The Department of Geography at the University of Alabama recognizes the ongoing underrepresentation of Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous graduates from undergraduate and graduate STEM programs in the United States and recognizes that responding to this trend requires practical steps to promote inclusive sciences. We further recognize that women, Black, and other minority students continue to experience disparities in career advancement and success in job placement compared to their white peers, a trend reflected within the field of Geography and a trend we will work to actively change. The Department acknowledges the continued need to actively recruit and retain underrepresented and minority faculty and is committed to working towards a more representative faculty. We believe that a lack of faculty diversity harms the growth and advancement of the discipline and diminishes the opportunities for recruiting and retaining a more diverse undergraduate and graduate student body. The Department is committed to providing a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, neurodiversity, socioeconomic background and sexual orientation. The Department commits to seeking out best practices for the recruitment and retention of underrepresented students in the Department’s majors and minors, and will work to further support establishing relationships with underserved communities in Alabama and the Southeastern region. We seek to foster an environment in which diversity is championed as a key asset of the educational experience and a value to all.
To ensure the Department continues to work towards these aims, the Department has established a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. We recognize this statement and DEI committee as a work-in-progress and provisional and the Department works to more firmly engage with matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion.