Committee for Equity and Inclusion

Mission
The Committee for Equity and Inclusion will provide leadership to the University's ongoing efforts to shape an inclusive and equitable learning and work environment for the faculty, staff and students of Samuel Merritt University.

Role and Function

  1. Provide strategies, benchmarks and ongoing assessment in the University's efforts to create a culture of inclusion.
  2. Make recommendations to institutionalize equitable and inclusive policies, procedures and practices.
  3. Champion a culture of inclusion and equity through advocacy, education, training, accountability and assessment activities.
  4. Work with all of SMU's various programs, admission and external consultants to drive diverse student, faculty and executive level recruitment.

Outcomes and Products

  1. Define and implement an Equity and Inclusion (Diversity) Plan, in consultation with President's Council that will continuously expand a culture of inclusion and equity throughout our community.
  2. Provide a series of speakers, conferences and alumni events directly related to increasing the quality and depth of equity and inclusion work at SMU.
  3. Assess the University environment to both honor the work being done and uncover the work that still needs to be done for true equity and inclusion to exist at SMU.

Operating Procedures
The Committee will meet monthly. Agendas shall be distributed to all members one week in advance of each meeting. The Committee will designate a chair. Minutes shall be distributed to all members within one week of adjournment and posted electronically.

Glossary of Terms
Below is a list of terms that we have found relevant to our work as a Committee. This is a work in progress and we encourage you to submit new terms at anytime. You may make submissions to: Che Abram at CAbram@samuelmerritt.edu or Lily Marquez at LMarquez@samuelmerritt.edu.

Source: Oxford Dictionary Online http://oxforddictionaries.com/

Awareness
Definition: concern about and well-informed interest in a particular situation or development
Antonym: Ignorance

Committee
Definition: a group of people appointed for a particular function by a larger group.
Antonym: Individual

Cultural
Definition: of or relating to the ideas, customs, and social behavior of a society
Antonym: Enigma

Diverse
Definition: Showing a great deal of variety; very different
Antonym: Similar

Diversity
Definition: A state of being diverse; variety
Antonym: Uniformity

Equity
Definition: the quality of being fair and impartial
Antonym: Injustice

Ethnicity
Definition: the fact or state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition:
Antonym: Contrived

Inclusion
Definition: the act or state of including or being included within a group of structure
Antonym: Exclusion

Mistreat
Definition: treat (a person or animal) badly, cruelly, or unfairly
Antonym: Protection

Minority
Definition: the smaller number or part , especially a number that is less than half the whole number
Antonym: Majority

Principles
Definition: a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning; a fundamental source or basis of something
Antonym: Indifference

Underrepresent
Definition: provide with insufficient or inadequate representation
Antonym: Represent