Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Mission Statement 

The Diversity and Inclusion Committee is made up of a diverse group of individuals representing all stakeholders in the department. The committee is charged with supporting and advancing the department’s commitment to providing a diverse and inclusive environment for all students, staff, and faculty. The ongoing mission of the committee is to evaluate departmental policies, actions and resources, and solicit input from the departmental community on issues surrounding diversity and inclusion. In turn, the committee will develop and implement tangible and quantifiable approaches and tools that can be utilized by various stakeholders to produce meaningful and sustained change in the department’s culture and behavior, workforce and learner diversity, and transparency and accountability.

Organizational Structure

The Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology will consist of representatives from each of the following groups:  faculty, post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, and technical and administrative staff. Committee membership is open to all department members, including secondary faculty and postdoctoral fellows- and graduate students-in-residence. Ideally, 1 - 3 representatives from each group will serve on the committee at any given time. Committee members will be appointed for one-year, renewable terms, with no limit to their total length of service. Service on the committee is voluntary and considered part of the employee’s regular work commitment. New committee members can be nominated by members of the department, self-nominated, or solicited by the Chair of the committee.

Current Committee Membership

Chair
Denise C. Hocking, Ph.D.
DPP Faculty and Staff Diversity and Inclusion Officer

Responsibilities include:

• Serving as the point of contact within department concerning issues of D&I; if warranted, documenting and referring faculty and staff to OEI utilizing reporting form
• Creating a safe space for discussions of diversity and inclusion
• Providing quarterly and annual reports on the culture and climate of department to Office of Equity and Inclusion
• Developing strategies to cultivate and maintain an environment that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive
• Assisting with efforts to ensure faculty and student searches are diverse, equitable, and inclusive
• Ensuring that education and training on EDI are comprehensive and consistent