Vision and Definitions
Vision Statement – President’s Commission on Diversity and Inclusion
In recommending a template to address this charge, and to achieve institutional excellence based upon diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at Eastern Michigan University, the CDI envisions a university that:
- Ensures the well-being and empowers the voice of all members of the university community;
- Integrates diversity, equity and inclusion as a threaded strategic imperative of all dimensions of institutional excellence;
- Aligns policies, procedures and outcomes with official expressions of mission, goals and values;
- Eliminates process, structural and systemic barriers to achieving institutional diversity, equity and inclusion;
- Integrates the creative talents of the entire university community into university programming, decision-making, and operations;
- Implements a coordinated accountability driven, continuous improvement model of programming, staffing and operations; and
- Leverages its historical legacy, its geographic location in southeastern Michigan, and its institutional strengths to position itself for 21st Century leadership in transforming the region and the nation.
Definitions
For the purposes of these recommendations, the President’s Commission on Diversity and Inclusion adopts the following operational definitions of diversity, equity and inclusion:
Diversity: Addresses and acknowledges individual differences such as personality and life experiences as well as group identities of race and ethnicity, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, language, culture, national origin, religious beliefs and identity, age, disability status, and political perspective.
Equity: The purposeful creation of opportunities and resources to remediate the differential impact of policies, practices, and structures on diverse persons, promote justice, impartiality and fairness within the procedures, processes, and distribution of resources by the institution, and actively challenge and respond to bias, discrimination, and harassment.
Inclusion: Deliberate and intentional efforts to ensure a community where diverse individuals are able to participate fully in the decision-making processes, different perspectives are heard respectfully, and members have a sense of belonging.