As you create your DEI statement, prioritise clarity and authenticity. Being open about where your company stands at the present can only help make things better – even if that means acknowledging that diversity and inclusion remain work in progress.
Your statement should include information about how EDI is being implemented into your research, teaching, and service activities. Here are some strategies for doing this:
The Statement’s Purpose
A diversity statement is an integral document that defines your company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Akin to mission or vision statements, diversity statements provide aspirationsal goals for your organization while setting priorities and informing decisions.
An effective DEI statement can help your company attract and retain talent by creating an inclusive culture that values individual differences. Furthermore, it can ensure all employees are treated fairly and given opportunities to reach their full potential.
Though DEI statements often cover topics like race, gender or religion, the best ones demonstrate awareness and commitment to diversity-related issues affecting your field and profession as a whole and how these may be addressed.
Your statement should also address how your work contributes to and is informed by diversity, equity and inclusion issues within the field. This may involve providing details such as demographics of research subjects; engaging marginalized communities within scholarship projects; or incorporating equitable teaching practices in classrooms.
Focusing solely on your social identities and experiences may come off as self-serving or defensive; instead, highlight how your scholarship, teaching, service or mentoring efforts promote inclusivity and advance diversity.
Some colleges and universities now require faculty applicants to submit diversity statements with their application packets, in order to assist hiring committees with assessing a candidate’s knowledge of diverse perspectives and experiences within higher education fields and their fields; furthermore, these statements aim to show candidates’ capacity and willingness to participate in activities that promote inclusive excellence and diversity across research, teaching, and service activities.
As you create your diversity and inclusion statement for your company, ensure it reflects its goals and values. A great way of doing this is linking it with its mission and values – this will ensure it reflects accurately your commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
The Statement’s Language
No matter if you’re writing a diversity statement for an employment application or company website, using inclusive and positive language is key to creating an inclusive statement. Instead of using words such as “define or separate”, try instead choosing ones like “celebrate”, “support”, and “embrace”. Using language such as this will make the statement feel welcoming instead of intimidating for readers.
If your statement will address a conflict that you have experienced, consider including all its details in your statement. This will give the reader a fuller picture of how this event affected both yourself and any parties involved in the dispute. Give specific examples, and describe exactly how it affected relationships between participants in conflict situations.
Your statement should reflect your values and understanding of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, while at the same time reflect your dedication to advancing inclusive excellence in higher education. Some schools require applicants for academic positions (tenure track professors as well as academic staff) to submit a statement on diversity, equity and inclusion when submitting an application for consideration.
These statements require applicants to describe how they plan to contribute to the University’s mission of providing education and knowledge for “any individual, in any field of study”. This may include teaching, research or service contributions.
Candidates are also expected to describe how their past, present and future contributions support Cornell’s goal of fostering equity and diversity in higher education. Furthermore, applicants are strongly encouraged to link their future contributions with its legacy as a land-grant institution that facilitates community improvement through research and teaching.
As part of your efforts in diversity and inclusion, it can also be useful to include tangible data about your business’s progress when making claims about them on your website or job description. Doing this will lend credence to any statements about these topics from you company – for instance by showing employees that it practices what it preaches – such as listing percentage of women in leadership roles, money spent with minority-owned businesses or any other measures which demonstrate it has real dedication toward diversity and inclusion.
The Statement’s Content
DEI statements provide applicants with an opportunity to formally articulate their perspectives and policies regarding diversity, equity and inclusion within academic environments. Whether applying for faculty positions at new schools or tenure in current ones, DEI statements enable candidates to showcase their commitments and experiences in creating cultures that appreciate diversity. It’s vitally important that applicants avoid making common errors when writing these statements to ensure their best ideas and contributions towards diversity, equity and inclusion are accurately communicated through them.
Universities typically provide instructions on the proper writing style of DEI statements, with guidelines meant to ensure they align with an institution’s goals, values, and mission. Failing to follow these rules makes it more challenging for search committees to accurately assess whether an applicant’s philosophy and approach to DEI align with those of their own institution.
Foggy language is one of the primary reasons why applications fail, since this could suggest that applicants are either not committed to taking steps to enhance their academic community’s DEI status or are uncertain how best to approach doing so. Furthermore, it would be beneficial for applicants not to focus solely on one demographic group or issue; rather they should explore forms of oppression such as racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and ableism that affect them all equally.
Examples of past and proposed future efforts to support diversity, equity and inclusion can help readers get an understanding of a candidate’s perspective on these matters. They could include their involvement with campus student organizations that promote inclusivity or service with LGBTQ+ student groups as well as research initiatives they are involved with; other activities that further this goal should also be noted here.
Providing relevant resources from the university website to enrich a candidate’s DEI statement can be useful, such as diversity data, outreach programs, or racial equity strategies. They can then link this information back to their statement which can serve as a reference point for future students and faculty members.
The Statement’s Format
A strong DEI statement should encompass multiple dimensions of how an individual’s values and experiences advance diversity, equity and inclusion within their work environment. Furthermore, it should clearly illustrate how all these different components come together as one.
An outline format can help people do this; beginning by outlining the overall benefits of furthering ideas, then moving onto specific actions to demonstrate commitment. Furthermore, including data that supports your claims such as how many women hold leadership roles within their company or performance with diverse suppliers is beneficial in making an argument for change.
One final element that may help is explaining how their past experiences in these areas have shaped their current perspective on an issue. For example, a professor might discuss their experience participating in programs for underrepresented students and have seen firsthand how initiatives like these can make an impactful difference in higher education settings.
Notify their audience of how they’ve worked to foster inclusive classroom and laboratory environments, such as their methods for course design and assignment creation and strategies to foster accessible and inclusive learning environments.
Finaly, professors must discuss how they intend to advance their knowledge in diversity, equity and inclusion through research or scholarly work. Furthermore, they should demonstrate a willingness to listen open-mindedly while engaging with different perspectives regarding these topics.
A professor’s DEI statement should convey more than simply their list of personal accomplishments; rather, it should express their desire to learn and be challenged as well as commitment to making an impactful difference in the lives of students. This will resonate with any college or university that places an emphasis on students; additionally, it’s likely to make them stand out among candidates when applying to them; so taking time and care in crafting an outstanding statement which communicates these values will make a much stronger piece of writing than simply listing experiences that might otherwise pass without consideration.