.”
Campus Reform contacted Georgia Southern University, Georgia Southern University’s College of Science and Mathematics, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
