The College and the Office of the Dean of the Faculty continue to support faculty and staff to enrich diversity and improve inclusion.
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Faculty roundtables held in November and December of 2015 and faculty workshops held in Spring 2016 continued dialogue about academic freedom and inclusive pedagogy, based on well-researched, effective strategies for facilitating difficult dialogues in the classroom.
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On May 11, 2016, Dean Uvin reinforced prior messages with an email to the campus community affirming CMC’s core commitments to academic freedom and expectation for respectful discourse.
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On May 20, 2016, President Chodosh reported that the CMC Board of Trustees affirmed its commitment to the adoption of the University of Chicago Statement on Principles of Free Expression as a formal reinforcement of a similar faculty resolution passed in March 2015. He reiterated CMC’s commitment to freedom of speech, academic freedom, and free inquiry in both policy and action.
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An inclusive pedagogy grant program provides funding for faculty who wish to add additional perspectives or pedagogies to their existing classes, or to develop new classes that enhance students’ understanding of the social, historic, economic, and cultural experiences of diverse communities.
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Continuing a practice implemented in the summer of 2015, the Dean of the Faculty requires that all faculty-hiring committees attend two workshops—one on how to proactively diversify applicant pools and another on how to recognize and address implicit bias.
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The Dean of the Faculty created a faculty-managed repository of scholarly work that speaks to current and emerging issues around pluralism and diversity in higher education, as well as reading groups for faculty and for staff who wish to discuss these materials together.
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Staff workshops on diversity and difficult conversations enable staff to discuss effective strategies for supporting inclusive workplaces.
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In March 2016, the Dean of the Faculty and President announced the promotion of Nyree Gray to the newly created role of Assistant Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Civil Rights Officer. In this role, Ms. Gray will provide staff support and expertise on diversity and inclusion across the College with a special emphasis on the academic affairs division.