Committee Charge

Broadly review the state of, and opportunities for improving the state of, diversity, equity and inclusion in graduate education at Penn State. Report back to Graduate Council with information and recommended actions.

Rationale

Current events emphasize that our society continues to struggle with issues such as systemic discrimination, unequal treatment of populations, and barriers to access to resources based on issues including but not limited to race, ethnicity, and gender. Graduate research and education can play an important role in improving diversity, equity and inclusion in our society. Graduates of our graduate degree programs are increasingly asked, when seeking positions beyond graduate school, to demonstrate their ability to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in their disciplines. Graduate students from underrepresented groups report feeling isolated or unwelcome. The time is ripe for Graduate Council to take a serious look at how Penn State can become a national leader in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in graduate research and education.

Initial discussions suggest that both the Graduate School and the Faculty Senate would be pleased to see the Graduate Council move ahead with actions in this area that would be specific to graduate education and research. The topic, while suited to the committee on Graduate Student and Faculty Issues (GSFI), is broad and would probably take over the entire committee agenda for the year. A special committee could focus entirely on this topic without slowing the current GSFI agenda.

This committee would be asked to identify topics worthy of further investigation, prioritize, and begin gathering information. Topics of interest include recruiting, retention, and training of graduate students and graduate faculty.

Outcome

This committee is requested to report back periodically to the Graduate Council on their deliberations. Products could include:

1. informational reports for the good of the Graduate community at Penn State;
2. recommended changes to Graduate Council policies or the administration of those policies;
3. recommended changes in Graduate School administrative policies;
4. recommendations for topics to be addressed by Graduate Council standing committees.

Any recommendations developed by the Ad Hoc Committee will be brought to Graduate Council for additional consultation, review, approval and/or further action.

Committee Co-Chairs

Stephanie Danette Preston, Associate Dean for Graduate Educational Equity, and Chief Diversity Officer for Graduate Education, The Graduate School

Mariya Tankimovich, Associate Teaching Professor of English, College of the Liberal Arts

Membership

• Suzanne Adair, Associate Vice President for Affirmative Action
• Nathanial Brown, Professor of Mathematics, Eberly College of Science
• Cierra Chandler, Graduate Student, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Black Graduate Student Association member
• Stephanie Danette Preston, Associate Dean for Graduate Educational Equity, and Chief Diversity Officer for Graduate Education, The Graduate School
• Matthew Fantle, Professor of Geosciences, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
• Tom Hogan, Professor of Practice in Human Resource Management, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Officer, College of the Liberal Arts
• Miguel Mostafa, Professor of Physics and of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Associate Dean for Research and Innovation, Eberly College of Science
• Brian Patchoski, Assistant Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Anirban Paul, Assistant Professor of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine
• Cynthia Reed, Assistant Director of Student Research and Graduate Equity, College of Engineering
• Suzy Scherf, Associate Professor of Psychology, College of the Liberal Arts
• Jose Soto, Associate Professor of Psychology, College of the Liberal Arts
• Jonte Taylor, Associate Professor of Special Education, College of Education
• Mariya Tankimovich, Associate Teaching Professor, Director of the D.N.P. Program, College of Nursing
• Jan Reimann, Chair of Graduate Council, Ex Officio