Our Commitment To Inclusivity, Diversity, and Antiracism
As a department, we recognize that People of Color, as well as those marginalized by gender, sexuality, and ability, face systemic oppression and challenges in society, in science, our university, and our department. Specifically, we acknowledge the deep anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism and violence that pervades the history of this country and is present today. We are committed to learning from and listening to the voices of these groups and changing our culture by incorporating anti-racism into our ethos. We pledge to adopt policies that break down barriers and build a more inclusive and diverse student body, faculty, and geoscience workforce.
Part of this work involves reckoning with how we, as geoscientists, perpetuate a system that upholds white supremacy and discriminates against people based on gender, sexuality, and ability. We must account for practices that discourage people of color and marginalized groups from participating in the geosciences. We must also recognize intrinsic relationships between geological resources and exploitation, as well as the disproportionate environmental impact of resource extraction on people of color.
We acknowledge that USU’s campuses and properties reside on, and have gained funding through the sale and use of, the original territory of the Indigenous communities of Utah who have faced genocide, oppression and forced removal from their land. See USU's formal Native Land Acknowledgments.
As part of our commitment to addressing these issues, the Department of Geosciences will identify actions we can take to stop systematically failing People of Color and other marginalized groups. We are committed to removing the structural barriers these communities face, and to recruit, support, and promote a diverse and inclusive geosciences community at USU and beyond.