Our Statement on Diversity
Diversity in the College of Technology includes any variable that makes one human being different from another. These characteristics may be physiological differences (such as race, color, sex, age, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability), group or social differences (such as origin of ancestry, marital status, parental status, religion, gender expression, status as a veteran), individual differences (such as personality, learning style, or life experiences), positional differences (such as administrator, faculty, staff, or student) or variables that cross multiple categories.
While this statement is not meant to supersede nor conflict with the University's statement of diversity, it is meant to show that our consideration of diversity, while often measured through specific characteristics of interest to the university, includes all human variance.
Within the College of Technology, our primary measures of the value of diversity are equity, inclusion and advocacy. Equity is the degree to which access and participation opportunities are provided to all people. Inclusion is the active, intentional, purposeful and unending focus of engaging all people, at every level within the college. Advocacy is sponsoring; more than mentoring it is consciously preparing people from all groups for positions of influence and decision making.
Our purpose for desiring a diverse environment is quite simple. Innovation comes from ideas. To solve the grand challenges facing our state, nation and world demands innovative ideas, and lots of them. To this end, the more inclusive an organization is in welcoming people to share their ideas, the more ideas there are, and, the more innovative an organization can be. Inclusivity spawns new ideas, innovation, and growth. The grand challenges facing us cannot be solved by isolated, homogenous groups.