Diversity Council

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

IU Columbus strives to maintain a welcoming community through an ongoing commitment to equity and inclusion. We define Equity and inclusion as:

• Equity in the institution at its heart is about fairness; it is about equal access – to education, to employment – and equal opportunity to succeed in these domains. Promoting and achieving equity requires that institutions, such as universities, reflectively examine their policies and practices related to such areas as hiring and promotion of faculty and staff, admission of students, measurements of success, curricula and climate. University of British Columbia
• Equity in the classroom is raising the achievement of all students while: narrowing the gaps between the highest- and lowest-performing students; and eliminating the racial/socioeconomic/gender predictability and disproportionality of which student groups occupy the highest and lowest achievement categories. Adapted From Courageous Conversations, Glenn Singleton and Curtis Linton
• Inclusion is defined as, “The active, intentional, and ongoing engagement with diversity—in people, in the curriculum, in the co-curriculum, and in communities (intellectual, social, cultural, geographical) with which individuals might connect—in ways that increase one’s awareness, content knowledge, cognitive sophistication, and empathic understanding of the complex ways individuals interact within systems and institutions” (AAC&U, 2009, ¶ 3). University of Arizona

To this end, we provide a variety of opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and the local community to learn from and engage with a broad array of topics. A few of our ongoing initiatives are listed below:

• Annual MLK Celebratory Lunch
• Pride Pantry - Campus Food Pantry
• IU Columbus Diversity Circles
• Excellence in Leadership Initiative - Speaker Series

Help us recognize individuals and groups that have demonstrated a strong commitment diversity. This award is intended to recognize and honor demonstrated commitment and outstanding efforts toward creating a diverse and inclusive community.

Each year, nominations are accepted for internal (on-campus) and external (off-campus) individuals, organizations, groups, projects, units, and institutions whose work during the previous year is deserving of recognition.

Nomination Form

Nominations for the 2025 award will be due in November.

If you have questions about this award, please contact the Office of the Vice Chancellor & Dean for information.

IU Columbus prohibits discrimination based on arbitrary considerations of such characteristics as age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.