Our Committee and Departmental Commitment to Community:
The Department of Earth Sciences recognizes the importance of hosting and working in a learning community where all members can thrive. We are committed to everyone’s voice being heard, safe working and learning environments, supporting each other in life-long learning, and making the geosciences more accessible to everyone, as varied ideas and experiences will only enrich our field and help to provide scientifically sound strategies to meet the 21st century Grand Challenges.
The ESCI IDEAS committee recognizes that the words of a statement must be linked with concrete actions. Thus, we are actively engaged in changes at the departmental level including:
- Establishment of the ESCI IDEAS committee with representation from faculty, staff, and students
- Evaluation of common courses and experiences to ensure community building, inclusive teaching, and safe learning/working spaces (ESCI 400, graduate student orientation, ESCI 997/998)
- Adding discussions of field safety and access in geoscience fieldwork to our 2 field courses, which are required for most of our ESCI undergraduate majors
- Focus fundraising efforts on funds to meet the financial and practical needs of current and incoming undergraduate and graduate students so that financial circumstances do not preclude their full participation in research and other learning opportunities
Department of Earth Sciences IDEAS committee sponsored Earth Day Picnic in 2025.
