Diversity, equity and inclusion

The CANR Diversity Committee will be developing activities, training and programming aligned with the mission and values upheld by the University of Delaware. 

2022-2023

December 2019 - The Office of Equity and Inclusion began a DEI audit involving a four-step data collection process in consultation and collaboration with members of the college. The information gleaned from this audit would then be used to make recommendations recommendations for an enhanced commitment to DEI through policy and practice.

August 2020 - The Office of Equity and Inclusion completed and shared a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Assessment of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. A summary of these findings can be found further down on the page.

September 2020 - An informal meeting took place on September 9 to begin initiating an official CANR DEI Committee within the college, and on September 24, a group met for their first formal meeting to discuss an action plan.

October 2020 - On October 19, 2020, the dean sent out a 13-question anonymous survey created by the CANR DEI Committee to assess how undergraduate and graduate students perceived the climate of the CANR college community. A summary of these findings can be found further down on the page.

November 2020 - On November 12, 2020, the CANR faculty voted to amend the college by-laws to officially include a standing, formal DEI Committee that will consist of 13 voting members plus two ex officio, non-voting members. These members will be chosen from each of the four college departments and Cooperative Extension. The committee includes two undergraduate and 2 graduate students, 4 staff members, and 4 faculty members as noting members. The complete by-laws can be found here.

November 2020 - A college-wide Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Virtual Town Hall was held on November 19, 2020, during which CANR leadership spoke about DEI initiatives, the CANR DEI Committee shared a summary of results from a student survey about CANR climate and time for open discussion was provided for students, staff and faculty to share and ask questions.

January 2021 - Two members of UD's Cooperative Extension participated in a national "Coming Together for Racial Understanding Training." The program brings participants together to share and discuss with each other how our attitudes, behaviors, and existing social, organizational, and institutional structures impact our working and living environments in ways that do not promote justice, equity, and respect for all. 

May 2021 - Interfaith Leadership in Higher Education virtual presentation with discussion. Premise: Given the unique potential of higher education to lead the way in responding to the new religious and civic realities in America, an essential question emerges: to what extent is the collegiate experience preparing students to be successful leaders in our religiously diverse society?

August 2021 - Submitted an Equity, Justice, Diversity and Inclusion Framework in draft form to CANR Dean for review by the CANR Leadership Team.

September 2021 - a) Presented Equity, Justice, Diversity and Inclusion Framework to CANR Leadership Team, those in attendance voted unanimously to approve the measure. The next step will be to send the document out to the CANR community including students, staff and faculty. b) CANR DEI Committee attends the CANR Fall Fest to raise awareness and recruit students to the committee. c) The current DEI Committee Chair begins coordinating the second year of the CANR Dual Enrollment Program at Christiana High School. d) The committee receives a formal college budget.

November 2021 - a) The DEI committee is an event sponsor for a "Decolonizing US History" talk by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz a historian, writer, and professor emerita at California State University, and a longtime social justice activist. b) Equity, Justice, Diversity and Inclusion Framework was voted on by CANR faculty during an all faculty meeting and passed. It is now an official document to be linked within the CANR By-Laws. The framework can also be found here.

March 2022 - On March 24, Dr. Adam Foley from the Office of Institutional Equity presented a student workshop centering around intercultural communication hosted by the CANR DEI Committee. The goal is to equip individuals and groups with the tools necessary to hold difficult conversations that lead us to act to create more just campuses.

May 2022- On May 12, Guest speaker President Freeman Hrabowski of the University of Maryland Baltimore County visits to discuss intercultural competence and inclusive excellence. This type of competence is invaluable in an increasingly globalized world where we are more likely to interact with people from different cultures and countries who have been shaped by different values, beliefs and experiences. Throughout his career, President Freeman Hrabowski has exemplified the importance of intercultural competence in his work with students, parents, faculty, staff and the community.