The Wittenberg Chemistry Department is aware of and dismayed by the under-representation of Black, indigenous, and persons of color (BIPOC) within our department, the field of Chemistry, and science more broadly. We endeavor to be more effectively anti-racist by working to better understand how our own unconscious biases contribute to this inequity and how we can contribute to overcoming this injustice. We will:
- Continue reflection on our own biases,
- Actively confront racism and microaggressions within our sphere of influence,
- Post information about support and development opportunities in writing and online,
- Financially support BIPOC students through work study, summer research, and Franta Scholarship programs,
- Discuss racism in STEM as part of the seminar program,
- Invite at least one BIPOC chemist to present their research in our seminar program annually,
- Highlight the contributions of BIPOC chemists to our field,
- Assess our students鈥� perception of the racial climate within chemistry classes at Wittenberg annually,
- Provide children in predominately BIPOC Springfield communities the opportunity to interact with Chemistry,
- Implement hiring and mentorship practices to optimize BIPOC faculty and staff success.
We will review progress on these items annually.