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Wildlife Ecology and Conservation department

Wildlife Ecology and Conservation department

Department Commitment to Equity and Inclusion

The Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida is committed to providing an equitable and inclusive environment to support a diverse group of students, faculty, and staff.

WEC-IDEA Letter to Students Jun2020

Department Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access Committee

The WEC IDEA Committee is responsible for helping the department create an intellectually nourishing and supportive environment that allows our entire community to have their voices heard and feel welcome and secure. The committee strives to:

  1. Actively promote inclusion, diversity, equity, and access within the Department.
  2. Continuously evaluate and assess the Departmental work environment related to our teaching, research, and extension mission.
  3. Actively seek and promote mechanisms that meet the mission of the committee.
  4. Provide resources to the Department on matters regarding inclusion, diversity, equity, and access.

Actions WEC Is Taking

Monitoring our Work and Learning Environments

The department is conducting regular climate surveys followed by moderated focus groups to assess the inclusiveness of both work and learning environments and identify areas for improvement.

Results of the Fall 2020 Climate Survey

Implementing Equitable Hiring Practices

The IDEA Committee has developed an Equitable Faculty Hiring Checklist to be used in all faculty searches in conjunction with IFAS level training in equitable hiring practices.

Training Students and Employees

We actively encourage our faculty and students to receive training in creating equitable and inclusive environments. In the Resources section of this webpage we provide a curated list of resources for reading and obtaining in these areas. The department also hosts semi-regularly Allies 101 seminars and sponsors semi-regular Ally Skills workshops.

Resources

This is a curated list of resources for members of the WEC community interested in learning about and improving their approaches to equity and inclusion. For many topics there is both a “getting started” option for those first exploring this topic and a “deep dive” option for those interested in committing the time and energy to obtain greater expertise.

Creating Inclusive Academic Environments
Creating Inclusive Learning Environments
Creating Inclusive Environments for Field Work and Field Experiences
Equitable Hiring & Promotion
Inclusive Mentoring
Improving Representation

Creating Inclusive Academic Environments

Getting Started

Deep Dives

  • Take Online Courses from the Gators Together Program. This is a series of more than 10 online courses including subjects like inclusive leadership and inclusive communication. You can also complete a formal certificate as part of this program https://learn-and-grow.hr.ufl.edu/courses-registration/gators-together/
  • Attend an Ally Skills Workshop. These workshops are run periodically in the department and on campus more broadly. They provide 3-hours of training in actionable ally skills. After a short introduction, most of the workshop is spent in small groups, discussing real-world scenarios, and ways to respond to them. https://alligatorallyskills.weebly.com/

Creating Inclusive Learning Environments

Getting Started

  • Read and implement recommendations from the Columbia University “Guide for Inclusive Teaching”. A brief introduction to evidence-based inclusive teaching principles.
  • Read and implement recommendations from the Accessible Syllabus website. Practical advice for making your syllabus more accessible, welcoming, and inclusive.

Deep Dives

Creating Inclusive Environments for Field Work and Field Experiences

Getting Started

Deep Dives

Equitable Hiring & Promotion

Getting Started

Deep Dives

Inclusive Mentoring

Getting Started

Deep Dives

Improving Representation

Getting Started

Deep Dives